s.penkevich's Reviews > Tender Is the Flesh

I loved this book so much! I've been trying to find something similar, but I haven't managed to.

that is so clever

jegaevi wrote: "I loved this book so much! I've been trying to find something similar, but I haven't managed to."

It’s so good! And super unique yea. I read her short stories this summer and…they didn’t quite satisfy the way this does. But hmm… I feel like Mariana Enríquez has some similar vibes in her work, and Fever Dream maybe to some extent? I’m currently reading Of Cattle and Men which I’ve seen compared to it but I think really only in the whole issue of eating meat, it doesn’t have that whole sort of dystopia vibe. Perhaps Her Body and Other Parties: Stories might scratch a similar itch?

this is your best review haha

Syakira wrote: "that is so clever"

Thanks! I haven’t eaten a neighbor in years and am feeling great!

love the review! I should read this soon!

re: the similarity with Mariana Enriquez and Fever Dream and so on, at the Samanta Schweblin event I was at, she specifically talked about Tender Is the Flesh and Mariana Enriquez's stories and how they all belong to 'literatura rioplatense' (the literature around Rio de la Plata) and how there are similar vibes and narrative voices there. I don't remember a lot more specifics, but it's fun that we, as readers, can feel them :D

Queralt✨ wrote: "this is your best review haha"

Haha thank you, I should aim for this length every time.

Ruxandra Grrr wrote: "love the review! I should read this soon!

re: the similarity with Mariana Enriquez and Fever Dream and so on, at the Samanta Schweblin event I was at, she specifically talked about Tender Is the ..."

It was pretty fun! And a suuuuuper quick read which is always nice ha.
Oh thats amazing, and makes so much sense now that you mention it. I was wondering if I was just pulling a "here's authors that live near each other" comparison or if there was actually more to it as I felt there is. I feel like that region has been putting out so much good horror-type books. I read something recently how South America has taken the tradition of magical realism and shifted it towards horror as a way to probe issues of political violence, social issues and climate crisis.

I love your long reviews but this definitely grabbed my attention lol

Haha - my neighbour is hardly ever at home.....so I'd starve

Jackie wrote: "I love your long reviews but this definitely grabbed my attention lol"

Haha thanks, I guess I can sort of shut up sometimes

Canon wrote: "I can’t just up and change my whole diet!"

And those beyond meat burgers don't quiiiiiiiite taste the same as neighbor I've found but I'm trying! haha

Angela wrote: "Haha - my neighbour is hardly ever at home.....so I'd starve"

Who would have thought being out all the time was a life-saving activity haha

I live across from a hotel, so many juicy Americans. I could live off a whole month out one single thigh.

omg reading this book made me so glad that i don't eat much meat because i'd be like nauuuur

Nocturnalux wrote: "I live across from a hotel, so many juicy Americans. I could live off a whole month out one single thigh."

I think we can make an exception for American tourists, the food here is so processed does tourist flesh even count as meat anymore!?

s.penkevich wrote: "Nocturnalux wrote: "I live across from a hotel, so many juicy Americans. I could live off a whole month out one single thigh."

I think we can make an exception for American tourists, the food here..."

I was wondering about that as well. I can't imagine its being at all healthy. But it might be more palatable after a couple of days of local cuisine?

Best review under 10 words EVER!! 😎

Nenia ✨ I yeet my books back and forth ✨ wrote: "omg reading this book made me so glad that i don't eat much meat because i'd be like nauuuur"

Haha RIGHT!? Woah damn.

Nocturnalux wrote: "s.penkevich wrote: "Nocturnalux wrote: "I live across from a hotel, so many juicy Americans. I could live off a whole month out one single thigh."

I think we can make an exception for American tou..."

Pairs well with a good chiante (i'm told)

s.penkevich wrote: "Nocturnalux wrote: "s.penkevich wrote: "Nocturnalux wrote: "I live across from a hotel, so many juicy Americans. I could live off a whole month out one single thigh."

I think we can make an except..."

Nah, I'm not about to pay for foreign wine when I'm Portuguese. That's just silly.

Nocturnalux wrote: "s.penkevich wrote: "Nocturnalux wrote: "s.penkevich wrote: "Nocturnalux wrote: "I live across from a hotel, so many juicy Americans. I could live off a whole month out one single thigh."

I think w..."

