The Glutton
- Downloads：4069
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2023-11-29 07:21:35
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：A.K. Blakemore
- ISBN：1797165666
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
**Named a MOST ANTICIPATED book of 2023 by The Guardian ** From the prize-winning author of The Manningtree Witches， a subversive historical novel set during the French Revolution， inspired by a young peasant boy turned showman， said to have been tormented and driven to murder by an all-consuming appetite 。 1798， France。 Nuns move along the dark corridors of a Versailles hospital where the young Sister Perpetué has been tasked with sitting with the patient who must always be watched。 The man， gaunt， with his sallow skin and distended belly， is they say he ate a golden fork， and that it's killing him from the inside。 But that's not all--he is rumored to have done monstrous things in his attempts to sate an insatiable appetite。。。an appetite they say tortures him still。 Born in an impoverished village to a widowed young mother， Tarare was once overflowing with quiet for the Baby Jesus and the many Saints， for his mother， for the plants and little creatures in the woods and fields around their house。 He spends his days alone， observing the delicate charms of the countryside。 But his world is not a gentle one--and soon， life as he knew it is violently upended。 Tarare is pitched down a chaotic path through revolutionary France， left to the mercy of strangers， and increasingly， bottomlessly， ravenous 。 This exhilarating， disquieting novel paints a richly imagined life for The Great Tarare， The Glutton of Lyon in 18th-century a world of desire， hunger and poverty; hope， chaos and survival。 As in her cult hit The Manningtree Witches ， Blakemore showcases her stunning lyricism and deep compassion for characters pushed to the edge of society in The Glutton ， her most unputdownable work yet。
Reviews
Nori Fitchett
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⭐️⭐️⭐️ DNFI was really enjoying this book but at about 2/3 it did something unforgivable and I will not be continuing。
Ceo Of Rats
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4/5
Jerry Painter
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What a story， although the first half was better than the second。 A hard-to-like main character who never had a chance， but a big appetite for life。
Alistair Leadbetter
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Gruesome， brutal， and beautiful。 Based on a true story， this is the story of a naive， damaged， and possibly deranged young man as he stumbles through life in revolutionary France， dragged by his hunger and his innocence。
Irina Goldberg
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This is a disgustingly beautiful historical novel！ The beauty and poetry of the language are equal to the nauseous horror of the subject matter。 I can't recommend this book to everyone， but I am so glad I was able to experience it。 I will definitely be rereading！ Thank you Scribner for an advanced reader’s edition of this novel！ This is a disgustingly beautiful historical novel！ The beauty and poetry of the language are equal to the nauseous horror of the subject matter。 I can't recommend this book to everyone， but I am so glad I was able to experience it。 I will definitely be rereading！ Thank you Scribner for an advanced reader’s edition of this novel！ 。。。more
Debra Myers
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Apropos for Thanksgiving week， I devoured every morsel。 Thoroughly enjoyed this author’s style and approach to telling the tall tale of a historical character， set in France in the late 1700s。
Matthew Conroy
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Historical fiction based on the case of a Frenchman born in the 1770s who became famous for his enormous appetite and willingness to eat anything。 Very beautifully and poetically written - the hunger Tarare feels is at once a physical hunger and a need to belong， to feel love， to be part of something。 There are shades of Rabelais， Hieronymous Bosch。 Very visceral novel - literally - so if you can’t take descriptions of blood， guts， piss and general squalor maybe this one’s not for you but I love Historical fiction based on the case of a Frenchman born in the 1770s who became famous for his enormous appetite and willingness to eat anything。 Very beautifully and poetically written - the hunger Tarare feels is at once a physical hunger and a need to belong， to feel love， to be part of something。 There are shades of Rabelais， Hieronymous Bosch。 Very visceral novel - literally - so if you can’t take descriptions of blood， guts， piss and general squalor maybe this one’s not for you but I loved it。 。。。more
R S
