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Hannibal Rising

(Hannibal Lecter)

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Hannibal Rising

By: Thomas Harris
Narrated by: Thomas Harris
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HE IS ONE OF THE MOST HAUNTING CHARACTERS
IN ALL OF LITERATURE.

AT LAST THE EVOLUTION OF HIS EVIL
IS REVEALED.

Hannibal Lecter emerges from the nightmare of the Eastern Front, a boy in the snow, mute, with a chain around his neck.

He seems utterly alone, but he has brought his demons with him.

Hannibal's uncle, a noted painter, finds him in a Soviet orphanage and brings him to France, where Hannibal will live with his uncle and his uncle's beautiful and exotic wife, Lady Murasaki.

Lady Murasaki helps Hannibal to heal.With her help he flourishes, becoming the youngest person ever admitted to medical school in France.

But Hannibal's demons visit him and torment him.When he is old enough, he visits them in turn.
He discovers he has gifts beyond the academic, and in that epiphany, Hannibal Lecter becomes death's prodigy.

©2006 Thomas Harris; (P)2006 Random House
Genre Fiction Ghosts Horror Medical Suspense Thriller & Suspense Scary Fiction Haunted
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Continue the series

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Red Dragon By: Thomas Harris
Hannibal cover art
Hannibal By: Thomas Harris

Critic reviews

Praise for Hannibal:
Quite simply a compelling and brilliant thriller.

The thrills, horror, sly erudition and sheer exquisite writing make this so much more than another serial killer novel... [It] reaches almost sublime levels of gothic grandeur at its conclusion. If only all bestsellers were so rewarding.
A masterpiece... Chillingly brilliant
Quite simply this is the best-written thriller to dominate the market in years... A literary evocation of the diabolical to compare with Goethe and Gogol. Honestly.
A gut-churning, nail-biting, skin-crawling, often lyrical triumph - addictive on every level
All stars
Most relevant
Hannibal Rising catalogue's the development of the nascent sociopath we meet in the author's later books. Harris deftly explores the nature vs. nurture debate in the evolution of such a personality type, hinting at a 'certain coldness' in Hannibal's father and a comment that the Lecters' were 'not quite as other men', but also describing in chilling detail, the traumatic events that were the catalyst that set the young Hannibal upon his murderous path. From the first meeting with Hannibal's family in Lithuania, through the traumatic events of his childhood, and his development into an urbane aesthete and intellectual giant one finds themselves routing for Hannibal all the way. As a consequence, the finale proves highly satisfying. My only negative comments are that the book felt slightly truncated, and has left me yearning for the taste of.......more Hannibal Literature! Great narration by the author himself

Left me wanting more

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I enjoyed hearing the genesis of Hannibal but found this really slow and laboured.

I'm sure loads will love this but it wasn't really for me.

The reading itself was very good and the quality of the writing unquestioned.

it's worth a try..

Nice intro to Hannibal but slow..

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I love the intensity and yet suavness of unnatural emotions portrayed in Hannibal. The coldness and yet the warmth to such a tragic tale.

Chilling

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one of the best books I've read. the story is harrowing and compelling. the character is addictive and scary looking forward to the next one

great story

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Lyrical and atmospheric, I’ve loved this book since it was first published. This reading does it justice, but I recommend playing it at 0.9 speed. It seemed rushed at standard speed.

Poetic

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