The Silence Of The Lambs by Thomas Harris

What I notice most is how faithful the movie apparently was. That is a very rare thing, especially when one has seen the movie first.

Chilton is SUCH a bastard in the book that I think the most major thing changed, Lecter getting ready to kill him at the end of the film, would have been nice in the book. Lecter giving a final phone call to Clarice in the movie also feels a bit more satisfying than the letter he writes here.

I think the film was heady Oscar-bait. And the book seems a little more standard as far as thrillers go. I find it interesting Jonathan Demme read it and not only constructed a prestige picture out of it, but changed very little when doing so.

I have to say Clarice's exchanges with Lecter about her childhood and the screaming of the lambs are the ONE thing in the book that elevates it beyond hard-boiled crime fiction. I can totally see Demme reading that scene and imagining the amazing performances he could get out of it.

Unlike both the films and the Clarice TV series, we get an unhappy update on Will Graham. He's still alive, in Florida, and a drunk. Still with Molly? The book doesn't say but I hope so. In all other media besides the Hannibal TV show Will Graham simply seems to have dropped off the face of the Earth. This is why we prefer books.

I've heard what happens in the book "Hannibal", which is why although I'll praise this book, it needs to be a bit measured. It's also why this is my stopping point for the saga.

But yes, this book itself was mostly excellent. 4 1/2 stars.