Red Dragon by Thomas Harris

A few weeks ago I was having a discussion with some good friends about suspense thrillers, specifically Red Dragon by Thomas Harris. As writers, we often find ourselves picking books apart, looking at them more critically than an average reader. Being a slow reader, I look closely at books that I am unable to put down, books that I finish in less than a week. For me, that's very fast. How envious I am of those of you out there who can read an entire book in a single read.



So, Red Dragon. For those of you who have read Silence of the Lambs (or even seen the movie), Red Dragon actually came first. It is in Red Dragon that we first meet Hannibal Lecter. Now, as a writer of suspense thrillers, I have found that Red Dragon is one of the most expertly written books out there. Thomas Harris didn't waste a single word with this book. From the first word of the first paragraph to the very last page, it is a display of absolute economy of words. If it's included between the two covers, then it is important to the story.

Let me show you what I mean. Here's an excerpt from the first page of Red Dragon:

Will Graham sat Crawford down at a picnic table between the house and the ocean and gave him a glass of iced tea.

Jack Crawford looked at the pleasant old house, salt-silvered wood in the clear light. "I should have caught you in Marathon when you got off work," he said. "You don't want to talk about it here."

"I don't want to talk about it anywhere, Jack. You've got to talk about it, so let's have it. Just don't get out any pictures. If you brought pictures, leave them in the briefcase--Molly and Willy will be home soon."

It's impossible to put this book down. And there is so much to learn from it: pacing, characterization, mood, setting, transition. No matter how many times I read the book I still find new things that impress me. Certainly, Red Dragon is a great book for one to emulate. Harris's mastery shines in this book. And while his other books are also worthy reads, Red Dragon, in my opinion, is his greatest achievement.

Let's look for a moment at the various characters he created in this book. First, we see Will Graham. Complete and well-rounded. He is one of the best profilers to ever come out of the FBI, complete with scars and baggage. Then we have Crawford. Graham's former boss at the bureau. He is, in the words of Molly Graham, "a damnably wise ape." He knows his job well enough to know that they need Graham.

Now for two of my favorites. Everyone, unless they have been living under a rock, knows of Hannibal Lecter. The diabolical killer, Hannibal the Cannibal. He is the villain that you love to hate. He's incredibly smart, yet he has that flaw which allows him to be caught by Graham -- he is insane. And then we have The Tooth Fairy. Francis Dolarhyde is a killer of families. But it isn't that simple. WHY he is a killer of families is so much more interesting to me. In fact, the why has always been more of what lured me into crime fiction to begin with. It is what keeps me excited and sitting at my desk day in and day out. So The Tooth Fairy kills families.

If you have ever seen the movies made from this book, first Manhunter (my favorite) and then Red Dragon, you will have seen a little of what I'm talking about. The movies touch on a little of what drives Francis Dolarhyde's homicidal tendencies. But if you read the book, which I strongly recommend that you do, you will have a much much better understanding of why he's such a troubled individual. We see more of the why. Does this justify his actions? Absolutely not. What it does is shows us that, in some twisted way, those actions ARE justified in the mind of the killer.

If you read only one book this summer, make it Red Dragon. And if you are a writer of suspense thrillers, buy two copies, one to read and keep on the shelf, and one to mark up and make notes in. Reading Red Dragon is the least expensive class you can take on writing thrillers.