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Format: Paperback
Description
The twenty-fifth anniversary edition of the 1 New York Times bestselling classic, now with a note by author Thomas Harris revealing his inspiration for Hannibal Lecter. An ingenious, masterfully written novel, The Silence of the Lambs is a classic of suspense and storytelling and the basis for the Oscar award-winning horror film starring Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling and Anthony Hopkins as Dr. Hannibal Lecter. A serial murderer known only by a grotesquely apt nickname―Buffalo Bill―is stalking particular women. He has a purpose, but no one can fathom it, for the bodies are discovered in different states. Clarice Starling, a young trainee at the F.B.I. Academy, is surprised to be summoned by Jack Crawford, Chief of the Bureau's Behavioral Science section. Her assignment: to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant psychiatrist and grisly killer now kept under close watch in the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane. Lecter's insight into the minds of murderers could help track and capture Buffalo Bill. Smart and attractive, Starling is shaken to find herself in a strange, intense relationship with the acutely perceptive Lecter. His cryptic clues―about Buffalo Bill and about her―launch Clarice on a search that every reader will find startling, harrowing, and totally compelling. Read more
Publisher : St. Martin's Griffin
Publication date : October 1, 2013
Edition : New edition, 25th Anniversary
Language : English
Print length : 366 pages
ISBN-10 : 1250048095
ISBN-13 : 97
Item Weight : 12 ounces
Dimensions : 5.65 x 1 x 8.15 inches
Book 2 of 4 : Hannibal Lecter
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Top Amazon Reviews
Format: Kindle
In rereading Silence of the Lambs, Thomas Harris’s great thriller, a couple of things occur to me—first, what a masterful example of the genre this was, even beyond the clever plotting and the fluid movement of the action. I won’t synopsize the plot extensively except to say that Clarice Starling, a young female trainee for the FBI, is recruited to help catch a serial killer by enlisting the help of another serial killer, Hannibal Lecter, who's currently incarcerated but even more dangerous than the one she’s chasing. It’s the curious relationship that develops between these two characters that is at the heart of the story. Yes, there’s genuine shock value, but what sets this book apart from Harris's follow-up, Hannibal, is the real psychological acuity and the surprising compassion of Harris’s words. One example: “. . . the washing machine’s rhythm was like a great heartbeat and the rush of its waters was what the unborn hear—our last memory of peace.” Lovely asides such as this are not there to further the plot but they make you care about what you’re reading. It’s in the moments when harshness and casual cruelty intermingle with insight and sentiment (not the maudlin or tawdry kind) that the tension Harris builds becomes almost unbearable. In Hannibal, Harris had resorted to shock value for its own sake—albeit in the very polished, professional effort that it was. But shock value without genuine empathy rarely gets a square hit on the nerves. Silence is even more polished, and it hits every note clearly, hits every nerve in the center. This reader felt every considerable jolt at the core, and this after having read the book and seen the movie a handful of times over the years. There isn't much that feels forced or gratuitous as the action and pathos lead you down a path on which you’re not sure you want to go but from which you can’t go back. It’s unlikely you’ll forget a single overturned stone on that path. The other thing that occurred to me was how perfect the movie was as well—from the script and the casting—too bad there are no Academy Awards for casting—to the directing and acting. If you’re a fan of the suspense genre and haven’t read this yet, my god, you’re in for a treat. I wish I could go back and read it for the first time with no foreknowledge of what happens. And, no worries, the Kindle edition is well edited and faithful and includes an interesting introduction from Harris I had not seen before that provides background on his inspiration for the Lecter character. Enjoy!
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Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2014 by Steve C.
