Hannibal is a great book.
There is one thing about great books: everyone can find something in them. Judging on the sample of reviews I had time to read, it is also the case with Hannibal.
If you have not yet seen the movie, do not go. The movie is a sloppy job intended to scare. The book is much more of a discussion.
If you have not read The Silence of the Lambs, do it. Do not skimp on time - you will enjoy Hannibal more if you savor the details of its language, the complexity of its characters and the subdued references to the Silence.
Hannibal is a mature writing. Harris does not seem to be much interested any more in hunting the monster. He is rather amused with exploring his Frankenstein, poking from time to time beyond the surface, every time wary of the danger to slide into the abyss of Lecter's soul. That is probably why Lecter's personal story in this book is like the shaking of hand on a drawing that deserves to be spotless. Do not go deeper than you are allowed to... In Hannibal, Harris makes some tough decisions. Many changes happen to people and places, comparing to the times of the Silence. The changing preferences of the author are also easy to recognize. Original Dante comes to replace FBI slang. Quantico surroundings transform into the landscape of Florence. Psychology goes into philosophy. The world of technique disappears, history and art taking the free space. Just like cheese getting aged, wine getting mature, people getting seasoned.
It might seem weird not to mention Clarice Starling. Yet this is exactly what makes the book so great - the story manages the author, not the way around. Harris wanted her to be in to star. Instead, she is inferior to the context, pulled out for use whenever needed. So are the other human characters. Because Hannibal addresses issues of superhuman nature, something we are not supposed to know, only to guess. So there is a lot of guessing there, complemented with facts from the surface. In the end it is still much more of a fairy tale, luring us all along with scenes changing from pain to beauty. There was not much beauty in the Silence, but there was quite some craving for it. Harris somehow did not hit the balance right, in the hindsight. Now he does.
One of the few books that deserve to be on any shelf, Hannibal must be translated with care. I skimmed the German version and was disappointed. It may take years to get good interpretations - in other languages, in movies, in reviews. For now, you'd better read the original English text.
Do you share Marcus Aurelius' belief that the future generations are not any better than the passed ones? Then start building your own memory palace. In the end, there was much more order in the past, as Lecter learned from some theorists. But does the past contain answers to some of our most desperate inquiries? A good analysis always leaves you with more unanswered questions than before.
"We can only learn so much and live."
Read this book -- you will not regret it.
(Reviewed by Pletnev, taken from www.amazon.com)
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