In the TV series, he says: “Killing must feel good to God, too. He’s not particularly interested in the meekness and mildness of the New Testament, but his pulse quickens as he ponders Jehovah, the Big-Bad God of The Old Testament. Lecter has a profound knowledge of Dante, so he also must be an assiduous student of the Bible. Hannibal plays Satan and God at the same time – as God likes to punish the progeny of those who were against him: Exodus 20:5 “You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me.” Lecter hangs Commendatore Pazzi (bowels out) for the Pazzi Conspiracy which led to the assassination attempt on the Medici family in 1478 in Duomo of Florence. In the Inferno, Dante and Virgil see the Satan chewing Judas, Brutus, and Cassius – sinners who betrayed their masters. He’s clearly fascinated by the cruelties of hell, as well as the sheer beauty of the classical language. And in the Hannibal Season 3, he delivers an oration of Dante’s first sonnet in Medieval Italian. In the Hannibal movie, you can see him giving a lecture on the subject. Lecter would know La Vita Nuova by heart. The text of the song is taken mostly from Chapter 3 (“To every single gentle heart and loving”) of the original work and you can hear it during one of the Florentine scenes from Hannibal and at the end of the Season 1 of the TV series. This work inspired the composition of “Vide Cor Meum” (“See My Heart”) by Patrick Cassidy. The New Life is a prelude to Dante’s masterpiece, and it’s a beautiful expression of courtly love towards Beatrice Portinari. The Hannibal Lecter’s Library: 22 Books Recommended by the Doctor 1. Hopefully, you’ll become a little bit more like the Hannibal (in a good way).

Now it’s time for you to devour the books from the list below. In fact, the original works about the cannibal contain many direct literary references. I’m a fan of the original books by Thomas Harris, the movie trilogy with Anthony Hopkins, as well as the brilliant portrayal of the psychiatrist by Mads Mikkelsen in the Hannibal TV series.Īfter consuming it all and doing some further research, I developed an intuition for the kinds of books Hannibal Lecter would read. Lovecraftīecome a learned person – just like Hannibal “I couldn’t live a week without a private library – indeed, I’d part with all my furniture and squat and sleep on the floor before I’d let go of the 1500 or so books I possess.” – H.

That’s because, except for appetite for human flesh, he also has a high taste for all things bookish. Part of the authority and control he exerts comes from his vast knowledge and hours spent in his personal library.Įxcept for eating rude people, Hannibal is actually a very charming and erudite person.

Have you ever wondered what would you find on Hannibal Lecter’s bookshelves?

Books with hannibal lecter