FAIR

Heidi wrote: "Best review under 10 words EVER!! 😎"

haha thank you! *curtsies*

Fully agree! THAT ENDING THOUGH

Marina wrote: "Fully agree! THAT ENDING THOUGH"

FOR REAL
'She had the human look of a domesticated animal.'
Damn thats a line that will haunt all of humanity.

The few lines of description of this book make me think of The Republic of Wine by Mo Yan, which was fantastic. Pow! Was also about gluttony, but less about cannibalism.

YES! this book is such an experience, im so happy you read it! i haven't found anything remotely similar since reading it two years ago and i still recommend it like crazy, though its not for the faint-hearted.

Andrew wrote: "The few lines of description of this book make me think of The Republic of Wine by Mo Yan, which was fantastic. Pow! Was also about gluttony, but less about cannibalism."

Ooo sweet I should check that out—shamefully I have never read any Mo Yan yet. Sounds great

best review. fuck yes cannibalism

Love this review!! 😂

😂

emma griffioen! wrote: "YES! this book is such an experience, im so happy you read it! i haven't found anything remotely similar since reading it two years ago and i still recommend it like crazy, though its not for the f..."

So glad you loved this as well! It’s wild, and agreed, like nothing I’ve ever read. Mariana Enriquez has some similar vibes but like, this one is so unique on so many levels. Ooo have you read Fever Dream? Totally different but also so bizarre and unique the way this one is just something special. I was glad too because I felt her short stories that came out this summer were super disappointing

hope wrote: "best review. fuck yes cannibalism"

Haha thank you! You reading that story from Fresh Dirt made me think I should finally try this one

JustJJ wrote: "Love this review!! 😂"

Thank you 😊

Lol!!! This is the best review 😂🙌

Catherine wrote: "😂"

😃

Kushagri wrote: "Lol!!! This is the best review 😂🙌"

Haha thank you!!! 😃

s.penkevich wrote: "hope wrote: "best review. fuck yes cannibalism"

Haha thank you! You reading that story from Fresh Dirt made me think I should finally try this one"

oh hell yeah glad i could inspire you! also why have we had so many cannibalism-related conversations lately?? (weren't we just talking about the donner party)
i also just finished fresh dirt and i really really liked it - those last two stories were stellar! i love how....meat-y it all was hahaha

hope wrote: "s.penkevich wrote: "hope wrote: "best review. fuck yes cannibalism"

Haha thank you! You reading that story from Fresh Dirt made me think I should finally try this one"

oh hell yeah glad i could i..."

Haha true that does seem to come up a lot lately—oh yea that like kids book about the Donnor party was wild haha. Ooo glad you liked that one, I really enjoyed her style I hope there’s more translations of her soon. I think she has quite a few novels?

lmaooo love this review

sunny (ethel cain’s version) wrote: "lmaooo love this review"

Haha thank you!!!

I loved this novel. I see there are mentions of several other Argentinian women writers. Agustina is the second one I've read. Can't wait to read others. Amazing group of writers.

Mirnes wrote: "I loved this novel. I see there are mentions of several other Argentinian women writers. Agustina is the second one I've read. Can't wait to read others. Amazing group of writers."

Yea I'm so glad I picked this up after I had read your review! This was amazing and so well textured. OOo yea, I've been a big fan of Samanta Schweblin, definitely quite different stories but adjacent vibes--I think you'd enjoy!

Wow! There are more words in the comments than your review! Now that says a lot about the person you are as a reviewer Steve! Congratulations! 🙂

Karen wrote: "Wow! There are more words in the comments than your review! Now that says a lot about the person you are as a reviewer Steve! Congratulations! 🙂"

Haha my rare pithy moment. But thank you so much 😊

I barely cast a shadow online, let alone as a reviewer but I'm weirdly proud of my shortest review: "No Women in Space". The book being 2001.

well... okay. (sighs dejectedly)

Nocturnalux wrote: "I barely cast a shadow online, let alone as a reviewer but I'm weirdly proud of my shortest review: "No Women in Space". The book being 2001."

Well that really cuts to the correct heart of the matter on that one. I read I, Robot a few years back during a goodreads hiatus and was like huh there are no non-white people in this “humanistic” future and then one chapter started with a woman as head scientist and I thought “okay, getting better” and that was immediately followed by a paragraph about how she was so unattractive she was able to succeed without the distraction of sex and I was like hmm I think im going to call it done.

This book is so disturbing.

Beth wrote: "well... okay. (sighs dejectedly)"
Together we can do it!