Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Red Dragon (Hannibal Lecter #1)

3.92 of 5 stars 3.92 · rating details · 78,951 ratings · 1,104 reviews

Will Graham stands in a silent, empty house communing with a killer. An FBI instructor with a gift for hunting madmen, Graham knows what his murderer looks like, how he thinks, and what he did to his victims after they died. Now Graham must try to catch him. But to do it, he must feel the heat of a killer's brain, draw on the macabre advice of a dangerous mental patient, D...more

Hardcover, 368 pages

Published May 22nd 2000 by Dutton Adult (first published 1981)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

Best Crime & Mystery Books

20th out of 3,394 books — 7,823 voters

The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger

I Only Watched the Movie!

112th out of 757 books — 3,440 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Apr 18, 2013 Kemper rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-mystery, horror, serial-killers, 2013-reread, 5-0, thriller

When it comes to Hannibal Lecter, I’m like one of those music hipster douche bags that everyone hates because I’ll snootily declare that I knew about him long before most people did and that he’s sucked ever since he got really famous.

I’d read this years before the book of The Silence of the Lambs came out and led to the excellent film adaptation that skyrocketed Hannibal to the top of pop culture villains. Hell, I’m so Hannibal-hip that I’d caught Brian Cox playing him in Michael Mann’s adapta...more

61 likes · like · see review

May 17, 2013 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, horrifying

Now that I’ve just finished reading this book, I feel the need to scrub parts of my brain with steel wool for the purpose of removing certain scenes that Thomas Harris has so rudely embedded there. Thanks a bunch Tom!

Will Graham has the rotten luck at being really good at his job. He is a profiler for the FBI and while he was on the job catching Dr. Hannibal Lecter, Lecter caught him with a big sharp knife. Will decides that was enough for him, so he makes the wise decision to retire.

But nooo!...more

32 likes · like · see review

Feb 15, 2009 Brad rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, horror, serial-killer, cinematic

Is it heresy to say that I liked both film versions better than I liked the book? Probably, but it's true.

Thomas Harris isn't the finest writer in the world, and I think even he'd acknowledge that, but he is full of great ideas, and Red Dragon is absolutely one of his best.

I think the mark of how great his ideas are is that they almost always make a compelling transfer to the screen, and Red Dragon has made that transition twice: once as Michael Mann's Manhunter and once as the more faithful Re ...more

19 likes · like · see review

Apr 26, 2013 Delmy =^.^= rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"And Behold A Great Red Dragon..."

This is my first time reading one of Thomas Harris' novels, i have watched all three movies inspired by his novels and thought i should give the novels a shot. I loved this book, great pace and characters.One thing i really liked about the book that the movie did not include was that it delves more into Francis Dolarhyde's background, his childhood and why he is what he is or more to the point, how he came to be.

The childhood that this man had was a cruel and vi...more

5 likes · like · see review

Nov 15, 2011 Zaki rated it 3 of 5 stars

Dr. Hannibal Lecter is a criminally insane brilliant psychiatrist and eats people. Another serial killer is introduced known as the Tooth Fairy who goes on random killing sprees and has a slight predilection towards a William Blake painting. In order to capture him, FBI agent Will Graham has to delve into the mind of this violent psychopath.

like · see review

Mar 12, 2013 Benjamin Stahl rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I think I recall Stephen King - or somebody - once writing that Thomas Harris could tell a great story, but that he was a terrible writer. When I began this book, I could not agree more. Things start off very slowly, and the book's thriller/suspense engine seems to be running flat. The villain (can we really call him a "villain" though?) is the only character that feels at all interesting - and I guess Hannibal is good, but I prefer the Hopkins version in the films. But after a little while, if...more

3 likes · like · see review

Aug 26, 2012 Adam rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 1970-present, prose

