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Silence of the Lambs |
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Thomas Harris |
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Made into an award-winning movie starring Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster.
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Clarice Starling, an FBI Agent-in-training, is asked by her supervisor to interview the incarcerated cannibal and famed psychologist, Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Lecter, imprisoned for nearly a dozen deaths, most of which involved his eating of his victim's flesh, is approached by Starling, the last in a long line of interviewers (usually fellow psychologists) looking for insight into the mind of a monster. She, unlike the rest, asks him to fill out a routine questionnaire for the FBI, a request he denies politely. Instead, he gives Starling the distinct impression that he could contribute something to the FBI's PR nightmare of a case, one involving a serial killer named Buffalo Bill who removes some of his female victim's flesh before dumping their bodies. By telling Lecter about her own history, Starling is able to wheedle some information out of him, and by promising him more, she can begin a promising search for Bill's latest victim, a woman presumably not dead yet (as he usually waits a week before killing them). The strange relationship between Lecter and Starling is developed admirably by Harris, and the novel represents some of the best psychological horror ever written. The characters, especially Lecter, are multi-faceted and compelling, and seem to reach out and touch the reader. While not for the faint of heart, this is a book for anyone who loves a good intrigue, or to delve into the darker side of the human heart.
"You will let me know when the lambs stop screaming, won't you, Clarice?" |
