"Confusing"
I have enjoyed all of the Hannibal Lecter books from Thomas Harris, but this one kind of skipped and jumped around so I was confused about what was going on in the story.
Don't jump around so much. Be a little more detailed on certain aspects that could be misinterpreted. There was a part where some tanks showed up and then it was talking about the treatment of Hannibal and his sister (I think) by the soldiers from the tanks and then it jumped to something else. I had to listen to the same segment several times and still had trouble understanding it.
I would have used different narrators when characters changed. Have one person reading when Hannibal is a little boy. Another person read when he's older. Etc. Or alternate voices when different characters are talking. When its just same reader or same voice reading all speaking parts it's hard to discern who is talking.
I have a feeling this book was written fairly quickly to come out before the movie did and as a result it wasn't quite as good as the previous 3 books. By the way Hannibal needs to be released Unabridged on Audible.
"A little slow at first, but rapidly grew taught "
I thought this story started a little slow. I had a difficult time gettibg to like Hannibal, but suddenly I found myself listening more and more.
"For me, narration underscores the tone"
This book chronicles the formative experiences in Hannibal Lecter’s childhood, taking the reader through Lecter’s late teenage years. Having read and listened to Red Dragon, The Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal and enjoying all three, I was eager to hear this one.
I don’t share the view of many reviewers who state that Thomas Harris is not a good narrator. For me, his accent and the way he reads the text enhance the tone of the story; Harris’s subtle narration guides the listener into the depths of a soul as it begins to freeze and carries us out so calmly we hardly notice the ground is solid a moment after we emerge.
"expected more"
I would only recommend this book to others in order to fill the void and understand how a bright boy could turn into a "monster" by the events that happened in his early life.
I have seen the movies and have read Hannibal. I would like to hear what I missed by listening to the books.
Where young Hannibal helps to cure the butcher of his rudeness.
no. although it is a lot shorter than expected, I could not listen to it in one sitting
there is still a void between the end of this book and Red Dragon movie that i hope is covered in the Red Dragon book. This is the first audiobook where the author read the book and I was very impressed.
"Performance is god awful"
The narrator, while being the author, should never have attempted to narrate this book. It was completely unlistenable. I have no idea if the story was any good or not because I was too distracted by how awful the narration was. I tried to stick with it but gave up listening half way through. So disappointed!
"Wasn't interesting!"
I tried to get through the audiobook, but it was too much to listen to. Not even interested in finishing the book.
"Great book at times"
It was good but not great.
It is better than red dragon
I thought he did a great job narrating
neither
The book could have been great but Thomas Harris is to indulgent as writer. He gets bogged down in minute details and that bores me. I hate when authors don't allow me to use my imagination.
"Very good but recommend an abridged version."
Since there was so much commentary about the narration I have to say first, it wasn't bad. The german accents were a little heavy handed for a narrated story but having heard many germans speak english, it could have been a lot harsher [I know that doesn't sound very p.c., to say but it's kinda true]. Harris' southern accent I thought was charming and not in the least bit detracting. It's a lot more mild than I've heard from my own southern family!
A wonderfully researched and well developed backstory and character psychology to where suspension of disbelief was virtually unnecessary.
I think the abridged version of this story would have worked for me better. With the pacing, which suited Hannibal's personality as we know it - calculated and deliberate - was far too sleepy for me and I struggled to stay with it. By the time we find out what really happened to Mischka and Hannibal's exacting revenge, I was past ready to be done. That said, it is a terrific story.
"Hannibal Sleeping"
Not really. It was a long drawn out story
Not sure, but definitely a mystery
The narrator was monotonus, swhich did not help the long drawn out story line
No.
"definitely worth a listen"
I certainly enjoyed listening to this - Thomas Harris is an excellent narrator and writer, and I loved listening to his first three books as well. However, compared to the first three books in the Hannibal series, this book seemed less researched and rushed to release. I still think this is an excellent book, and certainly worth the read.