It's a very well-plotted and told story, but the characters make this book. Hannibal Lecter is only a minor character with respect to the number of pages he's on etc., but he is so compelling and finely rendered a character that his presence fills the book, and occurs, at least to me, as a crucial point of comparison with Dollarhyde and Graham. Dollarhyde is one of the eeriest literary antagonists I've come across. Harris, a crime journalist before he was a novelist, convinces of his knowledge o...more It's a very well-plotted and told story, but the characters make this book. Hannibal Lecter is only a minor character with respect to the number of pages he's on etc., but he is so compelling and finely rendered a character that his presence fills the book, and occurs, at least to me, as a crucial point of comparison with Dollarhyde and Graham. Dollarhyde is one of the eeriest literary antagonists I've come across. Harris, a crime journalist before he was a novelist, convinces of his knowledge of criminal psychology, which is really usually not, as I suppose some readers of Important Literary Fiction may want it to be, particularly subtle and complex. Lust murderers will usually focus their violence on their victims' genitalia, for example. See, not real subtle. Most of them suffered some form of abuse as children. See, not too complex. But Harris pulls off the trick of rendering Dollarhyde's psyche not too simply. Dollarhyde is a compelling fictional character, in other words. The main intertexts of the novel, Blake's red dragon paintings, are a well-chosen point of obsession for Dollarhyde.

And where Harris distinguishes himself, apart from the novel's detail-laden, economical, and, when necessary, stylish prose, is in his grasp on the common ground between murderers and non-murderers. It's Dollarhyde's humanity that makes his actions all the more horrifying, and it's Harris' evocation of the similarities between some of Dollarhyde's thought patterns and those of many, possibly most other humans, especially men, that gives rise to the deeply unsettling nature and, yes, social relevance of this book. There is little here of the pure-inhuman-monster-type villainy, and also thankfully the victims are not mere props. Dollarhyde's emotions that give rise to the central events and psychological points of the novel are common human emotions. His lust for power, his insecurity, his sadness, his internal conflicts, his desire for and fear of the opposite sex are all consistent features of our social landscape and internal lives, perhaps not for all of us, but for enough of us that we've all confronted and understood the presence of these emotions in our lives, whether in us or in people we've known. And Harris paints our protagonist Will Graham's psychological portrait in similar colours, but maybe different shades is all. What's really interesting if you're paying attention is how a lot of what does actually separate Graham from Dollarhyde, or protagonist from antagonist, or, if you will, good from evil, is in how he focuses the emotions he shares with Dollarhyde, some rooted in a shared history of suffering horrific violence, and that manner of focusing has a lot to do with appreciating human contact and relationships, and doing things for others instead of for yourself.

The effect of all this is that Red Dragon pulsates with humanity. It is a book about the violence and horror of humanity, not the violence and horror of some inhuman others who intrude into our peaceful lives. Whenever Harris sets up such images, he then deconstructs them.

And the effect of that is that the book is genuine horror. It is really uncomfortable to encounter, and the violence feels real and brutal and gruesome in a way most books of I guess what might be considered this sort don't.

But it's also just incredibly captivating, in I guess what people call a 'page-turner' kinda way. So, best of both worlds kinda deal. Of course, many readers of Important Literary Fiction wouldn't go anywhere near this book, but it's probably way better than a lot of the books those readers pay attention to. Others might be put off by this book because TV especially is so supersaturated with crime genre things dealing with serial killers, but that's no more reason to ignore at least the first two of Harris' books with Lecter than it is to ignore Demme's The Silence of the Lambs, and I guess I'll end with saying isn't it nice that movies THAT good don't get ignored by your aficionado types the way books THIS good do?(less)

1 like · like · see review

Sep 13, 2007 Robotribble rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: People who like Mysteries, Detective Stories, and Hannibal Lecter.

Okay, to start off, Hannibal is in the book twice. There are only two times that you actually see him, and it upsets me greatly.

Anyway, huzzah for the dollar-rack paperback. I went to the thrift store Tuesday, came out with this and a few others, and finished it Wednesday afternoon. I read the version with a newer intro, but it doesn't have my version on Goodreads.

Why Goodreads, why have you forsaken me? :/

This book is fascinating. You actually start to feel bad for the villain, hoping that he c...more

6 likes · like · see review

Aug 24, 2011 Patrice Hoffman rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It's a great way to pass time with this quick read. Would've finished it sooner but I have a ton of distractions here at work where I do 90% of my reading. I wish it was written just a little better. It seemed like I was missing huge chunks of things. But... I already knew what was coming so I don't feel too let down by the book. It's a really great concept though. I wish the author would have been a little more descriptive in how the Grandmother screwed him up as a child. Although I knew the ou...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 06, 2009 Susan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: re-reads

Glad I re-read this one. I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed it.

