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Hannibal Rising

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Hannibal Rising

By: Thomas Harris
Narrated by: Thomas Harris
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About this listen

 Longlisted for the Audiobook Download of the Year, 2007.

He is one of the most haunting characters in all of literature.

At last the evolution of his evil is revealed.

Hannibal Lecter emerges from the nightmare of the Eastern Front, a boy in the snow, mute, with a chain around his neck. He seems utterly alone, but he has brought his demons with him.

Hannibal's uncle, a noted painter, finds him in a Soviet orphanage and brings him to France, where Hannibal will live with his uncle and his uncle's beautiful and exotic wife, Lady Murasaki.

Lady Murasaki helps Hannibal to heal. With her help he flourishes, becoming the youngest person ever admitted to medical school in France.

But Hannibal's demons visit him and torment him. When he is old enough, he visits them in turn.

He discovers he has gifts beyond the academic, and in that epiphany, Hannibal Lecter becomes death's prodigy.

©2006 Thomas Harris (P)2006 Random House Genre Fiction Ghosts Horror Medical Suspense Thriller & Suspense Scary Fiction Haunted France

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It is truly refreshing to hear a book read by the actual author. A splendid performance that only got better.

Amazing

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As an East European, I had to cringe all the time. Misha is a diminutive for Mikhail, a male name, not a girl's name. Lecter is not a Lithuanian name. It is extremely unlikely an Italian noble woman would reside in a castle in Lithuania in the 20th century. In 1940-1941, all well-off peasants, not only counts, would be de-kulakized by the Soviet authorities, so none could possibly be owning a castle at the start of WW2. There could not possibly have been any Albanians in Lithuania in 1940ies. Lithuanian peasants could not have visited France in the first half of 20th century. Snowshoes are unheard of in Eastern Europe - people use skis. It is just impossible that an ambulance in a Lithuanian forest in 1945 could be used by criminals to get away with their crimes from Soviet authorities. Overall, the book reads like ordinary pulp fiction.

Amusing

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1. If you could sum up ‘Hannibal Rising’ by Thomas Harris in 3 words, what would they be? - Lacking, inadequate and sketchy.

2. How credible/believable did you find the narrator to be? - Although Thomas Harris’s narration has been harshly criticised by some listeners, I found it rather enjoyable (but then again I’m quite partial to the Southern American accent).

3. Any additional comments? - The concept behind Hannibal’s psychopathology was credible. However, in my humble opinion the writing style wasn’t very descriptive and I found this incredibly frustrating at times. The only way I can describe it is that many scenarios felt somewhat ‘blacked out/perforated’. I also found Lady Murasaki’s clear infatuation with her ward deeply disturbing.

Conflicted

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What a privilege to hear the writers words in his own voice. This book is full of sadness and brilliance. A monster? I’m not so sure. Thank you Mr Harris, I have enjoyed these four books immensely. BRD

Rising

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What did you like most about Hannibal Rising?

An intelligently plotted novel, combining an awful time in history with an awful origin for everyone's favourite cannibal.

What does Thomas Harris bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Thomas Harris reads his own book and is surprisingly good at it. His performance of the characters gives and extra impetus to the characters.

Any additional comments?

The answer to the question of what made Hannibal Lector, this story also introduces antlers villain in the form of Grutas, one of the nastiest characters in literature. Excellently written and excellently read, this audiobook is definitely one not to miss.

Hannibal Year Zero

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Fascinating insight into the character of Hannibal Lecter and the reasons behind his cold, inhuman, psychopathic personality. It was really interesting to get a look at his unspeakable childhood traumas and see how the only way out for him was revenge on those who had killed his family. I found myself kind of admiring him. Startlingly intelligent from a young age, he is unhinged from his emotions when his family is murdered in front of him and his little sister seized, killed and eaten. Despite the obvious intense trauma this caused him, I found the tone of the whole story rather detached and emotionless. Perhaps this is done on purpose to reflect Hannibal's numbed cauterised emotions, but as a female reader I prefer emotions to be described and felt in my book characters. It didn't help that Robert Harris's voice stayed flat, calm and detached throughout, he never showed any emotion despite the intensely emotional events afflicting every character. There was also a lot of detailed description of the events of the war, the tanks and weapons etc, which although historically intetesting and set the context very well, but I would have preferred a lot more character development, more description of their state of mind rather than the events that occurred around them.
It's for this reason I prefer female authors, who always show a lot more emotional depth. I'm sure this book would appeal more to male readers.

Very interesting character development

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Great story and narration good to understand what made him what and how be became

Background to Hannibal

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did not want the story to finish excellent loved it, will listen to it again

loved it

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I love the intensity and yet suavness of unnatural emotions portrayed in Hannibal. The coldness and yet the warmth to such a tragic tale.

Chilling

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Harris doesn’t release much work but when he does they are crafted to near perfection, not a wasted word or author indulgence.

The narration is on par with a professional.

Excellent as always

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