Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Book Reviews of The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2)

The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2)
The Silence of the Lambs - Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2
Author: Thomas Harris
ISBN-13: 9780312022822
ISBN-10: 0312022824
Publication Date: 5/19/1999
Pages: 352
Rating:
  • Currently 3.9/5 Stars.
 47

3.9 stars, based on 47 ratings
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Book Type: Hardcover
Reviews: Amazon | Write a Review

61 Book Reviews submitted by our Members...sorted by voted most helpful

reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 9 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
The book is always better--grittier, scarier, more real.
constant-reader avatar reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 130 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
One of the best psychological thrillers ever written, and personally, Thomas Harris' very best work. Bravo!
trevor avatar reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 38 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Harris delivers a fast-reading, fascinating crime thriller with Silence of the Lambs. A lot of research went into this book and I found the informational, procedural passages very interesting. The focal characters, Starling, Lecter, and Crawford are compelling and run deeper than the characters you will find in most thrillers. Harris makes you care about Starling and pull for her, without resorting to melodrama. This book is well-written and worth reading, even if you've seen the movie already.
reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 170 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Hannibal Lecter is once more sought out for his expertise in serial killers, being as how he is one himself. This time it's a young agent, Clarice Starling, who needs his help in stopping a killer who skins his victims. During the course of the investigation, Clarice must learn a lot about herself and the man who is helping her to save the life of a young hostage. This is the best in the Hannibal Lecter series, by far! If you don't read any other book in this series, read this one. It's even self-contained, so you don't have to worry about getting lost in backstory.
reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 24 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I enjoyed reading this book and it's alot better than the movie.
sadpoetgirl avatar reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 26 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
great book - well written characters
reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 22 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
LOVE this book! I thought the movie was great too - rare to love movie AND book!
reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 2 more book reviews
One of Thomas Harris' best works and the first real chance we get to "get to know" Dr Hannibal Lector.
reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 68 more book reviews
This book was fast-paced...intriguing...exciting! Synopsis: A psychotic killer is on the loose. To catch him, the FBI need another psychopatic madman who is locked away from society. He is a brilliant, evil genius.
reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 35 more book reviews
Thomas Harris really goes beyond what can be depicted in a mere movie and makes the killer a haunting figure that you'll think of for days - no, years - to come!
reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on
This book was AWESOME.
This was the first of the Hannibal series that I read, and I just loved it.
I am going to read the rest of the series now.
reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 66 more book reviews
We all hate Hannibal Lector, but love to read about him. A well written book.
reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 12 more book reviews
Great thriller!

-K.
reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 8 more book reviews
Intense thriller!
hoopridge avatar reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 252 more book reviews
Scary. Just plain scary. If you haven't seen the movie, where have you been? Wait...that wasn't kind. I meant to say, if you haven't seen the movie (or even if you have), READ THIS. Spare writing style, so it's rather hard to get into the book at first, but once you're in, you're in for a wild ride. Scary. Really scary. Have I mentioned this is scary?
reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 50 more book reviews
A young FBI trainee. An evil genius locked away for unspeakable crimes. A plunge into the darkest chambers of a psycopath's mind- in the deadly search for a serial killer...
reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 10 more book reviews
This is a classic must-read, better than the movie book!
reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 683 more book reviews
A young FRI trainee. A evil genius locked away for unspeakable crimes. A plunged into the darkest chambers of a psychopath's mind- in the deadly search for a serial killer...
reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 210 more book reviews
Great book. The plot catches me by surprise every time I pick it up.
reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 9 more book reviews
Totally suspensful and spell-binding and at times horrific. Excellent writing.
reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on
spinetingling
reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 17 more book reviews
Thomas Harris at his best
reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 9 more book reviews
I've read all Thomas Harris books, and they're all good reads. I read this after I saw the movie, but like most books/movies, it was different but in a good way.
reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 17 more book reviews
Better than the movie. I can't believe that I waited so long to read it.
reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on
Excellent thriller
reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 16 more book reviews
Very suspenseful book, and sooo much better than the movie. Quite the page turner.
reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 8 more book reviews
Awesome read! I couldn't put it down.
reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 2 more book reviews
A classic thriller.
n3m3sez avatar reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on
I thoroughly enjoyed this audio book! If you enjoyed the 1991 movie, this is a must-read!
reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 1217 more book reviews
Book type is paperback, don't know why it is listed as unbound.
reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on
Great book, will def read again
pinkcypress avatar reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 86 more book reviews
Great book! The best of the Hannibal Lector series.
reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 552 more book reviews
From Our Editors
How to capture an insane serial murderer? Why not confront the cannibalistic Dr. Hannibal Lecter and probe his twisted mind in an attempt to hunt down your wanted man? Well, that was ambitious FBI agent Clarice Starling's intention. But her scheme opens Clarice to secrets even more frightening and dangerous.