RED DRAGON was the first (published) installment in the series of four books surrounding Hannibal Lecter. We don't see much of the good doctor in this book, though he's obviously never far from the thoughts of Will Graham and, therefore, the reader. Like the second installment of the series, SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, Lecter is merely a secondary character, a serial killer on the loose leads us to him. It takes a killer to know one, and esp...more Glad I re-read this one. I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed it.

RED DRAGON was the first (published) installment in the series of four books surrounding Hannibal Lecter. We don't see much of the good doctor in this book, though he's obviously never far from the thoughts of Will Graham and, therefore, the reader. Like the second installment of the series, SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, Lecter is merely a secondary character, a serial killer on the loose leads us to him. It takes a killer to know one, and especially one as intelligent as Lecter obviously is.

We first meet the main character of the book, Will Graham, being little more than a beach bum in sunny Sugarloaf, Florida. Section Chief Jack Crawford has come to him looking for help solving the murders of two families. Lecter is incarcerated because of Will Graham, having gotten away with nine known murders before getting caught. Will was badly injured by Lecter and got out of the investigating business after that. He's since gotten married and works as a diesel mechanic, taking in stray dogs that no one else will have. Once Crawford shows him the pictures of the families, he's in. Begrudgingly, but he is.

He first goes to Atlanta, location of the most recent killing (the other a month prior in Birmingham). It's made clear throughout the book that Will Graham has some sort of "extra" ability when it comes to getting clues. He senses things, gains information from clues that others don't, seems able to get into the killer's mind, which is what makes him valuable to the FBI. He suffers greatly for this, however, being able to connect with a killer. After viewing the crime scene, he decides that a visit to Lecter to gain some insight would be in order.

Eventually, the reader learns the identity of the killer. So, the book is not a "who done it?" but rather when will the FBI figure it out and catch him. Francis Dolarhyde proves to be a formiddable foe to both Will Graham and the FBI. His is a story of becoming, the Red Dragon. A man who's never known acceptance or love, abused as a child, shunned by his mother.

Obviously, the good guys win. Mr. Dolarhyde is stopped, but it costs Will Graham a lot more than he bargained for when he agreed to help Jack Crawford with the case. This is probably my favorite book of the Lecter series. The characters really came alive for me. I liked the case Will Graham and the FBI had to solve. The way the killer found his victims was quite original. As much as I like Clarice Starling, I really enjoyed Will Graham and wish we'd seen more of him. A brief mention of him in the later books, so he's clearly out of the game for good. A strong book that introduces the Lecter character well, sets up the idea that he'd be consulted as he is in Silence of the Lambs. (less)

5 likes · like · see review

Jan 03, 2009 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Our darkest fears come to life in this riveting novel as we follow the case of the "Tooth Fairy," a serial killer on the loose who targets suburbian families as his victims. Will Graham, an FBI agent assigned to the case because of his unique ability to break inside the head of the killer, enlists the help of Hannibal Lecter, the criminally insane and exceptionally brilliant killer we met in Silence of the Lambs (incidently, this novel precedes that novel and film).

If you want to be thrilled,...more

8 likes · like · see review

May 18, 2013 Jana Irish rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm not going to lie: I read this book mainly because people told me that it was the first time we ever get to see Hannibal Lecter. It didn't feature much of him as I would have liked, but the story, nevertheless, is good and entertaining. The characters are smartly written--one feels for the characters. Dolarhyde, when his backstory is shown, is shown to be more than your classic, though one-dimensional, villain. Will Graham is an interesting character and his past with Hannibal Lecter is intri...more

like · see review

May 13, 2013 Leon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A second family has been massacred by the terrifying serial killer the press has christened ?The Tooth Fairy.? Special Agent Jack Crawford turns to the one man who can help restart a failed investigation?Will Graham. Graham is the greatest profiler the FBI ever had, but the physical and mental scars of capturing Hannibal Lecter have caused Graham to go into early retirement. Now, Graham must turn to Lecter for help.

Amazon.com Review

Lying on a cot in his cell with Alexandre Dumas's Le Grand Di

...more

Amazon.com Review

Lying on a cot in his cell with Alexandre Dumas's Le Grand Dictionnaire de Cuisine open on his chest, Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter makes his debut in this legendary horror novel, which is even better than its sequel, The Silence of the Lambs. As in Silence, the pulse-pounding suspense plot involves a hypersensitive FBI sleuth who consults psycho psychiatrist Lecter for clues to catching a killer on the loose.

