THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERFeed your fears with the terrifying classic that introduced cannibalistic serial killer Hannibal Lecter.FBI agent Will Graham once risked his sanity to capture Hannibal Lecter, an ingenious killer like no other. Now, he’s following the bloodstained pattern of the Tooth Fairy, a madman who’s already wiped out two families. To find him, Graham has to understand him. To … find him, Graham has to understand him. To understand him, Graham has only one place left to go: the mind of Dr. Lecter.
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I’m a huge fan of the Hannibal Lecter series, but the first book, Red Dragon, has always been the best. Lecter is in this story, but the serial killer at large, Francis Dolarhyde, aka the Tooth Fairy, seems more unstable and lethal to me than Lecter. The damaged detective, Will Graham, is a great character who can pick up on what the murder is fantasizing about, an ability that helps Will Graham catch them.
Just terrific
I saw the movie in 2002 so I already knew the plot twists but found Harris’ writing to be so good that I was on the border of a bona fide page-turner for much of the second half. His flashback on the making of the Dragon was particularly convincing.
Really scary, and not in a “fantasy” way. Well written, deep characters.
A superb book. Even before we get to the incredible characters, this is a brilliant police procedural; one of the best that I’ve read. Thomas Harris’s background as a crime beat journalist really shines through. Keep in mind that the book was written in the late 70s/early 80s, so some of the investigative techniques may seem rather anachronistic. To my mind, this only emphasises the brilliance of Will Graham, a troubled individual who tries to get inside the minds of serial killers. The criminal profiler is a staple these days, but Graham is the best example, and by a long way. The Tooth Fairy, the story’s main antagonist, is a truly terrifying creation. Harris does a brilliant job of fleshing out his disturbing backstory.
Oh, and there’s another little character in the book called… Hannibal Lecter. No need to elaborate. Read the book, and watch the brilliant movie adaptation, Manhunter.
Love this author! I dont normally re read books but I have read this three times. A phychological thriller and absolute page turner
It kept me intrigued wanting more. Every time I read it there was something new and different, and that is why I kept going back to read it. It is a good bizarre book I have ever read.
Damn scary.
Read years ago. Was a real page turner and an original story
Red Dragon is an outstanding read,
Will Graham, the best of his characters, regardless of all hoopla over Lector.
My introduction to Thomas Harris. His early work is often pure genius, if of a kind that makes for a disturbing read. His later work seems to have become more gruesome and shocking just for the sake of being shocking and gruesome, but his early works have much more depth to them. This is a stellar beginning to his work.
Just Brilliant, as is all Thomas Harris’s books & characters are! Red dragon is as ‘unputdownable’ as his very famous, intelligent character will stop at nothing!.
A must for all fans of gruesome, gory & brilliantly written thrillers with a kick!!!
If you liked “Silence of the Lambs” you will enjoy this just as much. Terrific mystery that keeps you entertained.
What you would expect from this author.
Loved this book. This book is vivid and very memorable. It precedes Silence of the Lambs, (another great read). A movie, Manhunter was based on this book. Michael Mann directed (love Mann movies). Its a great movie but the book, as always, was better. The point of view of the antagonist was beautifully realized and that’s what made the book so chilling. The chase of the antagonist–the hunt kept me reading long into the night. The way Harris slowly layered in the clues was brilliant. The method in how the antagonist chose his victims was also a great concept. A solid five stars.
David Putnam author of The Bruno Johnson series
I read this a long time ago but still recommend it.
Great
The Hannibal Lecter series of books are some of the most bone chilling stories I have ever read. I listed to the audiobook version of Hannibal and cannot bring myself to watch the movie because it was so disturbing. Great books but seriously twisted.
I read this book a long time ago – before Amazon and Kindle even existed – I think. But I still HAD to write a review
You need a bit of a strong stomach to read this. It’s not as gory as other Hannibal Lecter books. Still, it’s creepy, it will grab you and make you anxious. Don’t read it alone at night. And if you’ve seen the movie, read it anyway. The movie wasn’t bad but there is so much more character depth and detail in the book. It’s riveting will stay with you LONG after you’ve read it.