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)

Brilliant! A true nailbiter

Sounded like Anthony Hopkins’ Lecter. Great to compare with the film (& the musical). Well done!

The best trilogy

My 3rd time rereading this phenomenal book, all time classics. My recommendation is to read the whole trilogy.

absolutely lives up to the hype!

I held off reading this for years as I am a huge fan of the film and thought that I might find that the book would not have much to offer. I was completely wrong.

while the film is very faithful to the book, the book offers a more insight into all of the main characters and actually clarifies some character motivations.

frank Mueller does an amazing job. he does subtle voice changes for the characters and never sounds like he's over doing it. it's just enough to understand who is "talking".

if you're on the fence...just download it. you won't be disappointed

Fantastic!!

This story was compelling to say the least. Evil genius like Dr L come along once a generation. Can’t wait to rewatch the movie.

An Average Man's Thoughts

Everything about this book is excellent. For a thriller it checks every box and then goes an extra mile. It has a gripping plot A and B that are tied together. Both plots have interesting characters. Both plots have a slowly built tension that grows each time we visit it. They have explosive conclusions. The characters are well built and well performed. If I tried to find something wrong with this book I wouldn't be able to.
Amazing, one of my all time favorites.

Sensational

I’ve seen the movie a half-dozen times before experiencing the book itself. Easy to see why this was a monster hit.

Excellent performance, although the pronounced background hiss took some getting used to.

Engaging narration

Always enjoyed the book now came back to audiobook. I found the narration gripping and completely engrossing!

Perfect

Gripping. Excellent narration. If you liked the movie, you’ll love the book… probably even more. Cannot recommend enough.

Horrifyingly good

Great suspense novel for anyone who wants a thriller and has no problem with gory violence.

An all-timer.

I love the film and was expecting a fun jaunt through familiar territory - what I got was one of the best books I've ever read...er, listened to. Harris' prose is better than it has any need to be in genre fiction. There's an elegance to his rhythm and word choice that confounded my expectations. I was pleased to find how faithfully the film adapts Harris' work - almost every iconic scene is present and most of the best dialogue was adapted nearly word-for-word. The book hits the same points as the film, but adds layers of depth to Starling's character and some fascinating insights into the law-enforcement process. Harris' journalistic background shines.

Having listened to the audiobooks of Stephen King's Dark Tower series, I was familiar with Frank Muller's work. Still, I wasn't prepared for the quality of Muller's performance. Muller's character reading is incredible - his Hannibal Lector is haunting but never overly affected or campy.

I also must make mention of the excellent foreward, written and performed by the author. It's a fascinating glimpse into both Harris' creative process and the creation of one of the finest villains of film and literature.

I can't recommend this enough. If you have even a passing interest in the film or genre, you've gotta give it a try.