United States
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Tender Is the Flesh
Working at the local processing plant, Marcos is in the business of slaughtering humans-though no one calls them that anymore.
His wife has left him, his father is sinking into dementia, and Marcos tries not to think too hard about how he makes a living. After all, it happened so quickly. First, it was reported that an infectious virus has made all animal meat poisonous to humans. Then governments initiated the "Transition." Now, eating human meat-"special meat"-is legal. Marcos tries to stick to numbers, consignments, processing.
Then one day he's given a gift: a live specimen of the finest quality. Though he's aware that any form of personal contact is forbidden on pain of death, little by little he starts to treat her like a human being. And soon, he becomes tortured by what has been lost-and what might still be saved.
His wife has left him, his father is sinking into dementia, and Marcos tries not to think too hard about how he makes a living. After all, it happened so quickly. First, it was reported that an infectious virus has made all animal meat poisonous to humans. Then governments initiated the "Transition." Now, eating human meat-"special meat"-is legal. Marcos tries to stick to numbers, consignments, processing.
Then one day he's given a gift: a live specimen of the finest quality. Though he's aware that any form of personal contact is forbidden on pain of death, little by little he starts to treat her like a human being. And soon, he becomes tortured by what has been lost-and what might still be saved.
Editorial Reviews
PRAISE FOR TENDER IS THE FLESH BY AGUSTINA BAZTERRICA
WINNER OF ARGENTINA'S CLARÍN NOVELA PRIZE 2017
"From the first words of the Argentine novelist Agustina Bazterrica's second novel, "Tender Is the Flesh," the reader is already the livestock in the line, reeling, primordially aware that this book is a butcher's block, and nothing that happens next is going to be pretty."
-New York Times Book Review
"The novel is horrific, yes, but fascinatingly provocative (and Orwellian) in the way it exposes the lengths society will go to deform language and avoid moral truths."
-Taylor Antrim, Vogue
"Taut and thought-provoking...a chilling and alarmingly prophetic book...this is an urgent cautionary tale...timely, crucial."
-Words Without Borders
"A ruthlessly clever, Orwellian satire of our dog-eat-dog, er, man-eat-man modern world."
-NJ.com
"It is a testament to Bazterrica's skill that such a bleak book can also be a page-turner. An unrelentingly dark and disquieting look at the way societies conform to committing atrocities."
-Kirkus Reviews
"Propulsive and deranged, Tender Is the Flesh is a weird and quick read that strays far enough from our current reality to be utterly engrossing... and a book that will stick with you for a long time."
-Thrillist
"This translated prizewinner by Argentinian novelist Bazterrica exquisitely dishes up an intricate tale of a systematized dystopian society… a sagacious and calculated exploration of the limits of moral ambiguity; it sears and devastates."
-Booklist, starred review
"This book will pull you in, take hold, and not let go until you reach the final page-perhaps far longer than that. Without a doubt, my favorite read of this year."
-Christina Dalcher, author of Vox
"What a compelling, terrible beauty this novel is. My heart was breaking even as my skin was crawling."
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WINNER OF ARGENTINA'S CLARÍN NOVELA PRIZE 2017
"From the first words of the Argentine novelist Agustina Bazterrica's second novel, "Tender Is the Flesh," the reader is already the livestock in the line, reeling, primordially aware that this book is a butcher's block, and nothing that happens next is going to be pretty."
-New York Times Book Review
"The novel is horrific, yes, but fascinatingly provocative (and Orwellian) in the way it exposes the lengths society will go to deform language and avoid moral truths."
-Taylor Antrim, Vogue
"Taut and thought-provoking...a chilling and alarmingly prophetic book...this is an urgent cautionary tale...timely, crucial."
-Words Without Borders
"A ruthlessly clever, Orwellian satire of our dog-eat-dog, er, man-eat-man modern world."
-NJ.com
"It is a testament to Bazterrica's skill that such a bleak book can also be a page-turner. An unrelentingly dark and disquieting look at the way societies conform to committing atrocities."
-Kirkus Reviews
"Propulsive and deranged, Tender Is the Flesh is a weird and quick read that strays far enough from our current reality to be utterly engrossing... and a book that will stick with you for a long time."
-Thrillist
"This translated prizewinner by Argentinian novelist Bazterrica exquisitely dishes up an intricate tale of a systematized dystopian society… a sagacious and calculated exploration of the limits of moral ambiguity; it sears and devastates."
-Booklist, starred review
"This book will pull you in, take hold, and not let go until you reach the final page-perhaps far longer than that. Without a doubt, my favorite read of this year."
-Christina Dalcher, author of Vox
"What a compelling, terrible beauty this novel is. My heart was breaking even as my skin was crawling."
-
Readers Top Reviews
Kindle AnonBrend
Nicely written but too ghastly for me. I had to force myself to read it.
saraKindle AnonB
This was an amazing book and very well written. The visual descriptions are enough to make you want to go vegan and never go anywhere near meat again. pretty sure this turned me vegan LOL
Jania BondsaraKin
Great book that kind of picks at the way capitalism interacts with our markets and the things we as people will accept in favor of it. It also picks at the mind and how we perceive things when it benefits us
Farah Rose Paters
It only took one page to hook me. This book felt as significant as iconic works like '1984' and 'We.' If you're especially sensitive to the harm/abuse of animals, or are generally disturbed by the grotesque and violent to the point that you are taken out of the reading experience, this book may not be for you. Having said that, it's not a slasher or exploitative piece. This book has profound depth and ignites a great amount of thinking about everything from physical embodiment to class politics. Highly recommended.
Gladys WallaceFar
This is one of those books that despite making your grimace consistently page after page, you simply cannot put it down. The prose is very monotone, but the world building (though scarce and not really elaborated on) suggests that everything should be bleak and monotone. I could have done without the puppies in the zoo (that subplot seemed gratuitous and unnecessary to drive the plot, despite the tie in to Koko, his father’s beloved dog), but the horrors upon horrors page after page truly make the reader reconsider our stance on meat consumption as well as where we draw the lines on what we consider to be our own humanity.