Format: Kindle
Whether you look at the novel written by Thomas Harris in 1988, the working screenplay and storybook by Ted Tally from 1990, the resulting movie directed by Jonathan Demme in 1991, or the magical performances of its lead actors, all of those pieces come together to make “Silence of the Lambs,” the movie, an American classic. While most of fans simply enjoy watching it, it is interesting to see where the genius came from. Very few novels ever make good screenplays, and I feel the better the book the harder it is. A novel is largely about what people think, while a movie is about what they do. Reading thru this novel and screenplay, 95% of the screenplay comes from the novel, to Harris’ credit; but Talley left large chunks of the novel out of the screenplay and Demme left chunks of the screenplay on the cutting room floor, because a gesture or a quick camera shot can convey many pages of text. The trick, is to show all that thinking and back story through action, motion, gestures, and inflection. I have adapted three of my own suspense novels into screenplays, keeping it tight is easier said than done. In this case, a 352 page hardback novel was adapted into a 120 page screenplay, and an even tighter, superbly edited movie of only 118 minutes. The screenplay and movie stay very true to the plot and characters which Harris wrote. However, both Tally and Deme made a number of small, but very magical additions. The best is the final scene at a small Caribbean airport where Lecter watches his nemesis, Dr. Chilton arrive, while Lecter is on the phone congratulating Clarice Starling for graduating from the FBI Academy. As Lecter hangs up and begins following Chilton up the street, we all know what he plans to have for dinner. The novel ends with Lecter writing Starling a congratulatory note which tells her he will not come after her, because the world is a better place with her in it. Tally’s screenplay has the airport scene with Chilton and Lecter saying these things to Starling over the phone, but the scene is at night. When Demme films it, he has the scene in broad daylight so we can see the nervous panic on Chilton and the glint of coming revenge in Lecter’s eyes. That stroke of brilliance gives the movie viewer one more chill up his spine before the final credits. When you read the working screenplay while watching the movie, you can see many, many more examples where Tally tightened and added to the novel, and where Demme made further cuts and added some wonderful touches. You can see some of them in the story boards where Demme sketched the feel he was looking for in various scenes. While praising Harris, Tally, and Demme for their genius, it is impossible to ignore what Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn, and Ted Levine brought to their characters. In his introductory scene, Hopkins is able to scare the hell out of us by just standing still and looking out through the bars of his cell, absolutely deadpan, while Foster uses accent, mannerisms, and phrasing to create a memorable character of a backwoods country girl. One could cite dozens of other examples in the writing, directing, and acting; but in the end, what makes it one of the very best ever made is that all of those pieces came together in 118 minutes of film. I would also cite “Day Of the Jackal,” in 1971, “The Eagle Has Landed,” in 1975, and “Eye of the Needle,” in 1978 as excellent adaptations of very good suspense novels. The films have stood the test of time without a single ‘blue screen,’ computer-generated special effect, or other gimmick. Imagine that!
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Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2014 by Kindle Reader
Format: Kindle
Still enjoyable even on a second read. I read this a long time ago in high school when the only books I was reading were books that movies were based off of. I had not yet found my passion for reading and now that I am older and wiser, I was able to enjoyed this book much more. Still a solid 4 star read, I just finished reading Red Dragon prior to this and I found myself comparing them quite a bit. This book was not as fast paced as Red Dragon and didn't hold my attention as well. Don't get me wrong this was still a great read, but i found this one much easier to set aside and come back to. This book also seemed to have a lot more down time in between scenes and less heart pounding suspense. What this book did have was amazing characters. This whole series revolves around the villain and you don't get that very often. Usually it is all about the hero, but Thomas Harris has such a strong character in this villain that we are intrigued as a reader. We want to know more about him, and are always wondering what is going to happen next. On top of that we have great heroes to look forward to throughout the book. Clarice is at first a weak trainee and we get to watch her grow as a character through out. I kept cheering for her and hoping things would work out for her. I also enjoyed the continuing story of Jack Crawford. He is one of those characters that I really seem to connect with and I want to know more about him. I felt for him and kept hoping his wife's cancer would improve enough so he could have one more meaningful moment with her instead of