When a fictional body that started as a side character in a novel becomes a full-blown horror icon known throughout the world and prompts its own autobiography to be written, you know we’ve got something special here. And so it is with the good doctor that author Brian Rafterty has gone to great lengths and leaving no “quid pro quos” on the process of how famed author Thomas Harris brought Hannibal Lecter to life and all the juicy details that lie in between, taking him from the book to the big screen, spilling the delightful tea along the way in “HANNIBAL LECTER: A LIFE”.
So let’s flip through this book a bit:
We begin with the true birth of a monster, dating back to 1935 with real-life killings and interviews with murderers that later inspired Thomas Harris’ idea for a cannibalistic character—something completely opposite of his “shy demeanor” and a relative noting, “the most non-violent person he’d ever known.” and the book that started it all with “RED DRAGON” and Harris’ painstaking effort into writing this character that the author notes, “wore him out”.
The book became an instant hit, and “RED DRAGON’ hit Hollywood in the form of MANHUNTER, where the world got to see Lecter for the first time in the flesh, played by Brian Cox. While the studios were basically breaking down the door for the rights, the journey wasn’t anything but easy…
Of course, it was 1991’s THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS and Anthony Hopkins’ portrayal of the maniac psychiatrist that really solidified Lecter’s name in the stars of pop culture icons, bringing down a hammer (in the most polite way possible) of psychological fear into movie goers. Raftery really goes the distance, taking us through each film’s journey and providing everything you could possibly want to know about LAMBS, including never-before-seen correspondence between Thomas Harris and director Jonathan Demme. As well as every film thereafter, including the severely underrated HANNIBAL series, which was pulled off the air way too soon, in my humble opinion.
“HANNIBAL LECTER: A LIFE” also includes the true-life inspirations for Clarice Starling and discussions with former FBI profiler John Douglas; entries of which are both incredibly fascinating and informative, pulling in the true-crime enthusiast that resides in so many of us. Speaking of which, alongside the jeopardy knowledge of history that is soaked into these pages, the book builds an argument that credits Thomas Harris and his iconic creation of Hannibal Lecter with modern society’s fascination with serial killers.
The book has a little something for everyone: horror fans, true crime aficionados, cinephiles, and aspiring authors. However, if you’re not a fan of modern climate political deep dives, which is something I think a lot of us are trying to escape from, skip the prologue entirely and just dive into the rest. Other than that, it’s a must-read for all the aforementioned and learn a few things about this legendary character that I never thought about, or believed I needed to know- but pass me a glass of Chianti because I’m sure happy I do now.
I’m ready for Lecter trivia night, folks.
I rate it 4 out of 5 Benjamin Raspail heads.
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