From the Publisher
Listen to the silence...
An instant classic novel of chilling psychological suspense...a critically-acclaimed audio production of unforgettable intensity...From the tormenting words of the homicidal maniac Dr. Hannibal Lecter and the flesh-rending depravity of an elusive killer to the sheer courage of a young F.B.I. novice, who risks her life to track him down and stop the bloodshed.
reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 9 more book reviews
This book thrilled me to the end, even though I saw the movie first.
dreamingtigress avatar reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 41 more book reviews
This book was not bad at all. I wish I'd read it before I'd seen the movie as I would of appreciated the writing alot more (got bored a few times just because I've seen the movie so much). The movie followed the book pretty well, but there is SOOOO much more in the the book that they didn't (or couldn't) put into the movie.
constant-reader avatar reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 130 more book reviews
One of the best, creepiest, murder mystery and profiler books ever! Hannibal is truly a nightmare come to life.
reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 224 more book reviews
I have seen the movie many times, but just got around to reading the book. It's an excellent story well worth reading.
Wings1295 avatar reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 11 more book reviews
The great novel by Harris, before he lost his way with the sequel books. This one is a suspensful read.
reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 36 more book reviews
Hannibal the Cannibal is just as scary in the book as he was on screen. This is the book which inspired the movie. It reads like a great episode of CSI. It is fun to read and think about the on-screen character.
reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 12 more book reviews
(From Amazon.com) Clarice Starling, a precociously self-disciplined FBI trainee, is dispatched by her boss, Section Chief Jack Crawford, the FBI's most successful tracker of serial killers, to see whether she can learn anything useful from Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Lecter's a gifted psychopath whose nickname is "The Cannibal" because he likes to eat parts of his victims. Isolated by his crimes from all physical contact with the human race, he plays an enigmatic game of "Clue" with Starling, providing her with snippets of data that, if she is smart enough, will lead her to the criminal.

(Me) I thought the movie was better, but I saw it before reading the book.
reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 459 more book reviews
How to capture an insane serial murderer? Why not confront the cannibalistic Dr. Hannibal Lecter and probe his twisted mind in an attempt to hunt down your wanted man? Well, that was ambitious FBI agent Clarice Starling's intention. But her scheme opens Clarice to secrets even more frightening and dangerous.
librarygurl avatar reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 10 more book reviews
read this years ago and loved it.
reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 30 more book reviews
Never read seen the movie
reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 2 more book reviews
One of my favourite books of all time! For anyone who loves the movie, or even if you don't, it's a must read!
reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 58 more book reviews
The movie scared me senseless...the book even scarier
reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 18 more book reviews
To enter the mind of a killer she must challenge the mind of a madman
-EagerReader- avatar reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 10 more book reviews
Harris writes this book, that was later made into the popular movie of the same name, in such a way that the reader is pulled into the story. I found myself halfway through the book before I realized it! The story itself is somewhat of a horrifying thriller. It's a great read when you're looking for something to spook you a little!
rena98978 avatar reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on
Well written classic of the crime fiction genre.
VeronicaNagy avatar reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 48 more book reviews
Read the book, watched the movie, book is better.
reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 279 more book reviews
Great reading
sfc95 avatar reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 686 more book reviews
Read this years ago befor ethe movie, the movies are never as good as the book and this is no exception
reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 107 more book reviews
For some reason, I couldn't get into this book. I have seen the movie dozens of times, but I was slightly disappointed by the book. It was overall good, but just not the best in the series.
reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 20 more book reviews
SAW THE MOVIE, BUT AM GLAD I PICKED UP THE BOOK!....UNREAL!!SHOCKING!! THE BOOK IS AWESOME.... COULDN'T STOP READING IT. NOW I KNOW WHY OVER 40 MILLION COPIES WERE SOLD.
aila avatar reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 13 more book reviews
Loved the movie, but I wondered if it was one of those cases where the book was better. The book is of course, but the movie is still a fantastic adaption. Either way, if you think you don't need to read the book because you've seen the movie, you're wrong. Harris is a master at suspense and its so well written that it's hard to put the book down. There are also enough little details and scenes left out of the movie to keep even the biggest movie buff interested in what's going to happen.
reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 102 more book reviews
The book itself is in really good condition. The cover is slightly torn at the seam, nothing bad, I put a little bit of tape on it to make sure that it didn't tear anymore.It is a really good book to read. I thought that it was alot better than the movie. I think that whoever gets this book will enjoy reading it as much as I did. I got it from another club member of paperbackswap, I don't regret it one bit. That's why I reposted it, so someone else can enjoy it also.
reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on
Very good
reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 26 more book reviews
what's there to say?
reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 22 more book reviews
The Academy Award-winning motion picture starring Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins.
chrysanthemum avatar reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 65 more book reviews
haven't read this book
reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 9 more book reviews
My book has a different cover than pic.

She is Clairce Starling, young, vulnerable FBI trainee. He is Hannibal Lecter, brilliant, evil genius. Theirs is a mesmerizing struggle between good and evil - designed to stop a killer, and guaranteed to chill your blood.
PattiA avatar reviewed The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, Bk 2) on + 17 more book reviews
Different cover than that shown in stock photo....GREAT READING