Tender is the Flesh (2017) | Episode #69

In this episode, hosts Katherine Troyer and Toni Tresca discuss the 2017 Argentine novel Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica. 

Episode Highlights: We examine the explicitness of this novel and argue that, while admittedly intense and overwhelming, the vivid and gory descriptions are critical to the novel's source of horror: how easily the characters of the book accept this world. In particular, we talk about how the novel uses its gruesome scenes to center cannibalism in a way that speaks to real-world issues of animal cruelty and the meat industry. We look at several key scenes of the book, including Marcos' trips to the zoo, and how Bazterrica uses these quiet moments as effectively as the bloodiest moments. And we discuss the character of Marcos, particularly in those final moments of the book. 

A Dose of Scholarship: We draw much of our framework from Kevin J. Wetmore Jr.'s Bram Stoker nominated 2021 book Eaters of the Dead: Myths and Realities of Cannibal Monsters. 

 

This podcast episode first aired on April 25, 2022.

This episode was edited by the delightful Jackson O'Brien!

ALL LINKS  Twitter/Instagram: @NightmarePod1; YouTube: Such a Nightmare;  Email: suchanightmare.pod@gmail.com; Website: suchanightmare.com