The sleuth, Will Graham, actually quit the FBI after nearly getting killed by Lecter while nabbing him, but fear isn't what bugs him about crime busting. It's just too creepy to get inside a killer's twisted mind. But he comes back to stop a madman who's been butchering entire families. The FBI needs Graham's insight, and Graham needs Lecter's genius. But Lecter is a clever fiend, and he manipulates both Graham and the killer at large from his cell.

That killer, Francis Dolarhyde, works in a film lab, where he picks his victims by studying their home movies. He's obsessed with William Blake's bizarre painting The Great Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed with the Sun, believing there's a red dragon within him, the personification of his demonic drives. Flashbacks to Dolarhyde's terrifying childhood and superb stream-of-consciousness prose get us right there inside his head. When Dolarhyde does weird things, we understand why. We sympathize when the voice of the cruel dead grandma who raised and crazed him urges him to mayhem--she's way scarier than that old bat in Psycho. When he falls in love with a blind girl at the lab, we hope he doesn't give in to Grandma's violent advice.

This book is awesomely detailed, ingeniously plotted, judiciously gory, and fantastically imagined. If you haven't read it, you've never had the creeps. --Tim Appelo

Review

"Red Dragon is an engine designed for one purpose—to make the pulse pound, the heart palpitate, the fear glands secrete."—New York Times Book Review

"A gruesome, graphic, gripping thriller...extraordinarily harrowing." —Plain Dealer, Cleveland

"Warning! If you're subject to nightmares, don't read it!"—Colorado Springs Sun

"An unforgettable thriller."—Daily News, New York

For Black Sunday:

"Frighteningly believable."—Chicago Tribune

"Suspenseful, nightmarish."—Los Angeles Times

"Breathtaking. All forces converge with an apocalyptic bang!"—New York Times

"Fast-paced, all too realistic... with a shattering climax."—Kirkus Reviews

"A spellbinder... The race to save the Super Bowl is hair-raising, one that will keep you rooted to your chair."—Hartford Courant

For Red Dragon:

"Red Dragon is an engine designed for one purpose—to make the pulse pound, the heart palpitate, the fear glands secrete."—New York Times Book Review

"A gruesome, graphic, gripping thriller... Extraordinarily harrowing."—The Plain Dealer, Cleveland

"Want to faint with fright? Want to have your hair stand on end? Want to read an unforgettable thriller with equal parts of horror and suspense? Harris was obviously only warming up with his best seller Black Sunday."—Daily News, New York

"Irresistible... A shattering thriller... Readers should buckle themselves in for a long night's read because from the first pages... Harris grabs hold."—Publishers Weekly

"The scariest book of the season."—Washington Post Book World

"Easily the crime novel of the year."—Newsday

(less)

like · see review

May 09, 2013 Matt Lyons rated it 5 of 5 stars

I'll keep this simple; this should not be a Hannibal Lecter novel. The other characters themselves are too well personified to be revolving around a "minor" character in the book. The Dragon has not quite got the enigmatic brilliance of Dr. Lecter and Graham is himself somehow relatable (even though I've never personally been stabbed by a mass-murdering canibal but hey-ho) and yes; I'm well aware that the storyline has been milked in every single attempt at a book, even Disney have a crack at th...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 21, 2013 Nadia rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2-stars

Después de empezar a ver la serie de NBC me dieron muchas ganas de leer los libros para saber más sobre *drumroll* Will Graham!, no Hannibal ha. Su habilidad para resolver crímenes, la manera en que asocia e imagina más su sensibilidad y aparentemente frágil estado mental me llamaron mucho la atención, pero el contenido del libro se me hizo muy diferente a lo visto (y no en cuanto a la historia, ya sabia que no era igual). Me esperaba más del personaje de Graham, y de el de Lecter también. He oí...more

like · see review

Mar 21, 2013 ChazM.SFHS rated it 4 of 5 stars

At first, Thomas Harris definitely caught my attention by the immense details of how he layed out the crimes scenes. It was very intresting how Mr. Harris showed "both sides of the coin, good and bad", throughout his story. Another great thing that should be added is that Mr. Harris really makes you feel like your there inside of the novel which definitely keeps your heart pounding, and your eyes wide open.

