Thomas Harris

[BenBubb]

Ok so i have bought the entire hannibal lectre series and wanted to know what order i should read them in, should i read Hannibal Rising first as it is a prequel then go into the others or read them in the order they were wrote which is
Red Dragon
Silence Of The Lambs
Hannibal
Hannibal Rising?

Any suggestions! Many Thanks Ben x

[Doc Wilson]

Read them in order of publication. Silence is so awesome that the others kinda pale in comparison, but they are all fun reads.

[Bev Vincent]

Yes, read them in order. I have an essay on "Red Dragon" in Thrillers: 100 Must-Reads from the International Thriller Writers, which will be out in a couple of months.

[Bryan James]

In order of publication is the best bet. I've read them all...most. I didn't get more than halfway into the prequel.

[Dana Jean]

Red Dragon is before Silence of the Lambs? I also have these in my TBR pile and thought Silence was first.

[Spideyman]

Agree with all the above. Read them in order. I thought it made the last one more enjoyable, insightful.

[Bev Vincent]

Yes, Red Dragon is first -- it's where Hannibal Lecter is seen for the first time.

[Lina]

I also agree that you should read in order. Although, I also thought that Silence was the first published book...ok, I guess I was wrong
I myself has read Hannibal first, then Silence of the Lambs and soon I'm going to read Red Dragon - but I regret I've started from Hannibal, I should have begun with the first published book, to get the better idea of the series. So, if you have a chance, you should read them in order!

[Srbo]

Hanibal Rising is the first, that`s how it all started, and then
Red Dragon
Silence Of The Lambs and
Hannibal follow.

Read them in order, even though Rising is boring as heck.

[Wayne C. Rogers]

Chronologically Hannibal Rising is the first since it deals with Hannibal's Lector's past as a child and then young man, but it is actually the last novel written in the series so far.

I finally got to talk to a Census Taker the other day--an older African-American lady in an orange dress outfit. When she knocked on the door and said she was with the census, I automatically replied, "A census taker first tried to test me. I ate his liver with some flava beans and a nice Chianti." She stared at me for a moment and replied, "Do you know how many times I've heard that phrase from Silence of the Lambs? It's not the least bit funny and you should be ashamed of yourself." My roommate then came to the door and told her that I was a writer like Stephen King and loose in the head. That got me laughing so hard that I got cramps in my stomach and had to lay down on the couch while my roommate's dog, Betty, licked the side of my face. Horror writers are definitely loose in the head!