Tender Is the Flesh - by Agustina Bazterrica (Paperback)

About the Book

"Originally published in Argentina in 2017 by Alfaguara as Cadâaver exquisito"--Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

THE RUNAWAY NATIONAL BESTSELLER AND INTERNATIONAL SENSATION

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.

Review Quotes

PRAISE FOR TENDER IS THE FLESH BY AGUSTINA BAZTERRICA
WINNER OF ARGENTINA'S CLARÍN NOVELA PRIZE 2017

A USA Today Bestseller

"From the first words of the Argentine novelist Agustina Bazterrica's second novel, Tender Is the Flesh, the reader is already the livestock in the line, reeling, primordially aware that this book is a butcher's block, and nothing that happens next is going to be pretty."
--New York Times Book Review

"The novel is horrific, yes, but fascinatingly provocative (and Orwellian) in the way it exposes the lengths society will go to deform language and avoid moral truths."
--Taylor Antrim, Vogue

"Taut and thought-provoking...a chilling and alarmingly prophetic book...this is an urgent cautionary tale...timely, crucial."
--Words Without Borders

"It is a testament to Bazterrica's skill that such a bleak book can also be a page-turner. An unrelentingly dark and disquieting look at the way societies conform to committing atrocities."
--Kirkus

"Propulsive and deranged, Tender Is the Flesh is a weird and quick read that strays far enough from our current reality to be utterly engrossing... and a book that will stick with you for a long time."
--Thrillist

"This translated prizewinner by Argentinian novelist Bazterrica exquisitely dishes up an intricate tale of a systematized dystopian society... a sagacious and calculated exploration of the limits of moral ambiguity; it sears and devastates."
--Booklist, starred review

"Bazterrica's writing is ferocious; she has vision and intent. When you least expect it, her narrative hits her target, and leaves you trembling."
--Samanta Schweblin, author of Fever Dream and Seven Empty Houses

"This book will pull you in, take hold, and not let go until you reach the final page--perhaps far longer than that. Without a doubt, my favorite read of this year."
--Christina Dalcher, author of Vox

"What a compelling, terrible beauty this novel is. My heart was breaking even as my skin was crawling."­­
--Lisa McInerney, author of The Glorious Heresies

"Provocative, muscular, and entirely unforgiving, this terrifying novel is a timely reminder that words have the power to strip us of our humanity. I gulped it down with my heart racing."
--Sue Rainsford, author of Follow Me to Ground

About the Author

Agustina Bazterrica was born in Buenos Aires in 1974. She has a degree in art from the University of Buenos Aires, works as a cultural administrator, and has served on the jury for literary competitions such as the Premio Fondo Nacional de las Artes. She writes essays and fiction and has published one short story collection and three novels, including Tender Is the Flesh, which won the Clarín Novel Prize, was a finalist for the Goodreads Choice Awards, and was named one of the best books of the year by The Washington Post and Vogue. Tender Is the Flesh also became a worldwide bestseller, with more than 600,000 copies sold in the United States alone. Her work has been translated into more than thirty languages and has sold over one million copies worldwide.

Sarah Moses is a Canadian writer and translator of French and Spanish. She has translated work by Latin American authors, including Tomás Downey and Ariana Harwicz, whose novel Die, My Love was longlisted for the International Booker Prize and shortlisted for the Republic of Consciousness Prize, the Premio Valle Inclán, and the Best Translated Book Award. The Unworthy is the third of Agustina Bazterrica's books she has translated into English. She is also the author of a collection of short fiction, Strange Water.