This story began when Jack Crawford an Fbi Agent goes to Grahams home in Sugar Loaf Key. H...more At first, Thomas Harris definitely caught my attention by the immense details of how he layed out the crimes scenes. It was very intresting how Mr. Harris showed "both sides of the coin, good and bad", throughout his story. Another great thing that should be added is that Mr. Harris really makes you feel like your there inside of the novel which definitely keeps your heart pounding, and your eyes wide open.

This story began when Jack Crawford an Fbi Agent goes to Grahams home in Sugar Loaf Key. He then asks for Grahams assistent to help take down another serial killer that the news has called "Tooth Fairy". Graham accepts the case, and begins to try and delve into the mind of another serial killer, which freightens him alot. As the case goes on; the team has hit some very bad ground when a stake out has gone terribly wrong. The team puts Will Graham into this apartment for bait; and also puts harsh comments about the seriel killer to aggravate him; but the Tooth Fairy instead goes after the one who has put the comments in the news paper. The story continues by the seriel killer falling in love, and also make his last move on his adversary Will Graham.

As I have stated before, when reading this book, it can be very scary to turn the other page because it'll probably be really gruesome, and graphical; but that is another reason why it's such an enjoyable book to read is because, you just got to know what's going to happen next, and whether or not they(FBI Agents) will catch the seriel killer or not. This novel never became boring, it sections were always in the right order. Mr. Harris made it enjoyable because as a reader you want to be Will Graham; so if your Will Graham, you feel what he feels which was quite "heart racing".

Overall I would definitely rate this book a four out of five. This was a great novel, and definitely is a book for those who definitely enjoy C.S.I, or and thriller/mystery novels. I rated this book a four out of five because I enjoyed how gripping some of the scenes were, and also loved feeling the adrenaline rushing inside of me when there were scenes that were horrific. Why I didn't give it a five star is because I whish Mr. Harris would have been more involved within the book, even though this was mainly about the "Red Dragon" (less)

like · see review

Jan 19, 2013 Nanto Dwyer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

I have always been a fan of psychological/crime thrillers, and Red Dragon was definitely the brightest amongst its brothers and sisters of the same genre. Okay, that sounded weird, but that was exactly how I felt reaching the last page of Red Dragon.

Everyone knows Thomas Harris, but they know him more for his other creation, Dr Hannibal Lecter, than for this tortured and broken soul, Red Dragon.

Red Dragon is, in my opinion, just full of surprises and moments that you should not have been scared...more I have always been a fan of psychological/crime thrillers, and Red Dragon was definitely the brightest amongst its brothers and sisters of the same genre. Okay, that sounded weird, but that was exactly how I felt reaching the last page of Red Dragon.

Everyone knows Thomas Harris, but they know him more for his other creation, Dr Hannibal Lecter, than for this tortured and broken soul, Red Dragon.

Red Dragon is, in my opinion, just full of surprises and moments that you should not have been scared of (because you know Red Dragon can't possibly reach you, physically), but you actually feel as if the words could reach you for the Red Dragon's sake. It kept me on the edge of my seat.

My favourite part of the book is Harris' back stories of the main characters, and especially that of the man who called himself The Red Dragon - or who wanted to be Red Dragon, depending on each reader's interpretation of this character. I felt sorry for him more often than not, but Harris was also able to make me gasp out loud despite it all, at the things The Red Dragon did. What I love was the development of the characters, even as the story goes on.

You pay a good price to read how the feds and cops catch a serial killer, but what will keep you reading is the mental feuds of the serial killer himself, as well as his change throughout the story. Sometimes we read similar books with serial killers, and we just seem to forget that they have a life too - maybe a broken and, in a sense, dysfunctional life, but still, a life - and that changes are due to happen all the time. They were not always like this, and they don't just stay exactly the same, waiting until the cops catch them, either. Harris, like all of my other favourite authors of the same genre, was capable of telling such story - amazingly so.

And I don't want to spoil the ending for any of you guys, but I think it's safe to tell you this: keep your anticipation intact until the very end, or you will have a mental backlash like I did. Because, dear Lord, I made the mistake of thinking it was over before it actually did. The fact that Harris was able to do so is what made me rate this book 5 stars: Red Dragon's unpredictability.(less)

like · see review

Oct 28, 2012 Spinster rated it 4 of 5 stars

Having seen the movie I thought the book might be spoiled. Regarding the plot twists, maybe, but there was so much more than the plot line in this book.

