A review by elerireads
Of Cattle and Men by Ana Paula Maia

dark mysterious tense fast-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

4.5

Strange little book. Not a huge amount plot really but it packed a punch. Managed to achieve an incredibly sinister atmosphere with very straightforward simple language. An unflinching examination of the grotesque brutality of the meat industry in Brazil, both in terms of the cruelty inflicted on the animals and the violence of the lives of the workers.

There was no need for any kind of moralistic pontificating - the author just bluntly lays bare the world as it is and the point makes itself. In fact, I felt that the scene with the students visiting was a little on the trite side compared to the rest of the book, although it was very effective at communicating the absurd hypocrisy of meat eaters accusing people who work in the meat industry of cruelty. That line when he looks at the woman's *leather* shoes was superb.

Edgar was also a phenomenal character. His belief that cows have souls means he's under no illusion that he's anything other than a murderer but knows that the animals will continue to be killed whether or not it's him doing the killing. He sees it as a kind of sacred duty to make their deaths as humane as possible, and to make the sign of the cross on their foreheads first to save their souls.

A deeply uncomfortable read.