Hannibal Lecter is a crime/horror icon to most and an anti-hero to many. But where did he come from? Not just from within the fictional world, but from reality. Author Brian Raftery can answer that in his new book, Hannibal Lecter: A Life. I want to thank Simon and Schuster for sending me Brian’s book to read!
I don’t want to take the words off the pages; that would be an insult to Mr. Raftery’s hard work, so I’m going to try to get the point across as much as possible. Hannibal Lecter: A Life follows the humble beginnings of Lecter’s entry into the cultural zeitgeist as an almost forgotten character in Thomas Harris’ Red Dragon, to taking the world of cinema by storm using Anthony Hopkins as a vessel for the cannibalistic madman, to Mads Mikkelsen, cementing Lecter’s legacy as an anti-hero.
Hannibal Lecter: A Life not only follows the bloody trail of the cannibalistic gentleman through literature and cinema, but also the years of interviews, research, and real-world inspirations that helped Thomas Harris create him. The book is not just about Lecter, but about the man who created him as well, and all the people Harris met that became inspirations for some well-known characters we see in the books and films.
It’s clear from the start that Raftery put a lot of work into this book, with interviews and research that leave no stone unturned and have you looking at Lector in a different light. From the moment I started to read, it was clear to me that this is a book meant for the diehard Lector fan, or fans of the genre of crime-horror. Dare I say, this book has inspired me to now look into getting Harris’ books!
The way it’s written, it’s not snobbish; it’s like sitting with another movie fan and discussing trivia over snacks as the end credits roll. Raftery keeps your interest in what you’re reading by getting to the meat of the topic. Hannibal Lecter: A Life is worth savoring!
Hannibal Lecter: A Life is on the shelves now!
