Hannibal

A Novel

By: Thomas Harris

Narrated by: Daniel Gerroll

Length: 12 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

Invite Hannibal Lecter into the palace of your mind and be invited into his mind palace in turn. Note the similarities in yours and his, the high vaulted chambers of your dreams, the shadowed halls, the locked storerooms where you dare not go, the scrap of half-forgotten music, the muffled cries from behind a wall.

In one of the most eagerly anticipated literary events of the decade, Thomas Harris takes us once again into the mind of a killer, crafting a chilling portrait of insidiously evolving evil - a tour de force of psychological suspense. Seven years have passed since Dr. Hannibal Lecter escaped from custody, seven years since FBI Special Agent Clarice Starling interviewed him in a maximum security hospital for the criminally insane. The doctor is still at large, pursuing his own ineffable interests, savoring the scents, the essences of an unguarded world. But Starling has never forgotten her encounters with Dr. Lecter, and the metallic rasp of his seldom-used voice still sounds in her dreams. Mason Verger remembers Dr. Lecter, too, and is obsessed with revenge. He was Dr. Lecter's sixth victim, and he has survived to rule his own butcher's empire. From his respirator, Verger monitors every twitch in his worldwide web. Soon he sees that to draw the doctor, he must have the most exquisite and innocent-appearing bait; he must have what Dr. Lecter likes best. Powerful, hypnotic, utterly original, Hannibal is a dazzling feast for the imagination. Prepare to travel to hell and beyond as a master storyteller permanently alters the world you thought you knew.

©2000 Thomas Harris (P)2012 Random House

Critic reviews

"Strap yourself in for one heck of a ride - it'll scare your socks off." ( Denver Post)

"Relentless - endlessly terrifying." ( Los Angeles Times)

"Interested in getting the hell scared out of you? Buy this book on a Friday...lock all doors and windows. And by Monday, you might just be able to sleep without a night-light." ( Newsday)

truly a towering achievement of the genre

perhaps thomas harris has succeeded in creating a character as iconic, as elastic, and as unforgettable as sherlock holmes in these stories. that said, i read this after silence of the lambs and found it to be even richer and more finely conceived, even more riveting, dramatic and tense. it moves quickly but every character is wonderfully brought to life and quixotic. i thought i would struggle with the new narrator, having loved the narrator of silence of the lambs, but i found daniel gerroll even better. although both were really excellent. if you like crime, psychology, procedurals, haute culture or many other interesting themes, locations and motifs, i cant imagine how you would not agree that this has to be considered an undeniable masterpiece of its genre.

a fitting end

some have complained that the marathon of one of the characters was difficult to understand, (and therefore gave it a lesser rating), but I feel like it added to the suspense knowing you had to focus extra hard when listening to his lines.
overall, I liked the book. it was a fitting end to the story.

Not for the timid of mind and body...

I watched each of the movies but listening to the audiobook gave me a different perspective. At times I listened without absorbing because the story and narrative was hypnotic.

However I then returned to whichever segment I last consciously remembered and recaptured the thread.

Each time, it was worth the time to review.
This caused me to rethink many of my own cultural conventions.

This *is* the FULL version now, and what a TRIUMPH it is!

Without spoilers, I want to say this is the full version of the book, unabridged. Previous reviews say the final chapter is missing. It’s possible it used to be, but it isn’t now. Having finished this book, I’ve compared it to a Kindle version and a PDF print version online. All 103 chapters are here, with chapter 104 being the acknowledgements. I’ve compared the plot against that of Wikipedia, and it ends where this audiobook ends.

The narrator takes getting used to. I loved his Lecter. Not a fan of his Starling. Mason was very tough to understand at many parts, and Barney was....eh. Clearly, he was picked for his Lecter voice and his narration skills. He has a range of voices, but I questioned some of them. Giving 5 stars for performance because EVERY character had a clear and distinct style and he handled the multiple languages like a pro.

Now, I must say that this is one of the most compelling, intoxicating, intriguing and erotic books I have ever had the utmost pleasure of reading. Hannibal the novel is a departure from Red Dragon and The Silence of the Lambs, both of which I would classify as police procedurals. Hannibal is very much a drama, a thriller, a novel of terror and........a novel of obsession, eroticism and...love.

Harris is masterful in his writing of Lecter. I will say he gives him some more layers not readily seen in previous series entries, which you may write off. I saw them as enlightening and delightful nuggets; Dr. Hannibal Lecter is one of the most fascinating characters I have ever read.

If you are a fan of the Lecter character, you will not be disappointed.

!!SPOILERS AHEAD!!

SERIOUSLY

MASSIVE

SPOILERY

SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!

Many despise this novel for its characterization of Starling. I deeply disagree. You see it coming; it isn’t a surprise. Starting in The Silence of the Lambs, it’s clear that she is captivated by Lecter and compelled by him. This novel takes all of the safety structures, every thing she thought she knew, and pits it against her. The sexist FBI despised her — Lecter sees value in her, always has. She knows this. Even before Hannibal, I suspected the loved him, even if it’s a sliver. Other characters nod at this before the brainwashing begins.

Their moments together in the final part of the book are pure magic. It’s intoxicating and rapt with emotion. Lecter is a monster. It’s true. They are obsessed with one another. It’s made clear she is of her own free will and chooses this. And I cannot blame her. Talk about a dynamic couple.

I deeply want a sequel of this dangerous couple, but the ending was absolutely perfect.

One of the worst ever narrations

If you could sum up Hannibal in three words, what would they be?

I have listened to hundreds of books. The narration of Mason was not understandable. I have a kindle version of this book, and I had to refer back to the kindle just to understand what he said. Very poor decision on the producer's part to narrate Mason's character this way.

Narrator Not a Problem

I found that if I slowed the speed of reading down to 0.9 I was able to understand the narrator much better.

Fantastic. Smart. Surprising. Humbling.

I am an aspiring author and I now feel I should have waited until my first novel was complete before listening to this series. Harris’s work here is a marvelous achievement. It reminds me how far I still have to go in my own journey.

The reading was excellent as well.

Outstanding

The movies doesn't do this book any justice. Thrilling from start to finish this story will have you on the edge.

One thing drove me nuts.

Loved the story, loved the performance, but one thing that almost made me stop listing was the voice used to portray Mason Verger, it was annoying and hard to understand sometimes.

Love Thomas Harris

Another great work from Thomas Harris. My only gripe is this British narration wasn’t nearly as well performed as the previous ones were.