constant sickness. Harris is one of few authors who knows to write real flesh and blood characters. This book is filled with suspense and it was a very entertaining read. I have seen the movie tons of times but the book fills in so many holes that the movie just couldn't spend time on. Getting that extra information and character development makes this even better than the movie. Harris's writing style is very engaging and I am hooked. I will be reading the rest of the Hannibal series as well as Black Sunday. I wish there was more I could say about how much I liked this book, but I think I have covered it all. If you enjoyed the movie you would be silly to not give this a read. Just be mindful, as violent as the movie is, Harris gets into even more detail, and my imagination made these scenes more intense, and horrifying than Hollywood could ever.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2013 by Anonymous
Format: Kindle
I am an "avid fan" of Thomas Harris, but this is my first reading of "The Silence of the Lambs." The book has much more detail, of course, than the movie, and gave me many new insights about Hannibal Lecter and the other characters in the story. That's reason enough to buy it. The Kindle price is reasonable at $7.99, and the additional detail was, although expected, almost a shock. Harris provides psychological and logistical details about the hunt for "Buffalo Bill," who is killing women [possible spoiler alert!] to "make a girl suit out of real girls." There are some significant changes from the book to the movie, which add to the suspense and terror of both Hannibal Lecter and the character of Buffalo Bill. The scenes when Clarice Starling has conversations with Lecter are extremely engaging, pulling the reader into the world of Lecter, who cannot be measured by any standard tests or traps, and always seems to be several steps ahead of all the law enforcement people who try to capture or contain him. We also have the slick, disgusting character of Dr. Chilton in much more detail, and knowing (from having seen the movie) of his ultimate end just makes his smarminess all the more enjoyable. He is, in his inept way, as much a criminal as any of the antagonists in the story. "Silence" is a long book with a lot of twists and turns, and digressions that develop the characters (for example, Jack Crawford's wife), to create a richer world of both good and evil. My feeling is that no character is entirely one way or the other: everyone has something in their past that is a powerful motivator for their present actions and choices. It's hard to write a review of this book without giving away details that the reader needs to discover for her or himself, so I'll just say that I did not "know" any of the characters from the movie on the level that I did after reading the book. Harris has certain moments when his prose almost becomes poetry, yet most of the book reads more like a documentary; it's very realistic, apart from the extraordinary abilities and intelligent evil (for lack of a better description) of Dr. Lecter. I highly recommend this book for anyone who hasn't read it. Let the movie become a background, and the book will move into the foreground of your imagination, enabling you to go deeper than, perhaps, you bargained for.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2012 by R. Clay
Format: Kindle
The Silence of the Lambs tells the story of FBI student Clarice Starling and her work with Jack Crawford, the head of Behavioral Science, the FBI division that deals with serial murder, to find serial killer "Buffalo Bill." He sends her on what seems a harmless errand, to present a questionnaire to one Dr. Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter, and with this the chase for Buffalo Bill is on. The conflict and themes are varied, the dialogue is genuine, the plot is intricate and the details well researched. The unnamed narrator delivers the story with a controlled omniscient view that allows us to experience the events from many perspectives, even the antagonists, yet the reader's connection with the protagonists, Starling and Crawford, is unquestioned. We root for Starling because we've all been in situations where it felt as if the world worked against us, while we sympathize with Crawford and his tragedy, whether or not we've lost loved ones. As the narrator develops the relationship between Starling and Lecter, we even hope that Dr. Lecter isn't as bad as Crawford suggests. "Do you think if you caught Buffalo Bill yourself and you made Catherine all right, you could make the lambs stop screaming, do you think they'd be all right too and you wouldn't wake up again in the dark and hear the lambs screaming? Clarice?" "Yes. I don't know. Maybe." "Thank you, Clarice." Is Dr. Lecter thanking her for sharing her secrets with him? Or does he plan to use this information in some malicious manner? The reader doesn't know, but must finish the novel to find out. It is this dynamic, and that of the pursuit of Catherine Martin, (and all the events in between), that make The Silence of the Lambs at once addictive, disgusting, brilliant, a fast-paced thriller that has it all: a man who hunts women, hunted by a woman; an enigmatic serial killer, (who can smell anything, it seems), in Dr. Lecter who eats human flesh and wittingly pursues his objectives while he seemingly aids the apprehension of another serial killer, a killer with his own obsession with human flesh; metaphors unique and as thought-provoking as any in literature; and a climactic act and denouement that provides closure and yet leaves us wanting more. The bottom line: The Silence of the Lambs is unputdownable from beginning to end. -Raeden Zen
