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A review by carlyvig
Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I’m almost at a loss for words when it comes to how I feel about this book.
Did I have an enjoyable reading experience? Not quite, but I did start and finish it in one day. Did the ending leave me absolutely speechless? Most certainly. Has it consumed my every thought since I finished it? Yes.
One of my “favorite” aspects of this book is how our main character repeatedly talks about the way a person's words feel/taste/smell to him. It’s almost like he has synesthesia. He ponders it during/after every single interaction he has with another human. I found that very interesting. He even says he didn’t look twice at his wife when they first met until she spoke.
Although the ending was shocking, it was not surprising. Our MC felt morally superior to the people around him, but at the end of the day, he was just as bad if not worse than them all. The way he calls out his sister in their last interaction and then does something just as horrible at the end speaks to what this story, to me, is about. Hypocrisy. Dehumanization of marginalized people. Complacency. Disassociation. The feeling that your life and your needs are more important and urgent than those of the collective.
This book is definitely not for everyone (heck, I don’t even think it was for me). I would not suggest going into this book totally blind.
Did I have an enjoyable reading experience? Not quite, but I did start and finish it in one day. Did the ending leave me absolutely speechless? Most certainly. Has it consumed my every thought since I finished it? Yes.
One of my “favorite” aspects of this book is how our main character repeatedly talks about the way a person's words feel/taste/smell to him. It’s almost like he has synesthesia. He ponders it during/after every single interaction he has with another human. I found that very interesting. He even says he didn’t look twice at his wife when they first met until she spoke.
Although the ending was shocking, it was not surprising. Our MC felt morally superior to the people around him, but at the end of the day, he was just as bad if not worse than them all. The way he calls out his sister in their last interaction and then does something just as horrible at the end speaks to what this story, to me, is about. Hypocrisy. Dehumanization of marginalized people. Complacency. Disassociation. The feeling that your life and your needs are more important and urgent than those of the collective.
This book is definitely not for everyone (heck, I don’t even think it was for me). I would not suggest going into this book totally blind.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Grief, Cannibalism
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Infertility, Infidelity, Excrement, Vomit, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Suicide