Why it's essential
With his second novel in the "Hannibal Lecter" series, Thomas Harris brought his ruthless serial killer to icon status while constructing one of the most gripping thrillers of all time.
Featured in 35 Terrifying Listens That Inspired Horror Movies.
What is The Silence of the Lambs about?
The Silence of the Lambs follows Clarice Starling, an FBI trainee, as she becomes embroiled in the chase for Buffalo Bill, a murderer with a strange pattern of killings. To aid in the case, she begins to interview the incarcerated Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant psychiatrist who just so happens to be a spree killer as well.
Editor's review
Seth Hartman is an Audible editor and a certified podcasting fanatic. He lives for historical fiction, music and film analysis podcasts, and well-placed Oxford commas.
As a lifelong horror buff, it is always refreshing to return to my earliest experiences with the genre. Starting in my early middle school days, I began to develop a secret fascination with some of the genre’s most iconic characters. It felt wrong to harbor something bordering on obsession for monsters like Jigsaw or Michael Myers, but the morbid researcher within me couldn’t help it. Many adolescent afternoons with my friends were spent imagining survival methods for each movie’s deadly scenarios, or perhaps debating whether Jason would actually stand a chance against Freddy Krueger.
It didn’t take long for my dad to notice my interest in the genre. One day, he came home from the video store with two movies that would change my outlook as a horror fan forever. These films were The Silence of the Lambs and The Shining. After searing both films into my retinas over the course of the next two days, I came to understand the true potential of horror stories.
At its core, the setup for Silence isn’t all that novel. It follows a classic "unlikely allies" plot, as FBI trainee Clarice Starling is compelled to team up with psychologist and serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter in order to crack a high profile case. What makes this story stand out is the special care it takes with these characters and their relationship. Dr. Lecter is a psychopathic genius who takes great pleasure in toying with people, yet it is clear throughout the story that he seems to have a soft spot for Clarice. This feeling often manifests as a playful demeanor, with Hannibal taking great pleasure in making her squirm while still providing her with useful help. Clarice, on the other hand, is justifiably afraid of the doctor and takes great measures to appear professional and "hard" in front of him. As they work on the case of "Buffalo Bill" (a murderer whose methods seem to copy Lecter’s), Hannibal employs his advanced analytical skills to slowly but surely chip away at Clarice’s defenses, waiting for any advantage he can find to play this situation to his advantage.
Silence of the Lambs taught me that horror can show itself in many forms. The true horror of this story is not found in the serial killings, but in the uncomfortably fraught relationship between Dr. Lecter and Clarice. Despite being behind bars for the vast majority of the novel, the power Dr. Lecter wields with words alone is staggering. He is, without a doubt, among the most terrifying villains in modern storytelling, yet he brandishes his power while doing little more than pacing around a jail cell.
While the film adaptation of this novel dragged me mercilessly into the twisted world of Hannibal Lecter, it wasn’t until years later that I dove into Thomas Harris’s extended Hannibal Lecter series. Getting a chance to read about Hannibal’s reign of terror before he was incarcerated as well as his other exploits added a level to this character that I never knew I needed. This coupled with Frank Muller’s masterful voice work in the audiobook makes the listening experience of these novels an absolute treat for any horror fan.
Even after consuming every horror movie and book known to man (exaggeration, I know), thinking about this story still makes a chill run down my spine. Hannibal Lecter is, without a doubt, an iconic villain who transcends his own series, terrifying horror junkies like me to this day.
Did you know?
The Silence of the Lambs was the first novel to ever win all five major thriller awards, including the Edgar Award, the Bram Stoker Award, the Anthony Award, the Shamus Award, and the Macavity Award.
Both Hannibal Lecter and Buffalo Bill’s characters were inspired by a number of real-life serial killers, such as Ted Bundy, Ed Gein and Dr. Alfredo Ballí Treviño.
The moth motif throughout the story is meant to represent Clarice’s changing worldview as she continues to work with Dr. Lecter.
What listeners said
"Frank Muller was DESTINED to read this book to us. Plain and simple. The book itself is brilliant, but his reading takes it to a level that I didn't even think was possible! He nails Lector, and is PERFECT as Buffalo Bill (the other bad guy). By the way, to have TWO characters as iconic as Hannibal Lector and Buffalo Bill in the same book is quite an accomplishment unto itself. They are so different, and yet so perfectly dark in all the right ways. I found myself laughing quite a bit at Buffalo Bill's lines, but that's even more credit to how superb Muller's reading was." -Aaron, Audible listener
"I have seen the movie several times, and I still enjoyed the book. Naturally, book provides detail that movie skipped. Hannibal is just as scary if not more ... Frank Muller does an amazing job." -Adnan, Audible listener
"This is such a great book. I had never read it, since I'd seen the movie (I always read before I watch, or I generally don't bother reading). I was actually very (pleasantly) surprised at how well the movie kept to the book. There was (to my memory of the movie) no deviation from the book at all. I loved this book. Great story, creepy but not over-gruesome. Three-dimensional characters, well-crafted plot, and super narration. Highly recommended—especially if you aren't sure what you want to read/listen to, and kind of want to cozy up with familiar friends (if you've seen the movie, then these are old friends)." -Tracy, Audible listener
Listen if you loved
Quotes from The Silence of the Lambs
"I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti."
"Nothing makes us more vulnerable than loneliness except greed."
"I'm not sure you get wiser as you get older, Starling, but you do learn to dodge a certain amount of hell."
"What does he do, Clarice? What is the first and principal thing he does, what need does he serve by killing? He covets. How do we begin to covet? We begin by coveting what we see every day."
"Quid pro quo, Clarice."
Adaptations
The Silence of the Lambs was adapted into a film that enjoyed box office success, received critical acclaim, and swept the Oscars. Starring Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter and Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling, the film won the Academy Award for both Best Actor and Best Actress in a Leading Role, Best Director for Jonathan Demme, Best Screenplay, and Best Picture 1991.
About the author
A native of Mississippi, Thomas Harris began his writing career covering crime in the United States and Mexico, and was a reporter and editor for the Associated Press in New York City. His first novel, Black Sunday, was published in 1975, followed by Red Dragon in 1981, The Silence of the Lambs in 1988, Hannibal in 1999, and Hannibal Rising in 2006.
About the performer
Frank Muller was a classically trained actor and prolific audiobook narrator. He spent many years on the New York stage, where he became a company member of the Riverside Shakespeare Company, for which he played the title role in King Henry V, Edmund the Bastard in The History of King Lear, and the title role in Cyrano de Bergerac, as well as performing with the Roundabout Theater Company and the New York Shakespeare Festival. He also played supporting roles on television in shows from All My Children to Law & Order. His outstanding audiobook performances include All Quiet on the Western Front, Moby-Dick, All the Pretty Horses, and Stephen King's The Green Mile and Different Seasons.
