Thomas Harris readers?

[Travisisdead]

My cousin told me years ago, that I should read the book The Silence of the Lambs, before the movie came out and we went to see it. I did. Then, I read Red Dragon. While both of them were AWESOME, I remember Red Dragon being better.
Anyone else love these books?
I read Hannibal recently,and while it was good, it was nothing like those first two.
I wish he'd pump out more books.

[Bryan James]

As a response to anyone that says "The book is always better than the movie," I can honestly point them to the Hannibal Lecter series as a complete rebuttal.

~BJS

[liya]

I read Silence of the Lambs before the movie came out and found it to be a well written book, and of course an excellent film. Also really liked Red Dragon (the book). Thought Hannibal and Hannibal Rising were ok, wish he'd come up with another character though.

[Travisisdead]

As a response to anyone that says "The book is always better than the movie," I can honestly point them to the Hannibal Lecter series as a complete rebuttal.

~BJS

You're not talking about Silence and Red Dragon right? Just the "newer" Hannibal books? I agree with you there. Seems like maybe he pumped out those Hannibal books because he had to?

[Jojo87]

I have read Hannibal Lecter and Silence of the lambs and Hannibal Rising. Great book's. He's a good author.

[Lina]

I've read Hannibal. That's a great book! Now it's one of my favorite stories! And Thomas Harris is now one of my favorite writers! I've also bought Red Dragon and as soon I have time I'll read it. I hope I will enjoy it too!

[GLewman]

I thought Hannibal was the best of the Lecter series. It got into his back story and the descriptive writing is some of the best in years. I read this book at least once a year. Thomas Harris is very frustrating though. A top notch writer that dosen't publish but once every few years. More Thomas harris books would be a good thing :)

[Rand]

As a response to anyone that says "The book is always better than the movie," I can honestly point them to the Hannibal Lecter series as a complete rebuttal.

~BJS

Agreed. Especially with Hannibal. As Travisisdead said in an earlier post, I felt that he was required to write that one. The whole thing felt forced, and his constant use of short three to five word sentences (comma? what's a comma?) made it sort of painful to read, and seemed rather like an installment of the Fun With Dick And Jane reading primers aimed at psychotic kids.

[Ebony]

I love Thomas Harris, but I was so disappointed...and I´ll tell you, why...
I waited so long for his latest book, "Hannibal Rising". It took at most three days to read it, with interruptions.
I mean, he had a few years to get some ideas and the result was a book with 345 pages.

There´s another point: All those things he went through wouldn´t make him the person he became.
That´s my opinion and there was something like an open ending because insanity hadn´t been explained.

[wick]

I picked up Hannibal at a thrift store and I was wondering if you should read Red Dragon and Silence of the Lambs before Hannibal or if it doesn't matter what order.

[fljoe0]

Anyone remember "Black Sunday?" That kind of story is old hat now but it was quite imaginative in 1975. I remember that book was a big deal when I was in school and there was a movie too.

[Chris_Ferox]

I rather enjoyed Hannibal Rising a lot more than the movie version thereof. I felt like it was Harris going full on pulp fiction and practically casting Lecter as a kind of old fashioned Dracula from Frankentsein's castle type of monster.

[wick]

Can anybody let me know, if you have to read the books in order or if you can start any Hannibal book.

[cat in a bag]

Hi wick! If I am remembering right, Hannibal Lecter is a minor character in Red Dragon. It's been a while, but it seems I remember being disappointed he wasn't in the book much. I would definitely read Silence of the Lambs before Hannibal though.

[wick]

Thanks cat in a bag. I only have Hannibal, but I would love to pick up both Silence of the Lambs and Red Dragon.

[blunthead]

Imho, when one or more books in a series is known to be less than the others then the series is faulty. One is thankfully reduced to choosing the best ones to read first. I think this of the Lecter series.

So, I suggest reading them in this order...

1. The Silence of the Lambs
2. Hannibal
3. Red Dragon
4. Hannibal Rising

I agree that Black Sunday is a very worthy read.

[Lina]

Now I can tell that I've read Hannibal, Red Dragon and Silence of the Lambs. The books are great. But I have no intention of reading Hannibal Rising, because I tried to watch the movie once and I didn't like it. Unfortunately, it is not my type of thing.
But I am really glad that you tell that Black Sunday is worth reading, I have purchased the book, and I hope I get to read it in the nearest future.

[Connor Bible]

Thomas Harris is one of the finest thriller writers I've ever seen. I read Red Dragon; a top-notch psycho-thriller in all departments. I heard somewhere that Harris was more or less forced to write Hannibal Rising; apparently, if he didn't write how the good doctor came to be, someone else would do it. I guess the Silence of the Lambs film was the best and worst thing to happen to Harris's career.

[Chris_Ferox]

I love Hannibal, both the movie and the book, I think they are both the best of the series, but I think the book is better even than the movie. I'm pretty sure Steve King agrees if you are to believe the blurb he gave the book.

Hannibal Rising is a great book and lousy movie. IMO this is Harris being a bit jokey and taking the character into Frankenstein/Dracula type Universal Monster territory, which I am all for.

Harris also wrote a book about a terrorist blowing up the Super Bowl which was not bad