Two gripping thrillers in one volume. I was familiar with 'The Silence of the Lambs' from the classic Hopkins film, but had not seen the prequel 'Red Dragon', also starring Hopkins. Both books are very faithfully retold in their film adaptations, so if you have seen the films and want to read the books, do not expect much new material in book form. Harris's plot lines and twists are well-developed, and the way in which he describes the search and testing of evidence is compelling from beginning to end. The books are far more focused on the psychology of the characters than on the blood and gore that accompany most horror thrillers. The killer in 'Red Dragon' has a particularly cruel and horrid upbringing, which (surprisingly) brought out a tear or two – understanding his past hurt and pain makes you long for him to be helped rather than merely punished. Highly recommended reading before watching the films. ( )

The two best trillers I have read. The scenes with Lector are e-lectric. ( )

This is my second Thomas Harris book(although I have watched the movies) and I plan to read his others. Very addictive. Keeps you quite at the edge of your reading sofa. Harris has eloquent writing style that entices you and pulls you into the world of his story. ( )

I've finished the Red Dragon part of this collection. The plot was immediately engaging, and Thomas Harris uses a variety of types of writing to achieve the desired response from the reader. It's cleverly written, and most major characters are enticingly intriguing. Even while Graham tries to profile the "Tooth Fairy/Dragon" the reader tries to profile him, as so many of the characters surrounding him do. The book offers a frank insight into the mind of a sociopathic killer, and yet doesn't hand the plot to you on a plate. The sporadic changes of tense and the wonderings of the final chapter still leave you thinking hard. The film was almost entirely true to the book, although I must admit, I feel the film did it better nearer the end and with the characters of Graham and his family - it felt like he had more to lose, and the sequence of events seemed cleaner and easier to understand. More psychological in the film ending, and maybe more optimistic too. A good read. I'm looking forward to reading the Silence of the Lambs part next.Silence of the Lambs sees more of the tense changing, detailed and realistically twisted writing of Thomas Harris. The increased involvement of Dr Lecter in this book is especially welcome as the suspense, intelligence and danger that he carries with him are intensely intriguing. Possibly too much so, in the sense that Dr Lecter's genius seems to overshadow the threat of Buffalo Bill, and so I cared more about Dr Lecter's input in the case than the actual case. Buffalo Bill didn't seem quite so interesting as Dr Lecter, and in the same way as Red Dragon - Francis Dolarhyde's 'Becoming' and Buffalo Bill's reason for skinning - the intention of the killer AFTER achieving his ends was never made clear, which may not be a flaw in the writings but instead a flaw of the characters as they are sociopaths and therefore beyond acceptable rational thought. The small insight into Crawford's life is heartwarming and interesting, with his wife's condition and his reaction to it being rather emotive. I do have an issue with the author's opinion of a "big girl" though, considering, despite the book mentioning Catherine as the smallest victim, she was able to wear a size 12. The book makes several comments about her 'larger size' and so I must reassure myself with the thought that perhaps an American size 12 is not the same as a British one. The plot is engaging, and extremely well thought-out (I wonder how he thinks it up) if not a tad too coincidental - it seems Dr Lecter knows everyone. Who knew the USA was such a small world? I can't wait to get a copy of Hannibal and read more about the intriguing character - his antics being both humourous (the origami chicken) and depraved (the face "transplant"). Again, the film was extremely loyal to the book. I hope the same can be said for Hannibal as that film was especially interesting, possibly my favourite of them all despite my dislike of gore. ( )