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Red Dragon (Hannibal Lecter, #1)

Thomas Harris

Start date: August 17, 2013

Finish date: October 17, 2013

Discussion: Hannibal Tetralogy

Discussion leader: Joanna

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Nov 15, 2009 Joanna rated it really liked it

Shelves: 1980s, crime, amurika

Well, I haven't read this since middle school, the first time I was obsessed with Hannibal Lecter. OMG, he's like a evil Niles Crane, how can I resist? Epitome of sexiness, yes? All that wine and opera and expensive suits and being snobby about stuff I don't care about. I have no idea why I am so attracted to that. Cheekbones, maybe? Oh, and he kills people. And eats them. uh... well he's meant to be a creepily seductive character, can't help it, that's my excuse. Nothing like a real serial kill Well, I haven't read this since middle school, the first time I was obsessed with Hannibal Lecter. OMG, he's like a evil Niles Crane, how can I resist? Epitome of sexiness, yes? All that wine and opera and expensive suits and being snobby about stuff I don't care about. I have no idea why I am so attracted to that. Cheekbones, maybe? Oh, and he kills people. And eats them. uh... well he's meant to be a creepily seductive character, can't help it, that's my excuse. Nothing like a real serial killer; whenever I read about them I'm like, ugh, disgusting rapey pathetic loser, you're lucky I am fascinated by extreme personalities, douche. Unlike Hannibal Lecter, who is a dish.

The book is basically decent until the bit with Francis Dolarhyde's back story, which is like, ugh, enough with the "Psycho" retread. Didn't need pages and pages, chapters! Multiple chapters! in order to get some sorta, "I pity the child, but not the man" statement, which I hope was really the point.

I completely forgot how Will Graham is supposed to be sorta crazy. All I remembered was the Red Dragon movie with Edward Norton which took all the weird bits out (and therefore became a kinda boring, average movie), and so when I was watching Hannibal, the TV show, I was like woah, why is Will Graham loco? He is kinda loco! Ha. It took watching the TV series with my friend, who practically never watches TV or movies and certainly not in the horror genre, to really understand this Will Graham character. He's all tortured about his empathy, and like "Oh, I understand terrible people, that makes me feel kinda like a terrible person." and I'm like, "I'm watching a horror show with graphic violence because I have a crush on Hannibal Lecter. Feeling guilty about what happens in my imagination is really not something I have ever been concerned with."

Only a little bit on Hannibal Lecter in the book. But, this is the first book of the Hannibal Lecter series, because everyone, including the author, knows that this character is sweet and juicy and the real star. I wanna just eat him up! nom nom nom ...more

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Jan 26, 2015 Lupita rated it it was amazing

I really liked this book. I watched the film first and I think it was a good adaptation. The way this story is told catch the mind of the reader and don't let it go until they finish the book. ...more

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Oct 07, 2013 Ilze Dempsey rated it it was amazing

Easily my favorite book of all time. Intriguing, realistic portrayal of human interaction as a vehicle for good vs. evil. Even though the story takes place in the 80's, it's a timeless story. ...more

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