Thomas Harris: Biography. Books and scripts

Thomas Harris is of great interest to connoisseurs of the genre of detective and thriller. His works have won popularity all over the world, and all without exception have been transferred to a format of motion pictures. Everyone has heard about such a character as Hannibal Lecturer, but there is not much that is known about his creator. What exactly in the writer's life prompted him to create such a contradictory literary character?

Biography

In 1940, an outstanding writer, journalist and screenwriter, Thomas Harris, appeared. Biography of his life begins in the small town of Jackson , Tennessee, but the period of growing up was in Mississippi, and in three different cities. At the age of 24 he graduated from the philological department of the University of Baylor with a focus on English. During his studies, Thomas did not lose time in vain and even then began to work in the local press. Soon he gets acquainted with his future wife Garriet, who gave him a daughter named Annie. However, their marriage was not crowned with success, and in the sixties the couple was filed for divorce. Having a diploma with him, Thomas set off on a trip to Europe, and in 1968 he settled firmly in New York, where he worked for 6 years in the publishing house "Associated Press". Due to this, he received a very significant experience of interaction with the underworld. Perhaps this is what helped him in the future to build such realistic plot lines related to criminal investigations.

The beginning of the writer's career

The sad events in Munich, when 11 athletes died during the Olympic Games, became the impetus for the first novel. In 1975, Thomas Harris became the author of the bestseller "Black Sunday". The protagonist named Michael Lander is a Vietnamese who, together with terrorist Dalia, plans to commit a large-scale terrorist attack. Its purpose is to stuff an airship with explosives and undermine a huge stadium during the Super Bowl. The publication of the book brought to the writer fame and very large fees. Thanks to this, he was able to continue to develop as an author, without being distracted by other activities.

"Red Dragon"

Work on the next work took much more time. In 1981, Thomas Harris introduces the reader to Dr. Hannibal Lecter, who became one of the iconic images of modern times. This hero is a serial killer who deals with cannibalism. He is endowed with an extremely high intelligence, which allows him to go out again and again from the water and trace the finger of experienced detectives. The book also became a world bestseller, and the story itself did not end there, as the author decided to write a sequel.

"Silence of the Lambs"

The next part of Dr. Lecter's adventures comes out after 7 long years and becomes the most famous work of the writer. This is evidenced not only by its circulation, but also by the victory in the nomination "Best Novel" at the Bram Stoker Awards . In addition to Hannibal, Clarice Starling appears in the book, which plays an important role in the story. The image of the murderer was deduced simultaneously from four existing in reality maniacs. From now on, every fan of thrillers and dramatic detectives knows a name like Thomas Harris. The photo below became some kind of visiting card of the second novel from the cycle, since this symbol was printed on several versions of the cover. Despite the fact that the butterfly is always depicted in different ways, it has become recognizable all over the world.

Hannibal

The collection of Thomas Harris is replenished only after eleven years. The next book is modestly called "Hannibal". The most popular reason for such a long and painstaking work on the work is the author's excessive attention to the smallest details in his books. Such a characteristic awareness of the subject, about which he writes, contributed to the highest praise from professional specialists. They also noted that the trilogy about Dr. Lecter helps to more effectively investigate crimes, because it can draw from it some interesting tips. The final part was warmly received by critics, although it had a rather contradictory ending. Even Stephen King himself noted her as one of the most terrible novels he had ever read. Naturally, there were those who spoke negatively about Harris, but this is quite consistent with the laws of such a delicate craft as writing.

Shield

For many years of his activity, the writer managed to visit also as a screenwriter. The directors resorted to his help during the filming of all the adaptations of his works. The first film adaptation was the movie "Black Sunday", the main roles in which sang Robert Shaw and Bruce Dörn. The second novel of the writer was put on screens twice. For the first time in 1986, the picture came out under the title "Hunter for Humans" and the second one in 2002. The audience is rather familiar with the second version of the director Brett Ratner , thanks in large part to the impressive cast, including Edward Norton, Anthony Hopkins and Rafe Fiennes. In 1991, long before the release of the "Red Dragon", the world saw a cult film "The Silence of the Lambs". Anthony Hopkins so successfully got used to the image of the lecturer, which in the next two scenes again tried it on himself. And 2001 was marked by the hire of Hannibal, shot by Ridley Scott himself. In the work on all adaptations, Thomas Harris himself took direct part. Films, thanks to his consultations, almost fully reflected the essence of the author's works.

Modernity and Future Activity

According to the contract with Bant Book, the author must write 2 more books, so the literary thirst of the fans will be surely satisfied. In 2006, another novel about the adventures of Hannibal is published. This time covers the childhood and youth periods of the life of the future killer. A year later, the same film adaptation of "Hannibal: Climbing" followed, and Thomas Harris again took part in the work on the script. Also, with his assistance, a television version of the work was created about a well-known character that was aired for three years and was closed in the summer of 2015. It is known that now the writer is actively working on a new book, but neither the details of its contents nor the release date have been publicized yet. But knowing the previous experience of Harris, we can assume that it will necessarily make a splash.