Red Dragon has to be one of the best crime books I've read so far. It's beautifully written and it really opens a gateway inside the characters's heads. Which is a little frightening, since one of them is a serial killer, but I loved the fact that I could see the human side of the monster, instead of the usual story of good vs. bad. I felt for Do...more

like · see review

Oct 06, 2012 Tabatha rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: twisted-and-demented

I admit it.

I only read this book to preserve the order of the novels featuring Hannibal Lecter.

With no expectations, I viewed this book as nothing more than a little speed bump I had to overcome in order to get to the real book I wanted to read, The Silence of the Lambs.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. The book itself isn't remarkably written. The style is very simple and straight forward for the type of novel that it is but this just serves to make it very accessible.

Will...more

3 likes · like · see review

Sep 30, 2012 Querus Abuttu rated it 4 of 5 stars

"Funerals often make us want sex—
--it’s one in the eye for death." (Thomas Harris; Red Dragon)

***
The character of Will Graham reminded me of myself as I read this novel. "He didn't want a face aimed at him all the time." He described the morgue as a peaceful place, and it is. I've been there. It's place where the dead don't complain. Where the world might smell bad, but the science makes sense.

Thoughts:

I don't know why people continue to call the smell of blood "coppery." It's not. It smells lik...more

2 likes · like · see review

Sep 02, 2012 Arwen56 rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romanzi

Thriller che sarebbe anche stato passabile in generale, ma decisamente esagerato nei particolari, di rozza fattura. Mediocre, nonostante i notevoli meriti della maggior parte delle singole interpretazioni degli attori, la trasposizione cinematografica, che segue, anziché precedere come avrebbe dovuto, quella assai più riuscita de “Il silenzio degli innocenti” (di cui ricalca, pedissequamente, ma senza alcun pathos, la struttura portante e con un finale che, oltre a distorcere quello del romanzo,...more

like · see review

Mar 26, 2012 Charles rated it 5 of 5 stars

A truly chilling book, this is one of Harris’s finest works. Talk about an abundance of ideas. It’s no surprise that he later expanded the character of Hannibal Lecter because, in this book, he provides not one, but two terrific antagonists plus a brilliantly original protagonist. The whole “profiler who empathizes with serial killers” thing has become somewhat over-saturated now, but it’s important to remember that Harris was the one who started it and, I would say, still did it the best in thi...more

3 likes · like · see review

Jan 23, 2012 Phillip Dimarzo added it

RED DRAGON was the first in the series of four books surrounding Hannibal Lecter. We don't see much of the doctor in this book, though he's obviously never far from the thoughts of Will Graham and, therefore, the reader. Like the second installment of the series, SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, Lecter is merely a secondary character, a serial killer on the loose leads us to him. It takes a killer to know one, and especially one as intelligent as Lecter obviously is. We first meet the main character of the...more

like · see review

Aug 01, 2011 Andrea added it

I love the movie Silence of the Lambs, so it's odd that it took me this long to start reading this series. I wasn't even aware that this book existed till the lovely librarian at my local branch saw me looking at Silence of the Lambs, asked if I'd read Red Dragon and told me to read it first.

Warning - spoilers ahead!

The oddest thing happened when I read this book. I don't know when or how it happened, but I started out cheering for the Good Guys - Will Graham and Jack Crawford, the FBI agents i...more

like · see review

Jul 27, 2011 Joshua rated it 4 of 5 stars

In as much as a growing bibliophile can, I watched the original Manhunter then the Red Dragon movies. I have to say that the book was not much better, or, rather both movies almost totally encapsulated the book. Of course both movies being some fifteen years apart there are bound to have stylistic differences as are the actors performances, but the source material is very good as well.