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Remarkable， beautifully written， strangely compelling and moving。 I enjoyed every page， and read this quickly， a sign of a good book as far as I am concerned。I haven't read anything like this before in terms of style， and the way it made me feel about Tarare， this grotesque character， who despite being so horrendously savage， is the most tender and innocent person within him。 A lesson to not judge a book by its cover （Although the cover of this hardback version is great too！）The only thing that Remarkable， beautifully written， strangely compelling and moving。 I enjoyed every page， and read this quickly， a sign of a good book as far as I am concerned。I haven't read anything like this before in terms of style， and the way it made me feel about Tarare， this grotesque character， who despite being so horrendously savage， is the most tender and innocent person within him。 A lesson to not judge a book by its cover （Although the cover of this hardback version is great too！）The only thing that didn't make this 5 stars for me was that I wasn't as emotionally invested in what happened to him ultimately as I was earlier in the book， before he left his home village。 But it was still a brilliant book 。。。more
Erika
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Well， that was disturbing。 And also incredibly well-written and well-imagined。 I'm not sure "like" is the right word， but I do appreciate it as an historical novel。I know the most obvious point of comparison is Frankenstein， but there are two more recent books that this book reminded me of in different ways。 The first - Patrick Suskind's Perfume also focuses on a "monster" of the revolutionary age - a serial killer with an unparalleled sense of smell。 Suskind begins the book by comparing his mai Well， that was disturbing。 And also incredibly well-written and well-imagined。 I'm not sure "like" is the right word， but I do appreciate it as an historical novel。I know the most obvious point of comparison is Frankenstein， but there are two more recent books that this book reminded me of in different ways。 The first - Patrick Suskind's Perfume also focuses on a "monster" of the revolutionary age - a serial killer with an unparalleled sense of smell。 Suskind begins the book by comparing his main character Jean-Baptiste Grenouille to real "abominations" of the age including Saint-Just， de Sade， Fouche and Bonaparte - like them， for Suskind， Grenouille is born not made （even if his early childhood does little to help his fallen state） Tarare， on the other other hand， like Frankenstein's monster is an inherently sympathetic character， a simple-minded but sensitive and joyful boy transformed by the world's violence （in this case， presumably the beating meted out by his father） into the monster he becomes and resisting that monstrosity as much as he can。 If， in Goya's famous words "the sleep of reason produces nightmares，" Suskind and Blakemore offer very different accounts of the cause of that horror and its possibility for remediation。The other book this one reminded me of was Agustina's Bazterrica， Tender is the Flesh， another book about monstrous appetites and the society that creates them。 Like the eaters in Bazterrica's dystopia， Tarare's disgusting and endless consumption serves as a metaphor for the devouring nature of capitalism and of the blinded state of the consumer， almost forced to eat the unnameable against their will。 。。。more
Freya Kurtulus
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DNF
Deb Lancaster
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If I could give this more than 5 stars I would。 Transformative， brilliant writing。 Exceptional actually。 The words she uses， the order she puts them in and the world she viscerally urges from the darkness， all of it is brilliant。 And it brings humanity to a sideshow story of a real human who always deserved more than life gave him。 And it made me cry。
David Johnston
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A beautifully written historical fiction novel based on the story of Tarare - a French soldier from the 18th century who ate and ate and ate… and had some pretty disturbing meals throughout his life。Tarare is painted in a sympathetic light in this novel and we see him exploited and taken advantage of following his self-imposed exile in his teenage years。 I understood him as a Frankenstein’s creation-like character where his birth circumstances directed him towards a path that could only be led a A beautifully written historical fiction novel based on the story of Tarare - a French soldier from the 18th century who ate and ate and ate… and had some pretty disturbing meals throughout his life。Tarare is painted in a sympathetic light in this novel and we see him exploited and taken advantage of following his self-imposed exile in his teenage years。 I understood him as a Frankenstein’s creation-like character where his birth circumstances directed him towards a path that could only be led astray。 The chapters switch between Tarare’s final moments in a hospital where he tells his story and flashbacks that recount his life on the road as a freakshow， and as a soldier。 He always lands in bad company， even when their intentions appear friendly at first。This reminded me of other darker historical fiction novels like Cursed Bread and The Dance Tree and I’d recommend it to fans of this style。 。。。more
Jack
