Disappointing after Red Dragon and Silence of the Lambs, which were good of their kind.The opening scene in the fish market reeds like a film script, which is either good or bad depending on your view.Lector is presented as a rather glamorous figure, aside from his homicidal tendencies. This could be seen as an extra layer of complexity to his character, or some misguided attempt to make him more sympathetic - a misunderstood anti-hero rather than the monstrous villain he is. It didn't ring true with me.The other serial killer, the one who drinks children's tears (really? Isn't that a bit heavy-handed?) is a two-dimensional very bad man.And what was with Clarice Starling? I do not buy that ending at all! (Well, actually, I did buy it, the book that is, but I didn't keep it: no chance of me wanting to re-read.)All of which is annoying, as Harris can clearly do better and this could have been an excellent novel if he hadn't fallen in love with Hannibal Lector and let himself get carried away, rather like Clarice.
