Hannibal Rising by Thomas Harris tells the tale of Hannibal Lecter and his beginnings. Most film buffs know of the character from the famous film, The Silence of the Lambs, but Hannibal Rising goes much further into the mind of Dr. Lecter. It shows how he became the "monster" and cannibal sitting on death row.

Anyone who has already read Harris' Hannibal will already know a bit of what drove Hannibal to killing (and eating) his victims - the death of his family at a very young age (The film doesn't go into this plot line), but this novel goes even further. It takes you to those moments and shows excruciatingly how he was driven to his eventual actions. It portrays Hannibal as the victim, driven to seek revenge for the brutal death of his sister.

Fans of the Hannibal series won't want to miss this book, as it provides critical details in Hannibal's life. Fans of the series will more often than not be disappointed by this novel, though. It just doesn't live up to Harris' usual style.

What I liked about this novel is what I liked about the others in the series - its elegance and characterization. Admittedly, this novel is a bit lacking when compared to the others, but it still is an enjoyable read.

Thomas Harris is well-known for the Hannibal series and also for his writing style in these books. His style is elegant, graceful, and full of detail. That being said, this book clearly lacks his personal style. My own thoughts are that his heart just wasn't in this one.

Also, there are very few differences between the film and the novel. Normally, you'd think readers would be happy with this, what with complaining when films deviate from novels. Yet, we also usually get tons more detail in a novel. Not so with Hannibal Rising. It honestly feels like the book was written after the screenplay. It felt like the film had more to it than the novel.

After reading the book, I wanted to see the film again. I felt like I got more out of the film, and I wanted that connection with Hannibal's character. In fact, after reading this novel, I immediately ordered the entire Hannibal film series.

I feel an odd connection with the character of Hannibal Lecter, which I think is intentional. Harris has made us identify with Hannibal by making him a likable villain, starting with Silence, and he goes even further with this novel. As readers, we're on his side, and we're rooting for him throughout the novels. His actions feel justified.

Thomas Harris penned the entire Hannibal series, and fans seem to agree that his writing has declined with each new novel. As far as I'm aware, Harris has only written one novel outside the series (his first novel, Black Sunday, was published in 1975). Perhaps he wants to venture away from Hannibal? Perhaps he should.

If you've read the rest of the series, this one should be on your list, too. True, it's not up to par with the rest, but it still is worth the read. Just don't expect the caliber of beauty and elegance in his earlier novels.

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Created Mar 12, 2009 at 6:05pm • Submit your own review...