New Hannibal Lecter novel coming in December '06
 

Hannibal Lecter Rises Again

By Associated Press
Published September 19, 2006, 10:37 AM CDT

NEW YORK -- A new "Hannibal Lecter" novel, originally scheduled to come out last year, will be published this December.

Thomas Harris' "Hannibal Rising," which tells of the early years of literature's most famous cannibal, is the fourth of the million-selling series that includes "The Silence of the Lambs," made into an Academy-Award winning film starring Anthony Hopkins.

The new book will have a first printing of at least 1.5 million copies.

"Now, in `Hannibal Rising,' readers will at last learn of Lecter's beginnings and will see the evolution of his evil," Irwyn Applebaum, president and publisher of the Bantam Dell Publishing Group, said Tuesday in a statement.

Harris' novel was originally titled "Behind the Mask" and was supposed to come out in the fall of 2005. Applebaum declined comment when asked by The Associated Press why the book took longer than expected, saying, "Sometimes, that's how the process works."

Harris was simultaneously writing the screenplay for a film version of "Hannibal Rising," due in early 2007.

I didn't like Hannibal too much and I thought the movie was pretty bad. I was actually reading it while I was studying abroad in Florence. He was name dropping everywhere. I'll probably read this since it takes place early rather than late. I always thought the romance bit was a stupid idea between Clarice and Hannibal.

God, I wish Thomas Harris would move on to new material. He's SUCH a great writer, and I consider HANNIBAL and any further Lecter crap to be wasted potential. He's just spinning his wheels.

I really do not have high hopes for this book. I loved Silence Of The Lambs and Red Dragon, but Hannibal seemed almost like a quick way to cash in on the success of the first 2 novels, and this looks to be more of the same. I will wait for the paperback to read this one. I do hope that Thomas Harris writes something outside of the Lecter series - Black Sunday was such a great book, so it's not like he's devoid of talent or anything.

Lecter only works as a character when he's incarcerated and helping/fucking with FBI agents, and writing another novel like that would be forced as in "oh, you never heard of another time he did this between "Red Dragon" and "The Silence of the Lambs?"

"Hannibal" was a joke, it just converted Lecter into some sort of antihero/superhero and I guarantee you that "Hannibal Rising" is more of the same. Justifying Lecter's action absolutely ruins the character. I hate the revelation in "Hannibal" that Lecter only tries to "eat the rude" because of what happened to his sister (which will be expanded upon in "Hannibal Rising"). Tell me, how does that jibe with the fact that Lecter tried to get Francis Dolarhyde to kill Graham's wife and child in "Red Dragon"?

The Lecter of "Hannibal" and "Hannibal Rising" just doesn't make sense when compared to the Lecter of "Red Dragon" and "The Silence of the Lambs" and I wish Thomas Harris would move on. His first novel "Black Sunday" had nothing to do with the Lecter series whatsoever and it's worlds better than "Hannibal".

Harris has been writing Lecter for 25 years at this point. It's time to move on.

Still, this novel is one of those "must-read" event novels so I guess it's like a license to print money whether the book is any good or not. I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't be reading it.

I love the entire series of Hannibal books and every movie is top notch. In my opinion the movie and book of Hannibal blew me away!

I agree.

Graham was single-handedly responsible for Lecter's incarceration--there are allowable exceptions to M.O.'s when a) it's personal and b) you're a nutcase.

But Lecter was never irrational and on top of everything, it wasn't Graham's biological son in the original novel.

It makes no sense whatsoever that the borderline-vigilante portrayed in "Hannibal" would try to have Graham's stepson and wife murdered. That's pretty rude if you ask me.

I don't object to the action in "Red Dragon", Lecter was a nasty, evil guy in those first two books, I object to the origin story that doesn't fit with the previous characterization.

"Red Dragon" also mentions that Lecter tortured animals as a child, which doesn't seem to go along with the "revenge against the deserters that ate his sister" story, though we'll just have to wait and see if Harris somehow works that in or if he just tries to sweep it under the rug.

Anyways, "Hannibal" is just a joke. What about the passage that says he has the proportionate strength of an ant? If that's the case, what was stopping him from escaping at any given moment?

What about the old gypsy woman that looks at him and calls him Satan? What about the fact that the fucking pigs can just sense his evil? How did this guy get away with his crimes for as long as he did if he just oozes evil?

I can't wait to read what wacky adventures Hannibal will get up to this time! Seriously, isn't it enough yet?

I've enjoyed all 3 films and the books they were based on; looking forward to this one!

I'm going through all three books in order (actually, I've been reading all four Harris books in release order starting with "Black Sunday") and I'm on "Hannibal" now and I have to say that my opinion still stands.

Harris's first three books are suspensful page-turners and "Hannibal" is like a bad fanfic.

I'm in the minority of those who thought "Hannibal" was a great film. I haven't read the book, but recently picked it up so I can see how different the two are. I enjoyed the occasional flashbacks that we saw in "Hannibal" and it piqued my interest to get a closer look at the character in his younger years. I think this may be end up being quite good, but will reserve my judgement until it's published.

I like Thomas Harris. I'll probably get the book.

I love Harriss and I love Lecter. Red dragon was by far a better book than movie but it was still a good watch, it's just a shame by that point we had seen too many different charaters play the supporting roles i.e jack crawford. Manhunter was a better adaptation. I really hope this isn't just an attepmt to cash in though the fact he wrote the screenplay at the same time makes it sound suspicios. At least if harris wrote the screenplay it wont deviate from the book so much. I hope ahntony hopknis is involved because without him it just wont be the same. I assume if we are seeing a young hannibal it wont be hopkins and they will need to do a great job casting, none of this orlando bloom, pretty boy crap. Paul Bettany maybe or toby stephens?

I for one will be looking forward to it and I may re-read the others in anticipation, watching the movies is no substitue as they are not faithfull to the books.

(sorry for the rant, silanec of the lambs is my all time fave film)

Got it today.

It's really short and really awful.

They've had this out at my local Kroger since last week and... I don't know... I just can't bring myself to fucking care.

I didn't hate "Hannibal" like most people, but I didn't love it, either. I guess I sort of liked it, but Hannibal Lecter just seems kind of played out.

Publisher finally sent my copy, so I'll take a look at it next.

I liked <I>Hannibal</I>, but I'm not holding out a lot of hope for this one.

I loved Hannibal, Silence and Red Dragon so I'll be picking this one up as well. I thought the most interesting parts of Hannibal were when Harris provided a window into Hannibal's mind so I have high hopes for this new book.

bought it, read the first 20 pages and thought it sucked, took it back.

I've read about half so far... I'm enjoying it, although it's not a thriller. I suspect this will disappoint most of the people who pick it up.

I'll wait for the paperback, but definitely will read it sometime...

Well I finally started reading Hannibal Rising. Now don't get me wrong I am a HUGE Hannibal Lecter fan but the back story seems very lame so far. Mostly a war story with little to do with Hannibal. I sure hope this books picks up fast...

It picks up a little... but don't get your hopes up too high. :)

I have finally finished this book and trying to read this book was like pulling teeth. This has to be one of the biggest disappointments I have ever read. Nothing even remotely exciting with this book. Dull from start to finish. If the movie is anything like this disaster I am not even going to see it...