• The Silence of the Lambs

  • By: Thomas Harris
  • Narrated by: Kathy Bates
  • Length: 3 hrs and 3 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (397 ratings)

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The Silence of the Lambs  By  cover art

The Silence of the Lambs

By: Thomas Harris
Narrated by: Kathy Bates
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Publisher's summary

Hannibal Lecter. The ultimate villain of modern fiction who scared the world silent. An evil genius locked away for unspeakable crimes. A young FBI trainee plunges into the darkest chambers of a psychopath's mind in the deadly search for a serial killer.

The Silence of the Lambs is an instant classic of chilling psychological suspense. From the tormenting words of homicidal maniac Hannibal Lecter and the flesh-rending depravity of an elusive killer to the sheer courage of a young FBI novice who risks her life to track him down and stop the bloodshed, this critically acclaimed audio production, narrated by Kathy Bates, has an unforgettable intensity.

©1988 Thomas Harris, All Rights Reserved (P)1988 Simon & Schuster Inc., All Rights Reserved

Critic reviews

"A virtual textbook on the craft of suspense. A masterwork of sheer momentum that rockets seamlessly toward its climax...Harris is quite simply the best suspense novelist working today." (The Washington Post)
"Superb." (The New York Times)
"Beautifully written." (The San Francisco Examiner)

"Kathy Bates makes it sound so real you'll be looking over your shoulder for days." ( Washington Post Book World)

What listeners say about The Silence of the Lambs

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    275
  • 4 Stars
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  • 3 Stars
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  • 2 Stars
    9
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Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • 4 Stars
    54
  • 3 Stars
    11
  • 2 Stars
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Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    239
  • 4 Stars
    48
  • 3 Stars
    8
  • 2 Stars
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • JJ
  • 01-14-10

Lots of fun.

I wish this was the complete book, not an abridgement that attempts to mirror the movie (which is why I only gave it four stars). That being said, Kathy Bates is FANTASTIC. This was a very enjoyable listen that was over far too soon.

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14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Please identify abridged books better...

...or better yet, don't offer them. It's frustrating when you purchase a book get half way through it and realize you really only got part of it.

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13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A superb story.

Very satisfyingly creepy. Also, not quite as gory as I was expecting for such a groundbreakingly gruesome story. Probably just a sign of the times. Everything to follow has had to struggle to be bigger and badder. Still, excellent.

Kathy Bates' one-woman-show is a vibrant gallery of American accents, always human and believable.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The famous "Silence" reading by Kathy Bates

Yes, it's abridged, but it is well abridged: the plot does not suffer. This is the reading of "Silence of the Lambs" mentioned by Stephen King in his book "Rose Madder," as an all-time revered best by an audiobook producer who "discovers" our heroine and her beautiful voice in a pawnshop. This leads to a respectable job and profitable career for our "Rose Madder" protag, and the reader is grateful for it. In that Audible audiobook, well worth a listen, Stephen King himself reads the part of Norman, the rogue cop, and does a good job.

Kathy Bates does have a beautiful voice and she does read well. Problem for me: she tries to do Hannibal Lector the way Anthony Hopkins did ----- but only Hopkins can be Hopkins. She does Jodie Foster quite convincingly, however. I was satisfied enough that I did buy her reading of King's "Desperation."

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Disappointed

I mainly bought this version because of Kathy Bates. I did not pay attention to the fact that it was the abridged edition. Make sure if you purchase this book that you get the unabridged edition. The abridged edition was a waste of money and time.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Not that bad.

Would you consider the audio edition of The Silence of the Lambs to be better than the print version?

I really did enjoy this one, it is a lot like the movie. I've never read the whole thing so I can''t say one version is better than the other. I love the way Kathy Bates read it, she really gets into the characters.

What about Kathy Bates’s performance did you like?

She gives each of the charaters a different voice so it's easy to listen to.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

As Good As The Movie

If you liked the movie, then you'll enjoy this narration. Kathy Bates did a WONDERFUL job and brought life to the characters. The book is equally as "creepy" and thrilling as the movie.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Scary good....

Might not have Foster or Hopkins in it, but the book is still great nevertheless. The way it's written keeps the listener in it the entire way - and narration is superb!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Speed of Reading

Altogether, fantastic listening. I personally enjoyed it more when slowed at .85. Otherwise it felt like extremely rushed reading.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great but Abridged!

LOVE the book, the story and Kathy Bates are amazing, but this is not the full novel. There is a lot of beautiful writing that gets cut. If you are in this book only for entertainment then it’s perfect, but if you want the full experience of the novel I’d find a different version.

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