Book Review | Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

Marcos works at the local processing plant, where he’s involved in a rather unusual industry — one that people have come to accept in this new world. He’s been going through a tough time and finds it easier to focus on the logistics of his job rather than the moral complexities of what he does. One day, Marcos receives a specimen of exceptional quality. While it’s strictly forbidden to have any personal contact, he finds himself drawn to her humanity. He begins to feel conflicted about the loss of what used to be and the hope that perhaps things can change for the better.

He wishes he could anaesthetize himself and live without feeling anything. Act automatically, observe, breathe, and nothing more. See everything, understand, and not talk. But the memories are there, they remain with him. 

What can I say about this book that hasn’t been said? I put off reading Tender Is The Flesh due to the tough subject matter but it was worth the wait! It’s set in Argentina in a dystopian future where it’s now legal to eat humans — though they’re called by another name. We follow Marcos, a man grieving the loss of a child, his wife’s absence and his dad’s illness. All this while working at a meat processing plant, where he meets suppliers and tackles administrative hurdles. It’s wild to read the characters talking about eating people and acting as if everything is perfectly normal. The writing is descriptive and provocative, casually unflinching in expressing the brutality of this world. The horrors are visceral, contrasted with the cool narration. But everything changes for Marcos when he receives a home delivery of a woman meant for processing.

The book examines Marcos’s choices and the people in his life, as well as the bureaucratic process of the food chain. There’s also information about Scavengers — a group of people living in squalor on the edges of society. The difference in status is clear. I liked that the characters’ use of language shows how they are coping with their actions. The cognitive dissonance is uncomfortable to read but makes perfect sense. Some people are forced to live this way due to desperation, while others enjoy being in control. You wonder if Marcus’s humanity will remain intact if not outright changed from his encounter with the woman. This book employs cannibalism as a tool to examine misogyny, power, and systemic inequalities. It asks whether there’s ethical consumption under capitalism. The question is answered on the most unsettling final page. How far would you go to have the life that you want?

Tender Is The Flesh is not an easy book to read but worth the effort. Don’t read this while you eat!

About the author: Agustina Bazterrica

About the translator: Sarah Moses

Photo by Jonathan Greenway