Red Dragon by Thomas Harris

(pb; 1981: first book in the Hannibal quadrilogy)

From the back cover

“Exploring both the nature of human evil and the nerve-wracking anatomy of a forensic investigation, Harris unleashes a frightening vision of the dark side of our well-lighted world. In this. . . novel. . .Harris introduced the unforgettable character Dr. Hannibal Lecter. And in it, Will Graham─the FBI man who hunted Lecter down─risks his sanity and life to duel a killer called the Red Dragon.”

Review

Red is an excellent and intense psychological, brutal and occasionally gory thriller with distinctive, fascinating and empathy-worthy characters, as well as especially disturbing events. This is a classic read, one worth owning. Followed by the loosely linked sequel The Silence of the Lambs.

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Two film versions of Dragon resulted from the book.

The first, Manhunter, was released stateside on August 15, 1986. It was directed by Michael Mann, who also wrote the screenplay.

William Petersen played Will Graham. Kim Greist played Molly Graham. Dennis Farina played Jack Crawford.

Brian Cox played Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Tom Noonan played Francis Dolarhyde. Joan Allen played Reba McClane. Stephen Lang played Freddy Lounds.Benjamin Hendricks played Dr. Frederick Chilton.

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The remake, titled Red Dragon, was released stateside on October 4, 2002. Brett Ratner directed the film, from a screenplay by Ted Tally.

Anthony Hopkins played Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Edward Norton played Will Graham. Mary-Louise Parker played Molly Graham. Harvey Keitel played Jack Crawford.

Ralph Fiennes played Francis Dolarhyde. Emma Watson played Reba McClane. Philip Seymour Hoffman played Freddy Lounds. Anthony Heald played Dr. Jack Chilton.