Immediately after reading Red Dragon by Thomas Harris, I was into the mist of another serial killer case told by Thomas Harris. The Silence of the Lambs, made even famous by the Hollywood thrilling blockbuster, remained a novel of impeccable quality.
The novel centered around Clarice Starling, a still in-training FBI agent, who took on the call-of-duty assignment from Jack Crawford, in the search of a serial killer--"Buffalo Bill", who later abducted Senator Ruth Martin's daughter. Starling first went to visit Dr. Hannibal Lecter, hoping that the infamous cannibal/psychiatrist could help her with the case. During her visits and her investigation, Starling met obstacles on every path. She also met her nemesis, Paul Krendler, who gave her a hard time here and there. Eventually, after much struggle, Starling was told to return her temporary FBI badge and stop her investigation in the case all together. But she did not obey the order and slipped through the crack of time to continue her pursuit of the murderer. Because of her determination, she had found the killer, Jame Gumb by mere luck and old-fashioned door-to-door swept. And then after some more fight with Buffalo Bill, she defeated him and rescued the senator's daughter.
And that's the story. Very much like the book Red Dragon, The Silence of the Lamb's killer also shared a certain similarity, like both are white male who would undress at times, and both had some kind of deficiency.
The scene are vivid to read, cruel to feel, brutal to see. It gives the chill as much as the thrill. Nothing beats an uncensored gruesome description. But that's also what gave the Hannibal series a unique taste, a style of its own. Is it necessary though, I don't know. If the words were replaced by other less impacting, less sensing phases, could it achieve the same heart-pounding effect? Would you try to shut your eyes to avoid reading one word after another, or would you artfully dodge the painful experience?
I like how simple the book is. It has a small circle of characters that are interrelated, they are distinctively different, very colorful and traumatic at times. It's the sorrow and the challenges they face that urged me to push on. I knew they would find a way to tackle the problems, I just don't know how, because I don't know them as much as Thomas Harris do. But the problem-solving is paced at a way that it doesn't feel boring or slow. The book is a brisk read, it is what you read in the book that drag you down.
Character-wise, let me said I kind of miss Will Graham first, I was kind of disappointed when I finished the book without reading the name Will Graham appearing for more than the fingers on one of my hands. But, Clarice Starling had replaced the mighty Will Graham as she dominated the male elements in the story.
Starling, Clarice. She is a tough girl, she knew how to take care of herself. But Hannibal seemed to know her even better than herself. That kind of overpowering control had shaken Starling down at their first meeting. Hannibal came in so strong that Clarice could barely secure her position as a FBI agent.
Maybe it was the confidence Dr. Lecter gave out that shocked Starling. His all-knowing tone and focused gaze frightened her. He said Quid Pro Quo(something for something, an exchange) as if it was his motto, his belief. He gets to know a little bit about Starling while telling her more about the killer. Hannibal seeks a playmate, and he has got one thanks to Jack Crawford.
Jame Gumb, the miserable serial killer who wanted to transform into a female form by stealing skins from girls and stitch all the pieces he had gathered together to form a human skin outfit. That's totally F-up, but nonetheless, disgusting. It's not that it couldn't happened(or hasn't happened) that scares people, is that it is a possibility that someone could and would commit these kind of crime that worries people the most.
A story is a story, but inside a story, reflect the possibility of what the world could be and would be like. It's not a prophecy of the future, or the alarm of the present, or the reflection for the past, but a constructed thesis of the infinity possibility.
While the name, The Silence of the Lambs, is referring to the experience Starling had when living at her relative's barn, it also meant that one's mind would stay unrest unless one solved the problem at its origin. We all had problems, and every problem adds a little bit of pressure on us. The sooner we deal with it, the sooner we could rest and get the relieve. If not, the pressure built up, and it will explode, causing an implode even, if not taken care of.
And now, I know what the book is like, I am eager to watch the movie in the coming day. I really want to know why the movie is so critically acclaimed, is it better than the books?
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