Hannibal- Thomas Harris is back with the long awaited sequel to his mega-hit The Silence of the Lambs which, as I’m sure you know, also spawned a mega-hit movie. I honestly hope that this doesn’t go the same route as its predecessor and wind up on the big screen. I just don’t think people will respond to it that well. Don’t get me wrong, this is a good book- very good. It’s just a little disturbing, that’s all. And for ME to say that, you know it gets pretty hairy. There are some pretty nasty moments here (which isn’t all that surprising seeing as how it is Hannibal “THE CANNIBAL” Lecter, but those moments weren’t even the bad ones). This book touches on such pleasant topics as incest, child molestation/abuse, and cannibalism while still alive (not by the Dr., but a different type of animal altogether.) I found myself saying “Oh my gosh” or “holy crap” quite a few times while reading this.

So what’s it all about? Well, we open with a drug raid starring your favorite Fed and mine, Clarice Starling. The effects of this raid affect Starling’s already stagnant career in a negative way, but don’t worry, who’s that man on horseback I spy over there? It’s Starling’s knight in shining armor, none other than the good Dr. himself. This communiqué leads to a global search for Hannibal who, as you might remember, has escaped from prison (in this case, 7 years ago at the end of “Silence”). The search leads them to Florence, Italy and then eventually to a big showdown on U.S. soil.

This book allows us to get better acquainted with Dr. Lecter (I’m still not quite sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing- I’ll get back to you). We learn about his “memory palace,” his past, and his extravagant tastes (there are parts in this book where Harris researched a little too well for my tastes. Just endless ramblings about really expensive things that I’ve never heard of, will never own, and probably will never even see. These parts got old, but thankfully they were fleeting.)

And while we’re getting to better know the Dr., we also get to know one of his victims, the only one to ever survive- Mason Verger. This guy is absolutely disgusting and made my skin crawl more than Lecter, and he’s a cannibal! This is one more reason why I don’t want to see this made into the movie- I really don’t think I could stand to see what this guy looks like. Lecter did a real number on this guy- trust me. Verger is one of the people driving the search for Lecter, carefully trying to mete out his revenge on the sidelines. And if one Verger wasn’t enough, we also get to know his sister Margot. She’s a real piece of work, too-again, trust me.

So as I said, there are some pretty gruesome moments in this book, but I liked it because we do get to understand Lecter better. He’s not some maniacally random killer, but rather a very calculating genius with a flair for the regal and for the past. Starling also develops more as a character, and that too is a good thing. This book culminates in a truly bizarre ending that will really make you think. The whole dinner scene is another reason I don’t think this should be made into a movie- I don’t think it could be pulled off without looking schmaltzy and unreal. This one isn’t for the faint of heart, but if you’ve read the other two (Red Dragon and Silence), you’re better prepared than the rookie right off the train. Give it a look.