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THOMAS HARRIS: THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS

     Everyone certainly knows the well-known film staring with Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster. This awarded and successful film is based on the novel of the American author Thomas Harris (* 1940 ). It was published in 1988 and followed by the second part "Hanni-Bal" that was also picturized. After reading the book I wanted satisfied myself if the film is so outstanding as the book. I was very disappointed. The film did not attract me at all.

     The story takes place in Quantico, Virginia. The behavioral section of the FBI deals with serial murders of women. Jack Crawford, the FBI special agent, engaged Clarice Starling, the FBI trainee and the best student of the University of Virginia. They come into the line on the instant that scare every citizen of Virginia.

     Dr. Hannibal Lecter is a psychopathic killer and a former psychotherapist in one person. He is described as a brilliant evil genius. He is experienced in murders and very educated but is not willing to help the FBI with resolution. However, Clarice Starling amazed him and becomes the only person who Lecter speaks to. Lecter gives the information about the murderer in riddles. He also analyzes Clarice's childhood and life (from here comes the title The Silence of the Lambs ).

     There have been already three victims found. All of them were thick girls always skinned. Finally, one of the victim becomes a daughter of a known senator.

     The murderer is found after a long resolution. It is a former patient of Dr. Lecter. He lives in a solitary house only with his beloved poodle. He constrains the girls in a shady well. All his life he longed for changing his sex but he was turned down in every clinic. Therefore he kills the full-bodied girls in order to sew a woman's dress from their skin.

     Eventually, Dr. Lecter escapes from prison leaving a letter to Clarice. He starts killing again.

     In this book you can learn many facts from behavioural psychology. I can recommend this book to everyone who is bored by everyday, stressful and uniformed life.







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