A review by mmuutthh
Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

challenging dark fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This is the literary version of a Yorgos Lanthimos movie. (It's a perfect companion piece to his film Dogtooth.) Meandering, obtuse, sick, and ultimately not meant to entertain. Yet it's captivating, never boring, and utterly deplorable in its blunt truth. Humans are animals. No matter how much civilization we feign to, when it comes down to it, left to our own devices--we'll eat each other. 

I debated not giving this a starred review, but even in the moments since I literally put the book down, closing its last page, I hate that it's given me so much to... chew on. That said, I don't know that I'd recommend anyone read it, and yet I feel like those who do will be met with a modern (as modern as it can be) dystopic novel that will probably wind up on shelves next to 1984, Brave New World, and other classics that shine a light on what monsters we are. 

Not for the faint of heart or those disturbed by violence to animals (including or not violence done to human animals), or sexual assault.
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