Red Dragon

De: Thomas Harris

Narrado por: Alan Sklar

A quiet summer night...a neat suburban house...and another innocent, happy family is shattered -- the latest victims of a grisly series of hideous sacrificial killings that no one understands, and no one can stop. Nobody lives to tell of the unimaginable carnage. Only the blood-stained walls bear witness.

All hope rests on Special Agent Will Graham, who must peer inside the killer's tortured soul to understand his rage, to anticipate and prevent his next vicious crime. Desperate for help, Graham finds himself locked in a deadly alliance with the brilliant Dr. Hannibal Lecter, the infamous mass murderer who Graham put in prison years ago. As the imprisoned Lecter tightens the reins of revenge, Graham's feverish pursuit of the Red Dragon draws him inside the warped mind of a psychopath, into an unforgettable world of demonic ritual and violence, beyond the limits of human terror.

The Best Police Procedural of Our Time

Stephen King claimed Red Dragon the best American novel since The Godfather. It was that quote that persuaded be to purchase the paperpack some 30 odd years ago. It was the first book I ever read that highlighted the brilliance of the FBI, rather than making them out to be egotistical boobs.

Of course it introduces Hannible to the world, adding dark humor into a very serious manhunt. But like Silence of the Lambs, the killer is not some evil genius, but rather a severely abused, mentally ill man convinced he is beoming something that will overcome the world. There is a overwhelmingly human aspect to the monstrous violonce he reigns on his victims.

The element of terror this book induces is like no other book I have ever read, except perhaps, Silence of the Lambs. Yet through it all we are introduced to the real FBI, efficient, brave, persistent and genius.

The narrator has a professional voice, but I found it to be soulless.

If you've never read either Red Dragon or Silence of the Lambs, you're in for a real treat. Unfortunately, I feel Harris completely lost his way after those two novels.

The Movie Plus A Little Bit Extra...

Whoever adapted the screenplay from this book really nailed it. If you've seen the movie, and liked it, then this should be a good weekend read for you. There aren't many sotries out there with darker, more deranged villains than this guy, and Harris manages to show quite a bit of the story from his sickly twisted perspective. I would've liked to have seen more of Hannibal Lector, and less of the Detective, but no book is perfect. Lector is (obviously) a classic villain, and there just isn't enough of him in here.

Be warned, this book does date itself. If you're not familiar with technology of the 80's (i.e. video tapes, home movie projectors, etc), you may find some of this irritating. Also, the lack of forensic (DNA) evidence procedures took a while for me to fully accept. You find saliva and semen at a crime scene, but have no idea who this criminal could be? Unheard of these days...

The narrarator is very good. Hits all the marks and keeps it moving.

Hungry for more.

Great read, yet hungry for more Lecter! Strong characters + twisted villain with detailed past.

Amazing

Any additional comments?

The story was perfect. His writing is impeccable. It's not too gory, just a couple graphic spots. The character development was superb. It's an amazing story. I highly recommend it.

I wish they had used a different narrator.

I love this story! It’s exciting and enthralling. But I would suggest reading it yourself. This narrator is difficult to listen to.