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Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2014 by Raeden Zen
Format: Kindle
I can vividly the first time I read this book - over 30 years ago. It's hard to believe that much time has passed and it's just goes to show you that a masterpiece of a novel stands up to the test of time. Clarice Starling is at the FBI Academy, testing to be an Agent. She wants to become part of the Behavioral Science section that deals with serial murders and murderers. Section Chief Jack Crawford whisks her out of classes to interview a notorious serial killer - Hannibal Lecter, who is in a hospital for the criminally insane - wanting to see if Lecter will consent to talk to her. Crawford wants Lecter's expertise, both as a psychiatrist and as a serial killer to help track down another serial killer active right then - Buffalo Bill. At this point in time it's difficult for me to read the book without merging it with one of the great movies - based on this book. One of the best movies EVER. It swept the Oscars in 1991 - Best Picture, Best Actress for Jodie Foster, Best Actor for Anthony Hopkins, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. The casting for the whole movie was spot on. So when I re-read the book, the movie played in my head at the same time. This is one of the scariest books ever and one of the scariest movies. So, if you haven't read this and seen the movie, you are missing out. But be prepared for mind pictures that stick around for a long time. Thomas Harris hasn't been one of the most prolific authors out there but what he's written has been either great or exceptional. I notice that he has another novel coming out in May 2019. It's another standalone book - CARI MORA - like his first book, BLACK SUNDAY, is.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2019 by Cheryl Stout
Format: Kindle
A classic, and of course one of the creepiest and disturbing psychothrillers of all time that deserves its reputation. The Hannibal Lecter character has entered the pop cultural collective conscious and hasn't really been matched. It's hard to believe anyone really doesn't know the gist of the story, but it revolves around a stone-cold, conscienceless and ruthless murderer who kills easily and occasionally consumes his victims (or part of them). Sometimes his victims are random, some are victims for practical reasons (eg, escape), and some are victims out of sheer, pissed-off revenge, retribution, or general disapproval of conduct. On top of it, he's a brilliant psychiatrist. He develops a soft spot for a young, neo FBI agent who is soliciting his help in solving a string of bizarre murders - female victims that have been skinned or partially so. He clearly knows the perp and what he's doing, and is at the same time toying with the authorities and both nurturing and mentoring the FBI agent's investigative skills. Fascinating character development; Harris succeeds in creating characters you hate, respect, feel sorry for, or have affection for. Every character is important, and every one is developed enough to serve its purpose in the story and engage the reader. I don't believe the other books in the "Hannibal" series were remotely as good, although I think the post-SOTL books were better than the prequel ("Red Dragon"). I had read the book a couple of times a long time ago, and then re-read it after seeing the musical "Silence!" (which, incidentally, did not deliver on the hilarity I was expecting).
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Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2013 by Ariel
Format: Kindle
Despite its reputation as a masterpiece, Thomas Harris's novel is one of those rare cases where the movie clearly surpasses the source material. The reading experience feels somewhat lukewarm, primarily due to a strange sense of emotional detachment. Harris’s prose is excessively dry, almost resembling a courtroom transcript. While brevity is often a virtue, here it keeps the reader at an arm's length from the events. Despite the macabre subject matter, the book fails to convey true terror. Even the most shocking scenes—and the climax with Buffalo Bill—leave the reader feeling largely indifferent. There is no real emotional bond with the victims. The senator’s daughter lacks depth, making her ultimate fate feel inconsequential to the reader. He is the only character who truly "comes to life" on the page. He remains the charming, brilliant villain who steals every scene. Without Jodie Foster’s performance to give her breath, Clarice remains a rather flat character among a sea of names that are easily forgotten. A decent effort that could have been much better. Lecter’s escape is the only moment the book gains any real nerve before returning to its characteristically slow pace.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2026 by John Doe