The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris

Shane | Allentown High School, Grade 11

Rating: *****

Clarice Starling, the rookie FBI agent in Thomas Harris’ Silence of the Lambs, is put on a case that will inevitably break her in every way to find the Bureau’s newest psycho killer. Buffalo Bill has been abducting and turning up dead bodies of women, which sends Clarice to an interview with the manipulative, pernicious psychologist, Doctor Hannibal Lecter. Without as much as a lead, young Starling will have to break some rules as well as work past the obsequious mindset that a woman can not be involved in a case such as this. This novel has become one of my favorite reads in a very long time. Every character, from Jack Crawford and Pilcher to secondary characters J. Miggs and Catherine Martin, are perfectly transformed into memorable characters; each with their own unique characteristics. Jack is my favorite character; a natural leader who works tirelessly to find justice against criminals outside of police jurisdiction, even in his time of dolefulness. Another favorite of mine would be the research that went into the making of this. Including the information on the insects found at real crime scenes, as well as the meaning of them. The author, Thomas Harris, had successfully created a realistic crime scene investigation. But alas, every masterpiece has its flaws. In the novel, the main killer’s motives made no senseーand the explanation concluding the book didn’t help in the slightest bit. I also found certain parts a bit too offensive and highly euphemistic, including the inappropriate flirting between multiple characters. I’ll stick to the common murder over crude remarks anyday. “Well, Clarice, have the lambs stopped screaming” (Harris 337).