SumFought:The Silenceof the Lambsby Thomas Harris

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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Graded Longings

1. Mother told son to avoid the traffic by taking the bus traveling on an alternate and longer route. Son obeyed and reached the bank he worked in time. But he was held back at work by an unorganized robbery crew, and eventually he didn't walk out alive, as he was the second hostage to be popped by one of the robber. He died believing that the man who killed him was the leader. His mother was outside the bank and witnessed the execution through the internal camera feeds. She fainted as her son dropped to the ground. She wished she wasn't smart. If her son didn't listen to her but drove to work, he would otherwise be struck in the traffic for two hours, and thus avoided the robbers. 
2. Teacher told students to bring their parents to the school anniversary ceremony, and they did. One of the student, Annie Beth Kens, forced her father, a local sheriff name George Kens to the party by dragging him off duty. Another student, Jackson Dean Norris brought his legal guardian, his uncle called Joe Maton to the party. Old Kens met old Maton and shook hands at the soda machines, with their child standing behind them. They didn't let go of each other's hand until Annie wheeled his father to her beloved Mrs. Neffein, the history teacher. The second day, Annie Beth Kens was grounded, And also forbidden to watch TV. But the whole town knew, sheriff Kens had made a big bust. Well, the biggest bust the town had ever seen since the 80s. Joe Maton, a.k.a. Willy Ben, a.k.a. the smuggler was arrested in his own home. Annie Beth Kens was send back to school the next day after the bust. She never saw Jackson Dean Norris again until they met again at the hotel ten years later.
3. Bartender told customers that the shop was about to close up, close up in the way that it would never be open again. The owner, Mr. Shelfin, had not been around lately and many had long speculated of his worsening health condition by the look of his balding head and wrinkling hands a few months ago. Most noticeably, his left hand, which shook and tremble, creating a wave of wrinkles. As far as the folks could tell, Mr. Shelfin had nobody, he lived alone out back in the little shack, and owned an old Ford pick-up truck that spit brown gases into the air. That night, after the bartender finished cleaning up the bar and closed up, he went knocking on Mr. Shelfin's door for the last time. Mr. Shelfin looked different, the wrinkles were gone, his hair was grey and short. Mr. Shelfin gave the bartender a letter and told him to read it after he had left. Mr. Shelfin was seen leaving in a Ferrari. The bartender opened the letter and found the spring of his life.

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SumFought:24:Live Another DayEpisode 5

Episode 5 cleared Jack's name, which have also taken him away from the front line until he was called by the president.

I admire how they squeezed every minutes with tension and contents. The multiple viewpoints at different groups had a distinct profile, which separated them apart for the audience and minimized the confusion. The close-up takes are important and genuine, but the dialogue seemed dull and unstressed, except for the terrorist who was going to destroy London. Nonetheless, the ending with Margot gunning down Navid, shows how determined and brutal the Al-Harazi have became. Her actions is irrational and aggressive in a way that is over complicated. She has the brain to pull this stunt, an eye for an eye. She plotted this drone attack to get back what the US government had done to her husband, and it was very brilliant of her to even come up with such an idea. She must have Googled it, and found out that it was possible to gain absolute remote control of the drone by third parties. What a smart, grieving woman.

Take a look at her daughter, Simone. She is exactly what a monster mother would bring up with. Because of her mother's influence, she suffered deeply. Her actions were based not on natural emotional responses, but by the eyes of her mother. She had no control over herself, and that makes me wonder what did Margot do to her before, way before Margot ordered to cut off her fingers. Margot must have done something way worse than physical abuse to get that kind of supreme regulation on her. I feel sorry for her, she could have be so much more, if she wasn't in a limited environment.

On the other hand, the hackers backing Jack retrieved the data in-time to validate the concreteness of the malicious attack as was initiated by Margot Al-Harazi. And at a later time, they discovered the site that the CIA was raiding had been a set-up, and warned-off the leading agent, thus, saved a few life. Hacker in 24 was presented in both ways. One that fallen into crime because they can do it, and one that aided in solving crime because they want to do it. This distinguished the desire and the ability in the same identity, which was kind of criticizing the hackers who work as hired hands, and encouraging them, or even promoting a mutual cooperation with the government. I'm sure 24 has a hidden political agenda I just ain't seeing yet.

Jack was behind the TV for a good chunk of time in this episode, no close-quarter-combat, no gun-shooting, no difficult choices to make. He seemed to have accomplish most of what he had wished for. The reunion between him and Audrey was brief, but needed. I can't judge Jack. No one should judge Jack. He knows what he's doing, and he's going to stop the attack no matter what.

But Jack isn't that guy who will take a bullet for anyone everytime. He would rather let you die and achieve his goal than getting himself the dying moan. He's that kind of soldier who went to the battlefield to kill the enemies but not to serve the country. And he survived after all these years because he knows it works all the time.

We don't just do what others want us to do. We gotta find what's best for us. It mind be a lame thing to say, but it's true. Only you know who you are and what you are make of, your decisions are yours to make, and the consequences are yours to take. Don't believe me? Believe Jack.

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