Thomas Harris

"Hannibal"

The third book in the series featuring the infamous character Hannibal Lecter, titled "Hannibal," was written by American author Thomas Harris. Published in 1999, it falls under the genres of mystery, crime thriller, and horror. This novel takes place seven years after Lecter's escape from a high-security mental institution, as depicted in the previous book, "Silence of the Lambs." The story continues with Lecter's life on the run, which leads him to the city of Florence, Italy.



One of Lecter's past victims, Mason Verger, seeks revenge on him. Verger, a sadistic psychopath, plans to use FBI Agent Clarice Starling as bait to lure Lecter into his trap. Lecter must find a way to thwart Verger's plot and protect himself from his vengeful pursuer.



Critics have praised "Hannibal" for its thrilling and horrifying narrative. The Guardian describes it as "the exquisite satisfaction of a truly great melodrama," while The Los Angeles Times calls it "relentless - endlessly terrifying." The Denver Post claims the novel is capable of "scaring your socks off." Notably, acclaimed horror writer Stephen King considers "Hannibal" one of the two scariest novels ever written, comparing it to "The Exorcist."



The popularity of the book led to its adaptation into a major motion picture in 2001. Directed by Sir Ridley Scott, the film starred Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter and Julianne Moore as Clarice Starling. Additionally, in 2013, the novel was adapted into a three-season television series by NBC. Created by Bryan Fuller, the series starred Mads Mikkelsen in the role of Hannibal Lecter.

The story is narrated from a third-person perspective and begins in Washington, D.C. It has been seven years since Clarice Starling solved the case involving the serial killer Buffalo Bill. However, her career takes a downturn after a failed drug raid. In the raid, Starling is forced to fatally shoot a drug dealer who was holding an infant. The incident leaves her disgraced and haunted by the consequences of her actions.



During this difficult time, Starling receives a letter from Dr. Hannibal Lecter, who has been living incognito in Florence, Italy. The letter offers condolences for Starling's recent troubles and also requests more information about her personal life. Feeling desperate and under pressure from the FBI, Starling is ordered to track down and apprehend Lecter in Italy.



As Starling dives deeper into her pursuit of Lecter, she becomes acquainted with Barney Matthews, a former employee at the Baltimore State Hospitalfor the Criminally Insane. Matthews questions Starling about her fear of Lecter showing up unannounced, to which she confidently replies that she has no such fear because "he said he wouldn't."





In this section of the story, Mason Verger, a wealthy former patient of Lecter and his sixth victim, devises a sinister plan for revenge. Verger, a sadistic pedophile, had suffered severe disfigurement at the hands of Lecter years ago. Motivated by a desire for vengeance, Verger intends to subject Lecter to a gruesome fate by feeding him to wild boars from his butcher empire. To accomplish this, Verger envisions using Agent Starling as an unwitting pawn to lure Lecter into a deathtrap. Assisting

Verger in his scheme is Paul Krendler, a corrupt official from the Justice Department.



Verger takes the drastic step of offering a bounty for the capture of Hannibal Lecter, attracting the attention of Rinaldo Pazzi, an Italian detective and Starling's nemesis. However, Pazzi's investigation leads him to a grim fate. Lecter disembowels Pazzi and hangs him in a grisly manner reminiscent of the historical lynching of the Pazzi conspirators. Additionally, Lecter murders one of Pazzi's subordinates before fleeing to America, driven by his pursuit of Agent Starling.



Within this section, the narrative also provides glimpses into Lecter's troubled childhood. A brief history reveals that Lecter was orphaned at a young age. He vividly recalls the tragic death of his sister, Mischa, who was killed by deserters during World War II. The haunting aspect of the incident lies in the fact that these deserters resorted to cannibalism, consuming Mischa's remains. This traumatic event has left an indelible mark on Lecter's psyche, shaping his character and actions throughout his life.



Furthermore, the story introduces Barney Matthews' involvement in Verger's plot. Matthews agrees to collaborate with Verger and pays a visit to Margot Verger, Mason's sister, who is a bodybuilder and identifies as a lesbian. During their conversation, Matthews learns the horrifying truth that Margot was raped and sexually abused by Mason during her childhood. Additionally, he discovers that Margot was disowned by their father upon revealing her homosexuality, resulting in her exclusion from the family will due to her inability to bear children. Margot admits to aligning herself with Verger's plan because she needs Mason's sperm to conceive a child with her partner, Judy, and become eligible to inherit her father's fortune.

In this part of the story, Mason Verger's henchmen successfully captureHannibal Lecter. However, Agent Starling is determined to find Lecter and confronts the henchmen. She locates Lecter and frees him from captivity, but before she can escape, she is rendered unconscious by a tranquilizer dart fired by one of Verger's men.



Taking advantage of the situation, Lecter unleashes Verger's wild boars, which proceed to feast on the bodies of the incapacitated or deceased henchmen left behind during Starling's pursuit. Interestingly, the boars do not harm Lecter himself, as they sense no fear emanating from him. Amidst the chaos, Lecter manages to escape, carrying the unconscious Starling to safety.



Meanwhile, Margot Verger takes matters into her own hands. She releases one of Verger's minions before murdering another. Margot's goal is to obtain her brother Mason's sperm, which she achieves by using a cattle prod in a disturbing manner. Following this act, she proceeds to kill Mason by forcing his pet Moray eel into his mouth. Earlier, Lecter had briefly treated Margot after her brother's attack, and out of pity, he advises her to frame Mason's death as his doing. Margot agrees and leaves behind a piece of Lecter's scalp at the crime scene as evidence.



Subsequently, Lecter subjects Starling to a series of psychotropic drugs and employs various behavioral therapy techniques to manipulate and brainwash her. Lecter's ultimate aim is for Starling to wake up believing that she is Mischa, Lecter's deceased sister, who has somehow returned from the grave. However, despite his efforts, Starling resists the hypnotic influence and instead tells Lecter that Mischa will live on within him. This conversation takes place as Lecter apprehends Paul Krendler, and in a gruesome turn of events, Lecter proceeds to perform a lobotomy on Krendler. As a result, both Lecter and Starling consume portions of Krendler's prefrontal cortex. Finally, Lecter concludes his brutal actions by murdering Krendler.

In the concluding part of the story, a shocking turn of events takes place. Agent Starling, driven by an inexplicable attraction to Hannibal Lecter, removes her clothing and presents her bosom to him, a gesture he willingly accepts. This intimate encounter leads to a romantic relationship between Lecter and Starling, and they vanish from the world together, disappearing into obscurity.



Three years later, on July 9, 2000, Barney Matthews and his girlfriend embark on a vacation in Argentina. During their visit to Buenos Aires, they plan to see a Johannes Vermeer painting. However, fate takes an unexpected turn when Matthewsspots Lecter and Starling at the opera. Overwhelmed by fear for his life, Matthews hastily flees the scene with his girlfriend, desperate to distance himself from the dangerous duo.



"Hannibal" is the third book in the Hannibal Lecter series, following "Red Dragon" and "Silence of the Lambs." It is succeeded by another book titled "Hannibal Rising." In addition to the Hannibal Lecter series, Thomas Harris has authored two other novels: "Black Sunday" and "Cari Mora." Notably, "Hannibal" achieved significant success in the literary world, ranking as the second highest bestselling novel of 1999.