Fear comes with imagination, it’s a penalty, it’s the price of imagination.

How seldom we recognize the sound when the bolt of our fate slides home.

What he has in addition is pure empathy and projection,” Dr. Bloom said. “He can assume your point of view, or mine – and maybe some other points of view that scare and sicken him. It’s an uncomfortable gift, Jack. Perception’s a tool that’s pointed on both ends.

Hannibal Lecter: We live in a primitive time - don't we, Will? - neither savage nor wise. Half measures are the curse of it. Any rational society would either kill me or give me my books.

It occured to Starling how much Roden would benefit from an elbow smash in the hinge of his jaw.

I expect most psychiatrists have a patient or two they'd like to refer to me.

A census taker tried to quantify me once. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a big Amarone. Go back to school, little Starling.