Harris has bound us to Will Grahm as well as Mr. D in the Red Dragon. We feel for Grahm in that his obsession to...more

1 like · like · see review

Jun 20, 2011 Julie Hayes rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what FBI agent Jack Crawford wants of Will Graham—especially with the headlines blaring about the two murders; one in Atlanta, the other in Birmingham. More than enough reason for Crawford to come down to Florida, to get the consultant’s take on the killer. The choice of locale is deliberate—when he shows Will the photos of the deceased families, children included, he can’t help but contrast that with his own wife and stepson. How can he refuse to...more It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what FBI agent Jack Crawford wants of Will Graham—especially with the headlines blaring about the two murders; one in Atlanta, the other in Birmingham. More than enough reason for Crawford to come down to Florida, to get the consultant’s take on the killer. The choice of locale is deliberate—when he shows Will the photos of the deceased families, children included, he can’t help but contrast that with his own wife and stepson. How can he refuse to help catch someone who hurts children?

Will hasn’t been with the FBI since before he met Molly, leaving the Bureau after his unfortunate encounter with a particular serial killer by the name of Hannibal Lecter—an encounter he almost didn’t survive. Nonetheless, and against Molly’s wishes, he agrees to help the FBI find the killer the media has dubbed the Tooth Fairy. First he travels to Atlanta, to the house the Leeds family had lived in. Everything is still in place, waiting for them, as if expecting them home at any moment. Will looks at their life, in situ, trying to piece together what happened to them so he can determine what sort of person did this and create a profile for the FBI to use in order to look for him.

It’s the little things that speak to him, cause him to ask questions. He tries to make sense of the bloodstains, figure out what happened when. Why did the killer move the family around? Was there a purpose to his madness? And by any chance when he did, did he leave a fingerprint behind?

The murders each took place during the full moon, which surely isn’t coincidence, and which means they only have less than a month til the next one. Before the next full moon, they not only have to figure out who this guy is but who his next victims will be, before it’s too late. Will gets more and more engrossed in the chase, while somewhere in the Midwest a man is planning his next move—and his Becoming. Will decides he needs to consult with someone, the only person he knows that can shed some light on this killer—Dr. Hannibal Lecter himself. Will this encounter end better than the last one? And will the good doctor deign to cooperate?

Add to the mix a sleazy tabloid reporter with a penchant for stirring the shit so it hits the fan, and a killer with a deep seated admiration for Dr. Lecter—you’ve got a sure fire recipe for death and mayhem!

In this first volume of Thomas Harris’ Hannibal series, we get a glimpse of his extraordinary character, Dr. Lecter. I think he is undoubtedly one of the greatest characters ever created, with a great deal of depth and far more to him than meets the eye. There are things we won’t even learn about him in this volume; it’s just a teaser for what comes later. This book is Will Graham’s story and how he deals with having met Hannibal in the past and his need to consult him in the present. It’s about his desire to preserve his way of life balanced against the desire to save innocent lives from a deranged madman. Which side will win?

It’s brilliantly written, fast paced and well executed. The character of Francis Dolarhyde is well drawn, and not above eliciting sympathy for what he cannot help. His unraveling is fascinating to behold—and he does not go down alone.

This is a must read introduction to the world of Hannibal Lecter—it sets the stage and sets it well for what comes after. Not to be missed at any price.

(less)

like · see review

Jun 15, 2011 Manugw rated it 3 of 5 stars

A DRAGON WITH A WEAK FLAME

Writing an inside story about the delusions that help shape an evil psyche, Harris set himself inside the murderer mind. Pure psychological stuff, I dont see neither a thriller nor a true crime, kind of plot .The action progresses slowly, far from the pulse of a rollercoaster ride, It would have been more dynamic and entertaining if the author had included rich action packed suspense, with some turns and provived better forensic elements with scientific explanations to...more

1 like · like · see review

Jun 23, 2010 Tim Niland rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010-reads

Before CSI and the current vogue of cops vs. serial killers books and movies, this Harris book set the template for what was to come. No less an authority than James Ellroy praised is as the best suspense novel he had ever read in the preface to one of his books. It still holds up pretty well after nearly twenty years and two film adaptations. Ex-FBI agent Will Graham has left the bureau and is living a quiet life in Florida when his former boss comes calling. Two entire families in the southern...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 05, 2010 Hydra Star rated it 2 of 5 stars

I got a free with purchase dog-eared paperback copy of Thomas Harris’ “Red Dragon” awhile back down at the local used bookstore. I’d read “Silence of the Lambs”, which is the sequel to “Red Dragon”, years ago. I think I was around twelve or thirteen at the time. As best I can remember I liked it a lot. I was a bit of a morbid one even then.