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Darkly lyrical， The Glutton presents a fascinating tale through revolutionary France， and an intriguing examination of the old saying ‘the more things change， the more they stay the same’。Tarare is at once a revulsion and an almost obscenely empathetic character， one that， just as many characters of the novel do， you both loathe and pity。
Laura Testa
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Considered dnf， but persevered as this was based on an actual person。 Vulgar， disgusting， offensive plot。 Do not recommend。
Sasha
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Reminds me of an improved version of Lapvovna。
Lids
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ak blakemore is a master of historical fiction
Ruth
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Surprised I finished it。 Verbose archaic language made this a tough slog
Emma Howard
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I wanted this to be darker than it was。 More gruesome， more unforgiving。 I guess I just have a high tolerance for the aforementioned so I was expecting more。 I do like the writer’s style， but when she’s got me googling words every other page， it can lead to a stilted experience that leaves you thinking “am I smart enough to read this book？” 🫠
Annette Bowers
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I enjoy reading different kinds of books， but this one really was to much。 Literally turned my stomach。 Not something I would recommend to others。
Cynthia
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Let me introduce you to my favorite read of November。 Oh， yes， I realize that November is far from over。 It’s possible that something could top this or， at the very least， stand beside it。 That’s just difficult for me to imagine right now， as I absolutely adored The Glutton。 The story is strange， evocative， brutal， disturbing， and lyrically composed。 I could not ask for a more outstanding blend in a historical fiction novel。There is a great deal of decadent symbolism， like a rich chocolate indul Let me introduce you to my favorite read of November。 Oh， yes， I realize that November is far from over。 It’s possible that something could top this or， at the very least， stand beside it。 That’s just difficult for me to imagine right now， as I absolutely adored The Glutton。 The story is strange， evocative， brutal， disturbing， and lyrically composed。 I could not ask for a more outstanding blend in a historical fiction novel。There is a great deal of decadent symbolism， like a rich chocolate indulgence you must savor slowly。 I was especially intrigued by the numerous occurrences of deep red imagery leading up to and in the midst of the French Revolution， but the novel is， in all ways， deliciously layered。 It’s impressive how Blakemore managed to paint Tarare into a sympathetic character; a monster not born， but made。 As the novel began， I had not expected to feel anything beyond revulsion toward him。 As readers， we eventually see how innocence is tainted and irrevocably changed by violence。 I came to understand Tarare as a symbol of poverty， greed， war， and trauma， individually。 He became the all consuming nature of each of these savageries。 I felt saddened by his story， how he was never given the right to be his own person， and how he was used by many for personal gain。 His hunger was not the only thing beyond his control。Unlike Tarare’s appetite for food， my longing for an utterly absorbing novel has been satiated。 Make no mistake， though: This story is profoundly distressing。 I， however， found its wealth of insight and gorgeous vocabulary worth every ache。 “‘You are telling me these stories so that I will pity you， so that I will think you hard done by， and I do not believe you。 You are not a victim。 You are a vile， unpleasant man。’“He rolls his blue doleful eyes toward her。 ‘Can I not，’ asks the Great Tarare， ‘be both？’” 。。。more
Susan J。 Barrett
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This is an unusual story; part myth retelling， part historical fiction， with a biographical feel。Tarare is a person of insatiable appetite， born into poverty in rural France。 He’s a sweet， naive boy with a gentle nature， who’s soon taken advantage of and the consequence of this loss of innocence is a hunger that can never be satisfied。 This becomes another means by which the world takes advantage of him。 He’s not an unsympathetic character， but neither is he relatable。 He’s a victim of his circu This is an unusual story; part myth retelling， part historical fiction， with a biographical feel。Tarare is a person of insatiable appetite， born into poverty in rural France。 He’s a sweet， naive boy with a gentle nature， who’s soon taken advantage of and the consequence of this loss of innocence is a hunger that can never be satisfied。 This becomes another means by which the world takes advantage of him。 He’s not an unsympathetic character， but neither is he relatable。 He’s a victim of his circumstances but lacks the strength and mental ability to forge a pathway out of misfortune， and so his life ambles along from one distasteful （no pun intended） drama to the next。I listened to the audio book， with thanks to NetGalley and Bolinda Audio for the opportunity to read an advance copy。This is a review of the audiobook。 。。。more
