Cannibalism. This chilling, Dystopian Horror novel is literally about Cannibalism.
Hey, guys! I hope this week of reading has been awesome! I recently read this book (Tender Is the Flesh) and it really stuck with me since I just started reading horror and sub-genres like this.
So this novel basically follows Marcos, a young man recently separated from his wife because of his son’s premature death. He lives in a dystopian world where a virus has made all animal meat toxic and inedible. But the government decides that meat is now absolutely vital and slowly integrates human meat consumption into normal society. (They call it ‘special meat’…)
While this book isn’t especially fast paced or exciting it is the horrific premise and details that capture you. Agustina Bazterrica uses such matter-of-fact language to describe the processes at the human meat plants. She describes in great detail the workings of this new society. How humans are bred, tested on, killed, cut up like animals, and sold. The way people simply accept the slaughter and consumption of human meat.
“There's a vibration, a subtle and fragile heat, that makes a living being particularly delicious. You're extracting life by the mouthful. It's the pleasure of knowing that because of your intent, your actions, this being has ceased to exist. It's the feeling of a complex and precious organism expiring little by little, and also becoming part of you. For always. I find this miracle fascinating. This possibility of an indissoluble union."
These humans are not called humans at all, only ‘product’, or ‘head.’ There are ‘laws’ in place; only eating humans specifically bred and cleaned is acceptable and “eating meat with a name,” is considered wrong. (Literally terrifying.) The facts of this society, the normalization of animal cruelty and depersonalization, are so shocking.
The story continues to follow Marcos who is gifted a high quality female ‘head.’ Let’s just say he breaks some laws and she ends up pregnant. As the story goes on we learn about his wife and child and her struggles with childbirth. The last few pages hold a plot twist that completely shocked me.
*TW SPOILERS*
I was absolutely not expecting Marcos to call his wife to help his pregnant ‘head’ (Jasmine) give birth then proceed to kill her (I literally GASPED), hand the child to his wife, abandoning all morality. His initial disgust (and odd sort of compassion toward Jasmine) vanishes and he reveals his ingrained hypocrisy. He only used Jasmine as a place for his grief and as proof of his nonexistent morality. Eventually he has to succumb. He truly is just as complacent to the system as everyone else, using others for his own gain.
The numb horror and dehumanization make this book an essential read.
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Happy Reading and good luck with Tender Is the Flesh!