hannibal le cannibal

a downside of being 20 is that when i walk into a bookstore or a library, i feel out of place in the YA section.  im not a teen anymore! scott westerfeld and the likes aren't writing with ME in mind anymore. a lot of the books on my shelf are like a memory of a younger me. it feels so sad :( i still want to finish the series ive staretd as a teenager.
i was walking through the teenage fiction section of a library the other day and, i recognised or have read all the novels there. its the place i know and love. i dont mind adult fiction, but its weird growing out of a huge section of your life.

but anyways, with the new show Hannibal out, i decided to read the books to familiarise myself with the real hannibal before the show chops him apart for viewer compatibility. There are 4 books:
1. Red Dragon
2. The Silence of Lambs
3. Hannibal
4. Hannibal Rising

I didn't read book 1 becuase i fall asleep in male POVs (their thoughts are like a cycle). I read book 2 and book 3.
Theyre really good btw, i recommend you guys get on it!! Esp book 2. book 3 is a bit of a mouthful with all the characters and grotesque scenes.

I really liked how Harris wrote this Hannibal character. i think the way he was written was sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo genius. He is plain evil, diagnosed by peers as 'monster', but he is the most civilised in his conduct. More proper and gentlemanly than the other males in the book. the contrast makes him look like the most attractive character in the novel despite his cannibalism. Hannibal also has this mysteriousness to him while all the other male characters in the novel, Starling is able to zone in on their thoughts straight away. So it looks like theyre all idiotic fools and he is above all that. it also justifies why he eats them. Hannibal's mind almost becomes a sort of refuge from all the pig-like behavior and dishonesty around Starling.

i also like the air of ambiguity Harris maintains throughout the novel, encouraging your mind to come to its worst conclusions. (its not an open ended novel dw). like he would state something. but not expand on it. leaving you to go 'omg did hannibal just...?'

i dont know if i should read book 4. i much prefer dr hannibal lector as an enigma, than a troubled individual with a reason for his evil. like come onnn dont ruin his mojo. it would detract so much from the previous books.

it was a really good read. i wish i had this book for year 12 or something instead of year of wonders lol. theres so much going on in this series but ive no reason to delve into it. id love to write an essay on it. which is probably the best compliment any book could get from a student LOL.

i dont really like the hannibal lector played in the movies. he looks like an old man in need of some dulcolax. i prefer the one in the show. i rememebr him as the evil guy in a james bond movie! the casino one. he's really tall and his face is angular but he also looks a bit different which i find perfect for dr hannibal lector. he's like a sinister kind of handsome, you see him and you run away but you dont forget that face. too dramatic?

the show also has the guy from confessions of a shopaholic!! yay rebecca bloomwood, your beau is now a forensic psychologist working with hannibal who was an evil casino guy james bond fought! i dont know about you guys but i never let go of the previous charaters they played lol. that's why i cant stop hating leonardo dicaprio for bringing down rose. i thought that was arrogant and selfish of him.


*spoiler*
what got me really stuck on book 3 though was the ending. i was confused as to why Harris would romanticise the series and go full twilight mode ahead. But then i came to the conclusion that it is indeed a horror ending. Starling was such a strong spirit and a true fighter, so for her to finally succumb to Hannibal's mind games is like evil conquering all. That amidst all the corruption, even the most pure mind can crumble.