The Silence of the Lambs
The Silence of the Lambs is a psychological horror novel by Thomas Harris. First published in 1988, it is the sequel to Harris's 1981 novel Red Dragon. Both novels feature the cannibalistic serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter, this time pitted against FBI Special Agent Clarice Starling. The novel won the 1988 Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel. The novel also won the 1989 Anthony Award for Best Novel. It was nominated for the 1989 World Fantasy Award.
What you might want to know about The Silence of the Lambs
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
FBI trainee Clarice Starling is pulled from Quantico by Behavioral Science Unit chief Jack Crawford and sent into a Baltimore state hospital to interview the imprisoned cannibal Hannibal Lecter. Lecter offers small clues on a serial killer called Buffalo Bill, who is skinning young women.
Yes. Jonathan Demme's 1991 film adaptation won all five major Academy Awards (Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, Adapted Screenplay), only the third film to do so. Anthony Hopkins's portrayal of Hannibal Lecter is iconic.
Thomas Harris has written four Hannibal Lecter novels: Red Dragon (1981), The Silence of the Lambs (1988), Hannibal (1999), and Hannibal Rising (2006). The series is complete.
The Silence of the Lambs was written by Thomas Harris, published in 1988 by AST.
The Silence of the Lambs is 352 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, The Silence of the Lambs takes most readers 5 to 8 hours to finish.
The Silence of the Lambs is a standalone novel by Thomas Harris, not part of a series.
The Silence of the Lambs is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.
