The Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Group discussion

I bought this book a while back, but it's stayed on my 'to read" shelf - so this is great to have it as a book club pick!

I've read once before and enjoyed very much. Definitely an excellent welcome to Thomas Harris' style.

I read this some time ago - after I had seen the first movie of it - my old classmate Bill Petersen was in it. Manhunter (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091474/)

They also did a remake in 2002 with Anthony Hopkins reprising his role as Hannibal. I've never seen the remake, and probably won't as I enjoyed the original so very much.

I pulled this book off the shelf and I am going to read it again.

I really enjoyed this book and found it to be a page turner. It frightened me a little at the time I read it but well worth the scare.

Great book and the film Manhunter is brilliant. Brian Cox made a great Lecter.

I am on the waiting list at the library, but there is only 1 person ahead of me. I have seen bits and parts of the movie, but I know that the books are so much better. I am excited to read it.

I pulled this book from my "to-read" shelf this afternoon, and put it on my nightstand. So tonight, here goes...

Clint wrote: I hope that you can sleep tonight..lol I hope you like the book as much as I do.

Ha! Last night, I took a look at that book on my night table, set it under a few others, and decided to wait until morning to have a read - I think it was a good decision!. (I didn't tell my husband, he'd have laughed. But hey, I needed a good night's sleep!)

Sometimes films are so succesful that you forget they were based on books! Will add it to the list.

Yeah, I prefer Brian Cox over Hopkins any day of the week, but it is hard to picture anything other than those two as Lecter, such is the power of film. Still, it's a good read.

I'm having a good time reading this. I'm about halfway through - then I had to go and read the last 10-15 pages. I always read the end first, of any novel, so I was pretty happy I'd made it that long without looking!

I AM staying away from nightfall as I read this, though. Wow.

Just finished the book. I had a really hard time reading parts of the middlw of the novel, and what I mean is, it was painful to read because I felt such an empathy for many of the characters. Don't want to spoil anyone's read! It was worth reading on through and finishing.

And it was interesting to have this as background for the Hannibal Lecter stuff that has now become part of American culture - which shows how much of an impact Thomas Harris, and the filmmakers who took his story and put it on screen, made.

I read The Red Dragon awhile back and I thought it an excellent read. I gave it 5 stars.

Robin wrote: "Clint wrote: I hope that you can sleep tonight..lol I hope you like the book as much as I do.

Ha! Last night, I took a look at that book on my night table, set it under a few others, and decided t..."

I agree completely! I refuse to watch a scary show, or read a scary book before bed. I have messed up dreams otherwise.

This is my first time ever participating in a group read. I just got the book last night (via the internet library) and started reading it this morning. I read the first chapter and excited to read the rest. I have seen Silence of the Lambs in bits and pieces. From what I gather this is a different psychopath, but Hannibal is mentioned several times. The intro to the book was a little confusing at times, but I have liked what I have read so far.

Clint wrote: "Did you have any thoughts of how My thoughts before I started reading is that he is an intelligent mad man.

Heidi wrote: "This is my first time ever participating in a group read. I just got the book last night (via the internet library) and started reading it this morning. I read the first chapter and excited to read..."

You're right; it is a different psychopath, but it's also an introduction to Hannibal Lecter. Glad you're enjoying so far. It's an excellent book.

Well, that was a good read. Because I watched the film before reading the book, the suspense was not what it should have been, but it was still a worthwhile read. I would encourage everyone to drop what they are doing and finish this book.

R.M.F wrote: "Well, that was a good read. Because I watched the film before reading the book, the suspense was not what it should have been, but it was still a worthwhile read. I would encourage everyone to drop..."
I prefer to read a book before watching the movie version. The book offers so much more than the movie. I hope to have the book finished in about a week.
The biggest disappointment I had with a movie was based on a book written by John Grisham. The movie version changed the entire story line.

I had that with War of the worlds, when they moved it from Victorian England to modern day America!!

In my defence, I din't know there was a Red Dragon book. I foolishy beleived that Hollywood had came up with an original idea!

New to GoodReads here. I read this book several years ago (like about 20-22 years ago) and I still remember this, along with Cujo, as one of the best, scariest reads ever.

I used to think Cujo was a decent book, but then I read something about how much drinking Stephen King was doing at the time!

Clint wrote: "What I love a about this book.Is getting inside the head of the each character and reading what they are thinking and feeling. It can be a little freaking at times:))"

This is exactly what I love about this book too - and yes, it can be very weird..!

RMF - I never read Cujo, but to me, it doesn't matter if King was drinking or not when he wrote it - if it's good, it's good. And it's actually amazing that he was able to write cogently while under the influence of alcohol. That state of mind (sloshed) doesn't give the average person much in the way of literate thought.

I read both Cujo and Red Dragon a number of years ago.

With Cujo I couldn't open my closet door without trepidation for weeks.

I don't think I found Red Dragon scary in the same way. But I knew I never wanted to read it again.

Finally got to the part where the perp is revealed to the reader. Now I am wondering what the trigger was that set this man off. (Maybe I have watched too many episodes of Criminal Minds). Most people with deformities are not serial pychopaths.

I'll defend King until the cows come home, but even he admits that his Bachman days are not exactly his finest hour!

I have seen the movie so I thought I would have a hard time reading this book because I already know what is going to happen. I downloaded a sample for my kindle today which was the first 2 chapters. I was hooked! So I bought the book and I am about 60 pages into it so far. I am really looking forward to finishing this book. So far, it is better than the movie, which is hard to beat.

Janine wrote: "I have seen the movie so I thought I would have a hard time reading this book because I already know what is going to happen. I downloaded a sample for my kindle today which was the first 2 chapter..."
I have never seen the movie but I 99% of the time think that the book is better tham the movie. I borrowed my copy from the library and agree that it hooks you almost from the beginning.

Heidi, I agree. Books are almost always better than the movies. That is one reason I try to read the books first.

I never read the rest of the Hannibal books - might be interesting to continue.

I stayed up til 1 AM last night to finish reading this book. I kind of guessed a little bit of the ending. It was an excellent book though.
It kind of makes you wonder if the author could be a psychopath at times. (lol)

I started reading this book 4 days ago and am already 65% through it. It has been hard for me to put down. I have already seen the movie (with Hopkins) and I loved it. But books are always better. I agree with a lot of the other comments about knowing the thoughts of multiple characters especially Dolarhyde. It really gives you insight into his childhood and why he is the way he is. In the movie you only see a part of it.

This is one book that I remember where I was when I read it many years ago (1983). It scared the crap out of me and I loved it! Glad I read it long before I watched either movie.

I think that's about when I read it, too. I didn't even know Manhunter was a movie about that book for the longest time. I only watched it because Bill Petersen (former classmate) was in it.

i saw the remake of this film years ago and although i recall liking it i don't remember that much of it-

enjoyed the book.

Heidi, your comment about the author mate being a psychopath made me laugh, because that's exactly what I thought when I'd read Silence of the Lambs!

I meant 'maybe' in my last post by the way, not 'mate'...!

Brian Cox over Hopkins any day of the week.

In this role, definitely Brian Cox.

I agree. Cox was terrific.

What I liked about Red Dragon and (Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal)is how the author can manage to make the reader feel sympathy and even root for opposing characters. He also shows how a lack of empathy coupled with an amazing intellect can be a truly terrifying force. Hannibal Rising, on the other hand, I found disappointing.

No problem, pleasure to be here.

It was a very popular thread. Thanks for taking it on, Clint.