So, I decided to round out my light summer reading list with “Red Dragon”, figuring the book that first brought the character Hannibal Lecter, or Hannibal the...more I got a free with purchase dog-eared paperback copy of Thomas Harris’ “Red Dragon” awhile back down at the local used bookstore. I’d read “Silence of the Lambs”, which is the sequel to “Red Dragon”, years ago. I think I was around twelve or thirteen at the time. As best I can remember I liked it a lot. I was a bit of a morbid one even then.

So, I decided to round out my light summer reading list with “Red Dragon”, figuring the book that first brought the character Hannibal Lecter, or Hannibal the Cannibal, one of my all time favorite movie characters, to life just couldn’t be bad… Boy, was I wrong.

Lecter is the only good thing about this book. He’s just not in it nearly enough. He’s almost a throw away character, only mildly important to the plot. The fact that Harris revisited him and built the rest of the series around him is sheer genius and perhaps a sign of insight on his part into the weakness of Red Dragon’s other characters.

On the side of “good” is Will Graham, the retired investigator who’s brought in to hunt the Fairy, has a history with Lecter. He brought him down and nearly died at his hand, but he’s also an empath, of sorts, which apparently makes him very, very special. He is married to Molly, who’s first husband was a baseball player and who’s son oddly enough is named Willy. There is much said about Molly, her late husband, and former in-laws. None of it is important to the story.

Then there is the Tooth Fairy/Red Dragon character. He is a cliché built upon a cliché, a deformed child who’s abandoned by his mother and mentally abused by his grandmother who grows up to be a necrophilia and a serial killer. His target, families that remember him of his mother, step-father, and step-siblings. Oh, and did I mention his new girlfriend is blind? So, she can’t see how ugly he is. But can her love and acceptance of him keep him from continuing to kill? No, really. That’s the plot line of the book.

My advice, and I can’t believe I’m about to say this, see the movies and skip the book. Sure, the films are filled with some of the same clichés, but they’re more entertaining… and shorter. (less)

1 like · like · see review

Jan 26, 2009 Kathleen rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Hannibal Lecter saga begins. The first movie version of this book was made by Michael Mann, whose vivid 1980s style suited it. In contrast to the now iconic portrayal by Anthony Hopkins in his dark dungeon of a cell, we meet Lecter dressed in white, in an antiseptically white cell - a vision of the operating room in his head that awaits the first slash and splash of crimson blood. Okay, you can tell Mann's movie version made an impression on me, but the way Harris portrays the tormented FBI...more

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Bookworm Buddies: Red Dragon (Hannibal Series) Thomas Harris	103	52	May 03, 2013 09:12pm
The Mystery, Crim...: Oct/ Nov Group Read - Red Dragon	57	287	Nov 15, 2012 11:15am

combine
Other Editions (97)

More editions...

Genres

Horror

808 users

Thriller

586 users

Mystery

357 users

Mystery > Crime

301 users

Suspense

132 users

Thriller > Mystery Thriller

88 users

Novels

41 users

Mystery > Detective

38 users

Action

38 users

Drama

38 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Legion
by William Peter Blatty
Psycho
by Robert Bloch
Primal Fear
by William Diehl
The Bone Collector
by Jeffery Deaver
'Salem's Lot: Illustrated Edition
by Stephen King

About Thomas Harris

Thomas Harris began his writing career covering crime in the United States and Mexico, and was a reporter and editor for the Associated Press in New York City. His first novel, Black Sunday, was printed in 1975, followed by Red Dragon in 1981, The Silence of the Lambs in 1988, Hannibal in 1999, and Hannibal Rising in 2006.

More about Thomas Harris...

Books by Thomas Harris

The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, #2)

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Red Dragon

12 trivia questions
1 quiz

More quizzes & trivia...

Quotes from Red Dragon

“It's hard to have anything isn't it? Rare to get it, hard to keep it. This is a damn slippery planet.” — 35 people liked it

“It's fear, Jack. The man deals with a huge amount of fear.'
Because he got hurt?'
No, not entirely. Fear comes with imagination, it's a penalty, it's the price of imagination.” — 30 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: Red Dragon
avg rating	preview: Red Dragon Goodreads rating: 3.92 (78951 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28877.Red_Dragon?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1309285070l/28877.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28877.Red_Dragon?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Red Dragon by Thomas Harris[/url]

Red Dragon (Hannibal Lecter #1)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website