Cristelle Snyman
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🎧
Imani Love
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I adored this book from beginning to end。 Truly savoring it’s contemplation on the source of an insatiable hunger。 The band of characters collected on the road。 The Glutton is hilarious and dark and makes you want to start reading poetry。 My completist heart can not wait to read more Blakemore。 Also， so glad I read this on my Kindle because I learned so many new words！
Josh Mlot
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A。K。 Blakemore is officially my personal discovery of 2023。 I finished The Manningtree Witches （and loved it） at the perfect time—just as The Glutton was being released。 I immediately put a library hold on this new novel and then quickly fell in love with it as well。This piece of historical fiction tells the story of Tarare， a real-life figure of some infamy。 Blakemore lends the story her beautiful， lyrical prose and a host of characters I absolutely enjoyed spending time with。 Blakemore's abili A。K。 Blakemore is officially my personal discovery of 2023。 I finished The Manningtree Witches （and loved it） at the perfect time—just as The Glutton was being released。 I immediately put a library hold on this new novel and then quickly fell in love with it as well。This piece of historical fiction tells the story of Tarare， a real-life figure of some infamy。 Blakemore lends the story her beautiful， lyrical prose and a host of characters I absolutely enjoyed spending time with。 Blakemore's ability to render life in its truest， raw—sometimes unsettling and grotesque—form absolutely suits this story。 It works so well as she dives into the dark and grotesque without crossing the line to vulgar， and uses those dirty recesses to unveil truths about humanity。This book made me feel every sort of emotion—awe， disgust， humor， sadness， heartbreak， love—as she took a character in Tarare that could be （and was， in life） reduced to caricature， but instead managed to find in his legend a fully-formed person that the reader can feel both sympathy and disgust for in equal parts。 Along the way， the book also tackles themes of trauma， love， war， and class。As long as you can stomach some grotesquery， I absolutely recommend this wonderful book which will absolutely be one of my favorites of 2023。 。。。more
Liz
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3。5
Will Bostock
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More films and books sickly humanizing cannibals like Bones and All and The Glutton needed。 Beautiful writing and world building。 Why Tarare？ Why did he consume and consume？ I want to be a vagrant picked up by a jolly French criminal syndicate。
Mary Korey
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I was halfway through the book before I figured out what part of the story was a flashback and what part was the “present。” The story is basically not a pleasant read， so I found the challenges abounded to finish it 。
Denise Kruse
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The story of a peasant， Tarare， infamous for his huge appetite during the time of the French Revolution。 The legend of this symbol of the common person’s poverty， hunger， chaos and desperation is interestingly told， sometimes belabored with more lyricism than story。
Jas （Jaswoahreads）
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Viscerally vile。 Five stars。
Hannah Maner
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 A very interesting book from start to finish。 How does Blakemore make us see the humanity in someone who eats a baby？！ I really enjoyed the main character’s exploration and understanding of his sexuality especially in the context of religion。 The lack of quotation marks and other punctuation made some parts hard to get through， but just needed some extra focus。 Lots of really great quotes all throughout the novel。 An incredible piece of historical fiction！ A great Kindle read to use the dictiona A very interesting book from start to finish。 How does Blakemore make us see the humanity in someone who eats a baby？！ I really enjoyed the main character’s exploration and understanding of his sexuality especially in the context of religion。 The lack of quotation marks and other punctuation made some parts hard to get through， but just needed some extra focus。 Lots of really great quotes all throughout the novel。 An incredible piece of historical fiction！ A great Kindle read to use the dictionary， wikipedia， and translation function。 The first book I read on my kindle！！ 。。。more
Tag
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Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Glutton
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Glutton&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Glutton&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0