The Silence of the Lambs

By: Thomas Harris

Narrated by: Frank Muller

Length: 10 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

A serial murderer known only by a grotesquely apt nickname—Buffalo Bill—is stalking women. He has a purpose, but no one can fathom it, for the bodies are discovered in different states. Clarice Starling, a young trainee at the FBI Academy, is surprised to be summoned by Jack Crawford, chief of the Bureau's Behavioral Science section. Her assignment: to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter—Hannibal the Cannibal—who is kept under close watch in the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane.

Dr. Lecter is a former psychiatrist with a grisly history, unusual tastes, and an intense curiosity about the darker corners of the mind. His intimate understanding of the killer and of Clarice herself form the core of Thomas Harris' The Silence of the Lambs—and ingenious, masterfully written book and an unforgettable classic of suspense fiction.

Please note: This is an historical recording. The audio quality represents the technology of the time when it was produced.

©1998 Thomas Harris (P)2011 Simon & Schuster

Critic reviews

"Scary Tales are always best when told out loud, which is why a novel such as The Silence of the Lambs works so well on tape." (Playboy)

"Even if you’ve already loved the movie and the book, you’ll still love this production of this wildly successful thriller.... This telling should not be missed. Acclaimed and popular narrator Frank Muller does his usual great narration by changing timbre and the level of his voice and sometimes his accent. The characters sound exactly as they should in this wonderful production. It’s probably wise to stay away from listening to this while eating, but otherwise it’s a triumph." (AudioFile)

simply a masterpiece. couldn't put down.

loved it. beautiful and enthralling. And horrifying.

My favorite part. "She slept....in the silence of the lambs." So sweet a phrase.

The narrator brought the whole story to life. 5 stars.

Silence of the Lambs

This book is an obvious masterpiece. There are literally almost no flaws or inconsistencies. Thomas Harris either has a very broad imagination, or he does his research better than most writers, because he seems very knowledgeable about specific detail in his descriptions. Details that many authors would skip over.
it was impossible to put this book down until I was finished reading It. It is one of those that you just want to never end. I can't wait to read the sequel two Silence of the Lambs.

Oh, Hannibal, you devil!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yep. It rocks. True performance that captivates on a story that already is gold.

Any additional comments?

The narrator channels Anthony Hopkins' portrayal of hannibal so well, I was amazed it was not Hopkins. Many people saw the film (a masterpiece above most,) before reading the novel. I was one. So when I read Hannibal, in my head I heard Hopkins' voice. THe narrator, Frank Muller nailed that! Made the listen the BEST of the Hannibal series. Thank you for not wrecking that. The book of course is a great thriller. Enjoy!

Great book/narration; disappointing audio quality

This is an excellent book with great narration and an enjoyable foreword read by the author, but it suffers from sub par audio quality. I usually listen to my books in the car courtesy of an FM transmitter, but I had to change to speaker for this listen.

If the movie gave you the hebbie-jeebies...

Where does The Silence of the Lambs rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I've listen to many books on tape and now these audible books are great, so that's hard to say. It's definitely in my top ten favorites of audible books. Having not read the book, I was wondering if it would stand up to the super creepy movie. The Audible book is different because it doesn't have Anthony Hopkins and Jody Foster, but in some ways it's even better than the movie through its extensive vivid description.

The author really did his research. The narrative has more details about how a real investigation is done and also the characteristics of behavioral science and serial killers. That last sentence may have sounded like the book was dull with paperwork and other meandering details, but it was not. It's more like listening to three very interesting stories at once. You have the psychological make-up of the characters (you get a much better picture of why they are who they are), the complications of the working a very exciting case and the insights of a very smart, almost but not yet, female FBI agent.

What other book might you compare The Silence of the Lambs to and why?

This book reminds me of all the true crime books I've read, starting with Truman Capote's In Cold Blood." Ironically, I think the characters in this book are a combination of very, scary criminals, but seem more like the truth than those Ted Bundy and Charles Manson books.

Which scene was your favorite?

My favorite scene was a toss up. Hannibal's escape in the old courthouse and/or when Clarisse S.enters our villain's house alone, only to realize she is facing the bad guy and she has very little experience in capturing serial killers and no back-up to help her. All the scenes when our villain is prepping to make his new dress (many of these details are not in the movie) feel very realistic and filled with gross detail.

If you could rename The Silence of the Lambs, what would you call it?

I wouldn't rename it. Clarisse's story is more thorough than in the movie. Besides, the theme holds the whole emotional and psychological theme of the book together.

Any additional comments?

This book is very graphic and I would not recommend it to someone who is sensitive to gore or dark claustrophobic basements. Even I, the connoisseur of scary stories, had to spend the night after hearing this book in a big house all alone. Normally I enjoy spending a lot of time in that historical home. That night, however, I could not go to sleep; I think I spent more time on Facebook than I had in a year.

Totally worth it. You'll read and recommend it more than once! Julia

Well read and well written

The narrator, Frank Mueller, did an outstanding job with the varied character which Thomas Harris fleshed out so well.

A great adventure!

I had seen the movie a couple of years ago so I decided to try out the audiobook! Overall, I was very impressed. The writing is simplistic at some times, but Miller's narration makes it a joy to listen to. His Hannibal Lector will make you listen to every single word and you will look forward to his scenes.

Definitely recommended if you're in the mood for a psychological thriller!

Better than the movie

Great narrator and great story. I am always grateful when a movie sticks closely to the plot of the book. Much of the storyline is the same; however, there are some interesting differences and a little more insight into Agent Starling.

So creepy and awesome!

It went above and beyond expectations. The book is so much better than the movie (and I love the movie).

Voices all sound the same

Great story! Riveting and suspenseful. After all of these years this is still intense.
The voices all sound the same making it hard to follow. I had to replay many sections of dialogue to figure out who was speaking.