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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
I can’t believe what I read—it’s bizarre and brilliantly written. I’m shocked by how the vicious characters and the horrifying reality portrayed in the book serve as powerful metaphors for the worst humanity is capable of. I hope you have the stomach to read it.
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
One of the most disturbing books that I have read in a long while. A book that does straddles science fiction and horror, and asks you serious questions, about meat eating and the nature of humanity. It is a serious achievment of a novel, its world creation is remarkable. However it can leave the plot somewhat lacking. Also as much I was impressed by it - the disgust engendered means I am not sure whether I would want to read it again
Vile and repulsive in the most believable way. A display of all the very worst of humanity.
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
BORINGGGGG
You know when you read a book and keep zoning out? Well this was me and this book.
Tender is the flesh is more of a greater social commentary on the meat industry than it is a fictional horror. Obviously, we don't consume humans but Bazterrica achieves the shock value in of todays meat industry (and even fashion industry) by replacing animals with humans.
Typically, I like to separate my fiction from politics and I did not know before reading the first chapter that this book was so heavily focused on politics and injustice. So perhaps be wary of that before picking this one up.
And although I tried to separate my reading experience from the rather obvious underlying message that the meat industry is so horrific, it was rather impossible to given how this book was written. The graphic descriptions of the processes of skinning, draining and much much more made this very clear of the books agenda. Which is totally fine, I just had no idea going into this book that it was that way inclined. It is graphic, gory and gross, I didn't enjoy the constant fixation on the processes of living breathing human to food that is edible on the plate. I was far more interested in the relationships between human to human, how people felt about the legalisation of cannibalism. But instead we got robotic like people who consumed humans without the blink of an eye. Ok I get it perhaps that is what many of us do with consuming meat but I struggle to see there wasn't any repulsion among the masses regarding human consumption. Where are the vegetarians? Where are the vegans?
This book was also incredibly slow, very descriptive and fairly dense for such a short novel. Which are the terrible three for me.
I do think this book contains so much for discussion, so much symbolism and that ending was absolutely superb. That being said, as skilfully as I think this was written that doesn't detract from my lack of enjoyment of this one. It was an uphill battle to read.
Tender is the flesh is more of a greater social commentary on the meat industry than it is a fictional horror. Obviously, we don't consume humans but Bazterrica achieves the shock value in of todays meat industry (and even fashion industry) by replacing animals with humans.
Typically, I like to separate my fiction from politics and I did not know before reading the first chapter that this book was so heavily focused on politics and injustice. So perhaps be wary of that before picking this one up.
And although I tried to separate my reading experience from the rather obvious underlying message that the meat industry is so horrific, it was rather impossible to given how this book was written. The graphic descriptions of the processes of skinning, draining and much much more made this very clear of the books agenda. Which is totally fine, I just had no idea going into this book that it was that way inclined. It is graphic, gory and gross, I didn't enjoy the constant fixation on the processes of living breathing human to food that is edible on the plate. I was far more interested in the relationships between human to human, how people felt about the legalisation of cannibalism. But instead we got robotic like people who consumed humans without the blink of an eye. Ok I get it perhaps that is what many of us do with consuming meat but I struggle to see there wasn't any repulsion among the masses regarding human consumption. Where are the vegetarians? Where are the vegans?
This book was also incredibly slow, very descriptive and fairly dense for such a short novel. Which are the terrible three for me.
I do think this book contains so much for discussion, so much symbolism and that ending was absolutely superb. That being said, as skilfully as I think this was written that doesn't detract from my lack of enjoyment of this one. It was an uphill battle to read.
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated