A book review of Thomas Harris' The Silence of the Lambs
Just a disclaimer, I was able to
watch the movie before I got hold of the book. I guess there is always a little
less imagination and a little bit of a bias whenever you read a story you’ve
already watched. Less imagination -- because you just can’t help but think of
the characters in the movie while reading about them in the book; and more bias
because you already associate the characters in the book with how they were
portrayed in the movie.
Anyway, I was extremely thrilled
when I bought this book along with its sequel. Just how I usually get bored
with the first few chapters of a book, I had to resort to remembering all the
characters being presented at first. The story basically resolves around a case
about a serial killer called Buffalo Bill who targets women and leaves them
floating in some river with their skins peeled off. The FBI remained stalled,
with very little progress in the case until Behavioral Section Chief Jack
Crawford summoned an FBI trainee, Clarice Starling, to talk to a former
psychiatrist who is now in a prison asylum and is known for eating his victims
–the infamous Dr. Hannibal Lecter, or Hannibal the Cannibal. Crawford was
hoping that Dr. Lecter would shed some light to the Buffalo Bill case knowing
his psychiatric background and the likeness or somewhat consistency in serial
murderers known for their unusual trademarks in killing.
Some may think the book is gruesome
because of the “Hannibal” but it really is like watching a very intense, deeply
psychological, neurotic even, and extremely creepy episode of CSI or Bones. The
characters get into your head, the thoughts and gestures of Dr. Lecter haunt
your imagination. It makes you feel like you’re in the same room as Starling
and Lecter – watching them reveal a little bit about each other with Starling
cautious with what to say and Lecter driving you crazy with the uncertainty and
fear he induces from the conversation. It is reveling in a way that it makes
you think, makes you hope for something good from Starling. It is also
distressing, frustrating at times because of how Lecter makes you feel like he
is always, ironically, in control of the situation.
Thomas Harris is a literary genius.
He has woven these characters into the events that transpired with wit,
tension, fear, anticipation, psychosis, remarkable intelligence and a great
deal of courage. I was also curious how things ended in the book although I
already knew how things ended essentially. But Harris was still able to create
the suspense as the book finishes. I guess it would’ve been more surprising,
thrilling for others who have read the book first. But I was still in awe when
I was almost finishing the book. I remember waking up early in the morning
(which is unusual for me) and reading this book until a little about 2pm. I
only stopped when I felt my tummy grumbling and pleading for food. And I only
had 75 more pages to go. When I finally reached the last few pages I was trying
hard to breathe because even if I knew what was going to happen, Harris’ way of
narrating the ending was curiously exciting, tremendously nerve-wrecking.
Well, I guess I’ve said so much but
this was really a positively crazy but amazing read for me. And whenever I hear
or read about this book, I’d probably remember two statements that have left an
impact on me. While Clarice returned to the first victim’s home and tried to
find clues again from her room, the author noted this:
“Nothing makes us
more vulnerable than loneliness except greed.”
And yes, it is true, whether it be
on television or in books, greed makes us vulnerable, irrational and it always,
always gets the best of us. And all the major characters I believe became
greedy at some point. Jack Crawford was working hard to solve the case and even
sent a trainee to talk to a psychotic serial killer even if he knew that
Clarice’s life and mental well-being could likely be in danger. Clarice was
also trying hard to solve the case and prove herself that she had to put her
life on the line and become vulnerable to Lecter’s mind. Buffalo Bill, on the
other hand, is an epitome of this statement. He had to kill because of greed,
because of something he could not have but wanted to so badly. He became
vulnerable to both pleasure and pain without knowing the differences between
the two. Lastly, Hannibal Lecter became both vulnerable and powerful because of
greed. He talked to Clarice, giving her ideas and clues because he wanted to
know about her, about the silence of the lambs. He told stories about Buffalo
Bill, which helped Clarice in solving the case but he also used this power
about such information to get what he wanted. He really is a madman, a killer
but severely intelligent and always equipped with vulnerabilities he covers in
wit and he eventually reveals through his neurosis and greed.
Lastly, this statement is I guess
really the most important and most chilling revelation of the whole story.
While talking to Clarice about Buffalo Bill, Lecter asked her:
“What does he do, Clarice? What is
the first and principal thing he does, what need does he serve by killing? He
covets. How do we begin to covet? We begin by coveting what we see every
day.”
We covet what we see everyday. And
all human beings do this. And not only do we do this but we also covet what we
think we need because we see them everyday. We yearn for things, qualities,
details, feelings and even people because we always think we deserve better.
And yes we do, but in coveting, we become slaves of something we have not even
gotten hold of but has already driven as to greed, emptiness, loathing, dissatisfaction,
decadence and at times, madness.
I always have something to say
about how a book’s less than positive points but I didn’t find it in this one.
Although I was bored in the beginning, the whole unraveling of minds and
mystery of the story made up for it. This is definitely going to my 'favorite
books' bookshelf. *grins*
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