Honestly, it was just really refreshing to read an older book, one that doesn't moralize or hold the reader's hand or try to make everything cozy. I guess that at this point in my life, my escapism is reading about people getting their lips bitten off?

Obviously a classic, and deservedly so; deeply creepy, with propulsive, pared-down prose and dialogue that works so fucking hard. It goes down so easy and is seriously impressive, regardless of what Stephen King might have had to say about Harris's style.

Idk. I liked everything about this that I've seen other reviewers say they dislike. And now I get to rewatch Hannibal and actually get all the references to the source material. Wins all around.