849 reviews for:

The Glutton

A.K. Blakemore

3.86 AVERAGE

dark mysterious slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Blakemore’s writing overall is beautiful. This is the second work I have read by Blakemore and I was captivated by how colorful and intricate the writing was. This book is a historical fiction based on a French medical journal the author found. But the book is gross, and beautiful writing aside how gross Tarare was, from his smell to his looks to his actions, were given in such detail it made me squirm. I wouldn’t classify this as horror, but it was just gross, and I think that was Blakemore’s intention. 
dark emotional

The thing that stood out to me the most while reading this was the beautiful, poetic writing style. It was immersive and the descriptions were so gross that I genuinely felt a little sick. I loved Tarare like a son, and I felt bad for him throughout the book. I wanted to sob whenever he was upset. It seemed like every bad thing that could happen happened which was hard to get through. He truly cannot catch a break. The book moved incredibly slowly and I ended up in a month-long reading slump because of it, but I sped through the book when it finally ended. I’d recommend this to someone who loves a thick, poetic writing style and a slow plot that allows you to get intimate with the characters. I could see someone saying that “nothing really happened” but I was entertained.
challenging dark reflective medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

this book answers the question i know we all have… what if tarare….
was bisexual…


thoroughly disgusting and disturbing and horrible to read… just how i like em. tarare is so deeply sympathetic and likeable despite his transgressions and that’s what had me push through some of the more boring parts (
pretty much all of part 2 with lozeau and company
). the author’s writing style can get a little verbose and meandery and maybe a bit too poetic for my liking but overall enjoyable!

in my cannibalism literature universe (the CLU) i would rank this below tender is the flesh but above a certain hunger. 
adventurous challenging dark slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
challenging dark mysterious slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Tarare è una figura ambigua e inquietante, in bilico tra vittima e carnefice e la sua storia è una storia difficile, fatta di violenza, incomprensione, solitudine. Ho fatto però fatica ad empatizzare completamente con questo protagonista, complice forse anche lo stile di scrittura abbastanza pomposo e artificioso. Nonostante questo, ho trovato veramente immersiva la descrizione storica della provincia e della Francia in generale della fine del 1700, con tutti i personaggi peculiari che l'hanno caratterizzata.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging dark slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
challenging dark sad slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Is literary horror a genre? that's basically what this is. the descriptions were so realistic and visceral that they made me have to put the book down regularly. absolutely disgusting. I will be thinking about it a lot. this one will haunt me.