Red Dragon: The original Hannibal Lecter classic (Hannibal Lecter)

In the first of the Hannibal Lecter books, Thomas Harris introduces his infamous psychiatrist in this tale of a murderous psychopath caught in the grip of a demonic delusion. Lecter is already in jail, but the FBI needs his help to catch the killer of two families. Seeking to satisfy his sexual hunger, the self-styled Red Dragon, is already planning the next murder. Short on clues, the FBI bring in semi-retired investigator Will Graham to help track the killer, but with the murders linked to the lunar cycle, time is running out.I first read this book many years ago after seeing the Michael Mann film version (Manhunter). Although Lecter only appears briefly in this one, Harris sets the stage for the sequels, 'The Silence of the Lambs' and 'Hannibal'. He also introduces recurring characters, including Dr Chilton and Jack Crawford, and deftly keeps the tension on the boil as the police and FBI teams struggle to discover the identity of the killer.This is a cracking good read from a master storyteller, and even if you've seen one or both movie versions, there's plenty here to keep you on the edge of your seat.

I really don't know what to think about this, and that is really disappointing. Maybe my anticipation made it underwhelming but there were parts of this book that I found.. boring.The Will Graham in this isn't the Will Graham I know and love from the tv show (I understand that is a set before these books). This Will is boring and repetitive and his wife is even worse.. it's his job! Stop blaming Crawford for Christ's sake.I really enjoyed reading from the perspective of Francis Dolarhyde, I especially liked the flashbacks to his childhood. Harris made him seem more human than the monster, or Dragon he is portrayed to be, he was rather intriguing.For me, the biggest downfall is the lack of descriptive imagery. There were times where I only knew what was happening because I have seen the film a number of times. That's not great and the reason I've given it 3 stars.

I read this a long time ago - probably shortly after it first appeared, and remember being knocked out then. I gave my copy away - didn't mean to, but sometimes a loan ends up that way. Recently I needed inspiration, and wanted to read something to fire me up, so bought another copy.Oh man - I remember being impressed the first time, but reading it again I can't get over how perfect this is. The opening chapter alone heralds the entire book in a few sparse, densely written pages. And it just gets better from there on.I was amused to read some of the other Amazon reviews from people who had seen Silence of the Lambs and then been disappointed because there's not more Lecter in this one. But there is - the entire thing is about Lecter and Graham.Oh, and I once met Brian Cox on the top of Ben Nevis and we chatted for 20 minutes while he smoked a cigarette, and he is, in my mind, the creepiest Lecter of all. Love that film. Love the book.

Having watched the films for the first time last year and now watching the Hannibal tv series, I decided to read the book. At times I didn’t want to put it down, it’s gripping and exciting. The last few pages of the book were a bit strange but perhaps because I’d left quite a few days gap in between chapters. I’ve bought the next in the series.

The character of Hannibal Lecter has now become a legendary creation. Here we get the first glimpse of him, although he is not the main focus of the story.The book was later adapted into Silence Of The Lambs. Although the plots are slightly different, some of the mechanisms within the plot are reminiscent and if you didn't know about the connection between the two you might think the author was just recycling ideas.