Cari Mora by Thomas Harris

(hb; 2019)

From the inside flap

“Half a ton of a dead man’s gold lies hidden beneath a mansion on the Miami Beach waterfront. Ruthless men have tracked it for years. Leading the pack is Hans-Peter Schneider. Driven by unspeakable appetites, he makes a living fleshing out the violent fantasies of other, richer men.

“Cari Mora, caretaker of the house, has escaped from the violence in her native country. She stays in Miami on a wobbly Temporary Protected Status, subject to the iron whim of ICE. She works at many jobs to survive. Beautiful, marked by war, Cari catches the eye of Hans-Peter as he closes in on the treasure. But Cari Mora has surprising skills, and her will to survive has been tested before.”

Review

Cari is a fun, fast-moving summer read, highlighted by Harris’s quirky, mordant humor, violence and gore, as well as a few pointed political references. I read this 300-page treasure-hunt novel in one sitting, something I rarely do. Fans of Harris’s other books─particularly his Hannibal quadrilogy─may well appreciate his humor, although this is a relatively light read (on the surface), when compared to his other books. This is worth checking out from the library, or owning, for the price of a regular-sized paperback.

Hannibal Rising by Thomas Harris

(hb; 2006; fourth book in the Hannibal Lecter quadrilogy)

From the back cover

“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 bring 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 his gifts beyond the academic, and in that epiphany, Hannibal Lecter becomes death’s prodigy.”

Review

This prequel to the first three Hannibal Lecter books is perhaps my favorite of the quadrilogy, because of it is a (mostly) straightforward revenge─there are parts that occasionally run a bit long about art, directly related to his family’s death and loss of fortune, that foreshadow his later obsession with high culture (art, culinary and its other facets). That is a minor nit, however, considering that my favorite genre is lean ‘n’ mean pulp tales, that allow for little or no word-fat.

This is an excellent, burn-through read, if you like World War II history, dark thrillers and interesting characters.

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The resulting film was released stateside on February 9, 2007. Peter Webber directed it, from a screenplay by the book’s author, Thomas Harris.

Gaspard Ulliel played Hannibal Lecter. Aaran Thomas played “Young Hannibal.” Li Gong, billed as Gong Li, played Lady Murasaki.

Dominic West played Inspector Popil. Rhys Ifan played Vladis Grutas. Richard Brake played Enrikas Dortlich. Kevin McKidd played Petras Kolnas. Joerg Stadler played Bernd.

Helena Lia-Tachovska played Mischa Lecter. Ingeborga Dapkunaite played “Mother Lecter.” Richard Leaf played “Father Lecter.”

Hannibal by Thomas Harris

(pb; 1999: third novel in the Hannibal Lecter quadrilogy)

From the back cover

“You remember Hannibal Lecter: gentleman, genius, cannibal. Seven years have passed since Dr. Lecter escaped from custody. And for seven years he’s been at large, free to savor the scents, the essences, of an unguarded world. But intruders have entered Dr. Lecter’s sanctuary, piercing his new identity, sensing the evil that surrounds him. For the multimillionaire Hannibal left maimed, for a corrupt Italian policeman, and for FBI agent Clarice Starling, who once stood before Lecter and who has never been the same, the final hunt for Hannibal Lecter has begun. All of them, in their separate ways, want to find Dr. Lecter. And all three will get their wish. But only one willlive long enough to savor the reward.”

Review

Hannibal is part witty comedy, part travelogue and part bloody thriller. This third entry in the Hannibal Lecter quadrilogy ups the series’ humor and Grand Guignol elements, as well as Hannibal’s love of Florence, Italy─whose sensory-based glories get plenty of “air time” in this cinematic-descriptive horror work. I tired quickly of this latter element (I’m a barebones thriller reader), but I understand why Harris included these parts in the book: it is consistent with Hannibal’s sensibilities and the tone of the previous novels. I laughed quite a bit, especially during the dinner scene near the end of the book. An over-the-top work, this is worth reading, possibly worth owning if you are into the above, well-written elements.

Followed by a prequel, Hannibal Rising.

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The film version was released stateside on February 9, 2001. Ridley Scott directed the film, from a screenplay by David Mamet and Steve Zaillian.

Anthony Hopkins played Hannibal Lecter. Julianne Moore played Clarice Starling. Gary Oldman played Mason Verger. Ray Liotta played Paul Krendler. Giancarlo Giannini played Insp. Rinaldo Pazzi. 

Frankie Faison, billed as Frankie R. Faison, reprised his role of Barney from The Silence of the Lambs.

The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris

(pb; 1991: second novel in the Hannibal Lecter quadrilogy)

From the back cover

“She is Clarice Starling, young, vulnerable FBI trainee. He is Hannibal Lecter, brilliant, evil genius. Theirs is a mesmerizing struggle between good and evil─designed to stop a killer, and chill your blood.”

Review

Silence, like its prequel Red Dragon, 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 Hannibal.

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The resulting film was released stateside on February 14, 1991. Jonathan Demme directed the film, from a screenplay by Ted Tally.

Jodie Foster played Clarice Starling. Anthony Hopkins played Hannibal Lecter. Scott Glenn played Jack Crawford. Ted Levine played Jame Gumb.

Kasi Williams played Ardelia Mapp. Anthony Heald played Dr. Frederick Chilton.Frankie Faison played Barney. Tracey Walter played Lamar. Roger Corman played FBI Director Hayden Burke. Charles Napier played Lt. Boyle.

Stuart Rudin played Miggs. Brooke Smith played Catherine Martin. Diane Baker played Senator Ruth Martin.

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.