A Second Look At The Silence Of The Lambs

Thomas Harris was born April 11th, 1940 in Jackson, Tennessee. His father, William Thomas Harris, Jr., was an electrical engineer, and his mother, Polly Harris, was a high school science teacher. His father gave up his work in the engineering field and pursued work in farming. This caused the Harris family to move to Rich, Mississippi. Thomas graduated from Baylor University with a Bachelor's degree in English in 1964. While in college, he married a co-ed classmate and had a daughter, Anne Harris, in 1962. His marriage did not last into the seventies, but he kept a close relationship with his daughter. He began his writing career as a crime reporter in Waco, Texas, as well as in New York City. He was also a reporter and editor for the Assocoiated Press in New York City. While working as a reporter, he pursued his interest in writing. Harris had his first novel, Black Sunday, published in 1975, followed by Red Dragon, published in 1981, then The Silence of the Lambs in 1988, and finally Hannibal in 1999. Thomas Harris doesn't grant interviews so not much is known about him. His friends would describe him as a Southern gentleman, and a well-rounded cook.

The book is about a young FBI agent, Clarice Starling, who is given orders to help locate a missing woman to rescue her from a psychopathic serial killer who skins his victims. Clarice tries to gain information about the killer from Hannibal Lecter, a well-known psychiatrist as well as a psychopath himself. His deep, intellectual mind and witty mouth keep Agent Starling and Agent Crawford coming back for more. His manipulation skills and clever mind are all he needs to play his little game. Clarice is in a race against time to gain Hannibal's trust and draw any information she can out of him. It is an intense thriller, as well as a twisted horror story. It was an instant success, and an international best-seller.

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