Review by bisexual_chinese_milf - Tender Is the Flesh

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bisexual_chinese_milf 's review for:

Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

3.75

Tender is the Flesh bleakly and skillfully conveys the corruptive powers of living in a fascist system. The universe it’s set in is so depraved it made me feel physically ill, and

while we hope the main character will grow into a hero, he ultimately disappoints us by conforming to his surroundings.

The story conveys how language and socialization can be used to distance us from our humanity and moral compass. I was unsettled when I realized that by the end, it was easier for me to disconnect from the horrible things I was reading about - was there something of these sadistic villains in me? I think the author’s point is that most people can be influenced by prolonged exposure to fascism, and that even children are wildly distorted by its corruptive influence.

I was extremely moved by the chapters that talk about the protagonist’s relationship to his dad. It was the main moral anchor in the story, and I think the tenderness of those sections made me hope Marcos would rise above his surroundings and be better. This book also made me think a lot about my relationship to meat/dairy and factory farming.

My main gripe with this book is that by the end, the format of Marcos touring a different human trafficking industry and taking stock of its cruelties feels a little tired. Instead of continuing to provide world building exposition, this time could have been used building more depth into the characters or settings we had already been introduced to.

Content Warnings