Assuming I'm That Anyone interested in this book has already seen the movie and read Red Dragon. Comparisons between the novel and the movie are inevitable. I shall give in to my nature and make them ... The differences between the book and the movie stem from three sources: Continuity with Red Dragon, additional storylines, and modified scenes. The most visible modified scenes in the movie are the infamous Goodbye Horses sequence and the final. Goodbye Horses Drawn From what two things: Dolarhyde's home movie in Dragon, and Gumb's "Cash For Your Trash" sequence in this book. The change does not hurt the story, unless you really like Q. Lazarus. The change in the ending is the result of Both rewriting and continuity of Lecter's character from the previous book. Do not worry ... the Funny Quip (TM) is gone, Replaced with something else Possessing incredible sexual charge. (Or maybe That was just me;) There's other minor changes: Several species of moths instead of one, Precious is developed more (I'm not kidding), and the death of Mrs. Crawford, Which Appears to try to set a mood of malaise but fails. Instead of The Tortured Francis Dolarhyde, we are given several people who are evil Because They choose to be evil. That's Certainly refreshing; while some were abused as children Serial Killers, some have simply gone flip-city. More over, there are several kinds of evil. Psychopathic, sociopathic, and some self-serving idiots who really need a come-uppance in the next book. There's not as much as gruesomeness Red Dragon. Always the Possibility of something terrible happening, but it rarely does. On That note, I always wonder at people who complain about the movie being too violent, or gruesome, for them to watch. People have been desensitized to the violence of the gun, or the bomb, but When violence is committed with teeth .... The storyline is quite cohesive, and the characters consistent. A previous reviewer complained did Clarice would not have Entered the basement without calling for backup. The reasons were Given in the book: She had not been issued a cellphone, she did not know where Gumb's phone thing, and the profile had Indicated That Gumb would immediately kill Catherine if Confronted by officers.