Red Dragon (Hannibal Lecter, #1)

Title: Red Dragon (Hannibal Lecter, #1)

Author: Thomas Harris

Published in: 1981

Date read: 27th December 2005

Score: 5/5

Genre: Crime, Horror, Thriller, Psychological

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
"Red Dragon" by Thomas Harris, published in 1981, is a ground-breaking psychological thriller that introduced the iconic character of Dr. Hannibal Lecter and the chilling concept of a brilliant, empathetic investigator pursuing a terrifying serial killer. It is the first novel featuring Lecter.

The story centres on Will Graham, a former FBI profiler with a unique, almost supernatural ability to empathize with serial killers and reconstruct their crimes from their perspective. This gift, however, comes at a high psychological cost; it led him to the brink of madness and severe injury during his capture of the notorious cannibalistic killer, Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Graham has since retired, seeking peace with his wife Molly and stepson in Florida.

However, Graham is reluctantly drawn back into the world of active investigation by his former FBI superior, Jack Crawford. A terrifying new serial killer has emerged, dubbed "The Tooth Fairy" by the media due to the horrific bite marks left on his victims. This killer brutally murders entire families, seemingly chosen at random, during the full moon. He kills with a ritualistic fury that defies conventional profiling.

Unable to fully grasp the killer's warped psychology, Graham, despite his deep reservations and the lingering trauma of his last case, realizes he needs help. He makes the perilous decision to consult the imprisoned Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Their chilling interviews form the psychological core of the novel, with Lecter providing cryptic insights and manipulative taunts, always subtly trying to get inside Graham's head.

The killer is revealed to be Francis Dolarhyde, a severely disturbed and physically scarred man who works in a film processing plant. Dolarhyde suffers from extreme disfigurement, a deeply traumatic childhood, and an obsessive fixation on William Blake's painting "The Great Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed with the Sun." He believes he is transforming into the Dragon, gaining power through his brutal murders, which he sees as rituals of transformation. He also develops a complex relationship with a blind co-worker, Reba McClane, which adds a layer of unexpected humanity to his monstrous nature.

The novel becomes a relentless cat-and-mouse game between Graham and Dolarhyde. Graham uses his unique empathetic abilities to trace Dolarhyde's escalating pattern, while Dolarhyde, aware of Graham's pursuit, taunts him and continues his murderous rampage, racing towards a final, horrifying act. The climax involves a violent and personal confrontation between Graham and the Red Dragon, pushing Graham once again to his psychological limits. "Red Dragon" is a masterful exploration of criminal psychology, the blurred lines between sanity and madness, and the price of understanding true evil.

Comments:
I loved this book and love the Hannibal character. I have seen both the original film version and the remade version with Sir Anthony Hopkins in. Nothing against the amazing Brian Cox, but Hannibal will always be Sir Anthony in my mind and in my nightmares.

Books that we've read by Thomas Harris (4):
Red Dragon (Hannibal Lecter, #1) (1981), The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, #2) (1988), Hannibal (Hannibal Lecter, #3) (1999), Hannibal Rising (Hannibal Lecter #4) (2006)