Tender Is the Flesh

De: Agustina Bazterrica

Narrado por: Joseph Balderrama

Working at the local processing plant, Marcos is in the business of slaughtering humans - though no one calls them that anymore.

His wife has left him, his father is sinking into dementia, and Marcos tries not to think too hard about how he makes a living. After all, it happened so quickly. First, it was reported that an infectious virus has made all animal meat poisonous to humans. Then governments initiated the "Transition". Now, eating human meat - "special meat" - is legal. Marcos tries to stick to numbers, consignments, processing.

Then one day he's given a gift: a live specimen of the finest quality. Though he's aware that any form of personal contact is forbidden on pain of death, little by little he starts to treat her like a human being. And soon, he becomes tortured by what has been lost - and what might still be saved.

©2017 Agustina Bazterrica. English language translation ©2020 Pushkin Press Limited. Originally published in Argentina in 2017 by Alfaguara as Cadáver Exquisito. All rights reserved. (P)2020 Audible, Ltd. All rights reserved.

An exquisite (albeit terrifying) read

This was a masterful book. I think it is easy to fall into a trap with a book so brutal, that the violence becomes THE point of the plot, rather than a necessary tool to make a much more sophisticated observation. Yes, you need to have some steel nerves to go through the depictions of violence, however I think it is most definitely worth it...

The book makes you think and it makes you feel a LOT of very, very uncomfortable things. I am awed, disturbed, and fascinated with the horrible, yet eerily tangible vision the author created for us.

Also, I cannot understand how someone could NOT appreciate the ending of this book. I think it was spectacular - very well executed and oh so perfect in strengthening the main point.

Was this written for a college class?

This book had the redundancy and ham-fistedness of a college paper. It's likely my personal preference is just a more cut-and-dry approach to story telling, and I wouldn't really say this was a bad book, but I definitely think this is a story written to make the reader feel smart even though the plot, story, and characters are fairly shallow. Of course cannibalism is provocative. Regrettably, little else in the story was as appealing as the premise.

Not for the weak

Omg 😳 it’s twisted if you want to feel like you’re gonna vomit for an entire book and then at the end go what the ever living what this is for you. This is not for the weak. A solid read but not for the weak

excellent story with a stunner finish

this story is excellent throughout but the last 15 minutes of this book are jaw dropping.

Unique

The narrator is excellent. The story isn't particularly original but it is told in a matter of fact tone that makes it quite poignant. It'll be in my head for quite awhile.

What's on your plate and how did it get there?

A wonderful parallel of the current meat industry, social expectations, human nature, and government propaganda. Perfect timing for a book that starts off with a virus.

For sure a horror story.

This book was so detailed and upsetting. The feelings I got when I saw a cattle slaughter house in my 10th grade Ag class was repeated with this story. Was it a good story? Yes. Was it something that I will suggest to someone? No. You definitely have to have a stomach for this one.

It’s Tender

To begin, this book was a slow starter. Although diving deeper into this morbid work of fiction was intense and jaw dropping.

Good

The last chapter had me stressed and the ending made me want to cry. So good

Oof

I gotta say this is one of the most messed up things I’ve ever read and that is saying something. I think I’m gonna skip meat for a while