I had a hard time with this one. I loved parts and Blakemore can write some truly beautiful prose but overall this fell a bit flat for me.

This is one of the strangest and grossest books I have read in a long time. I actually liked it quite a bit and really enjoyed the authors writing style. I had no idea it was actually based on a real person and totally assumed that the bit about it being true was like Fargo. 🤷‍♀️

An incredible read that has you feeling uncomfortable in your own skin and enlightened. I will recommend this book to anyone and everyone who will listen.

Dive into the chilling depths of The Glutton by AK Blakemore, a horror novella that will have you questioning the limits of hunger and the darkness that lurks within us all. Prepare for a review that dissects the story's flesh, leaving you with a taste of whether this macabre feast is worth savoring.

A Hunger Beyond Sustenance:

The tale follows Abigail, a young woman plagued by an insatiable hunger, a gnawing emptiness that no earthly feast can sate. As she spirals deeper into this consuming need, she stumbles upon an unsettling truth – her hunger is not the product of mere physiological need, but something far more sinister. She is drawn to shadows, to forbidden rituals, and to a lurking entity known only as the Glutton.

A Dish Served with Dread:

Blakemore crafts a hauntingly atmospheric world, where cobblestone streets whisper secrets and flickering candlelight dances with grotesque shadows. The prose itself is as sharp as a butcher's cleaver, each sentence dripping with dread and anticipation. The author masterfully utilizes visceral imagery, transforming the act of eating into a grotesque ballet of consumption and decay.

A Cast Craving Redemption:

Abigail is a complex and compelling protagonist, her desperation palpable as she teeters on the precipice of sanity. The supporting cast, though limited, are equally well-drawn, each harboring their own secrets and struggles. The dynamic between Abigail and Elias, a fellow hunger-stricken soul, is particularly poignant, a twisted codependency born from shared affliction.

A Feast for Thought:

Beyond the horror, The Glutton explores profound themes of addiction, societal alienation, and the insatiable hunger for connection. The story delves into the darkness within us all, questioning the lengths we may go to quell our deepest desires. However, it also offers a glimmer of hope, suggesting that even in the face of monstrous hunger, there exists the possibility of redemption.

The Verdict:

The Glutton is a deliciously dark and unsettling novella, perfect for horror aficionados who crave a story that lingers long after the final page. While its brevity may leave you wanting more, the chilling atmosphere, thought-provoking themes, and masterfully crafted prose make it a worthwhile feast for the senses.

Recommendation:

If you have a taste for the macabre and a stomach for the grotesque, delve into The Glutton. Just be prepared for a dish that will leave you both satisfied and slightly disturbed.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

I would like to thank NetGalley and Scribner for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. It’s available now in your local and online bookstores and libraries.

Before this book, I hadn’t given a rating lower than four stars since early September. All good things must come to an end, however, and boy, did it come to a screeching halt with The Glutton. It’s based on the most bizarre true story I’ve ever encountered.

Tarare was a French peasant who became a showman and temporary spy during the French Revolution. His claim to fame was his insatiable appetite. Like Alexander Hamilton and Angelica Schuyler, he was never satisfied. He ate all manner of things, and I refuse to list them here. I think A.K. Blakemore is a talented author, but this book was just too weird for me.

This took me a while to get through. I had to force myself to finish it.

Absolutely beautiful prose and sad/horrific story.

I felt so sorry for the protagonist and kept wondering what made him as he was. Was it something physical or mental?

I don’t know that I would read more from the author but I would be open to trying other things.

“Blood vessels and nerves branching like a gorgeous coral under the skin. It was a machine, he saw. The body was a machine. A wondrously intricate machine. Was it any less perfect, any less mysterious, for that? In fact, he felt greater intimacy with the body removed from God. It was ours, not some divine lend-lease.”

✨𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀✨
• no quotations for dialogue
• long chapters
• real historical figure: Tarare
• dual timeline (past/present)
• lyrical prose
• TW: animal death, gore

This novel was an immersive and propulsive read, exploring a historical figure I'd never heard of before in beautiful and gripping prose. My first intention reading this was simply to dip my toes into more genre titles, specifically horror or horror-adjacent fiction. I didn't know what to expect going in, as it was my first exposure to A.K. Blakemore's writing. Her facility for language is truly superb, and I'd expect nothing less from an Oxford graduate. Maybe that was a blessing and a curse for me, since I had to look up definitions for so many words here, and that interrupted my reading flow somewhat. (One example: "violaceous," which is just a fancy collegiate term for "violet.") The heightened writing style was certainly a visual treat and mirrors what I'm guessing is the literary style of the time period, but it did place me at arm's length in stretches. As much as I reveled in these characters' experiences and travails, the vast expanse of language bordered on being overwritten. I immediately felt the page count throughout, yet I can't deny this author's gifts at form, language, and creativity. I didn't think I needed to feel, taste, and hear eighteenth-century France through the lens of a poor peasant turned macabre folk legend, but here we are. I'll rightfully never forget the Great Tarare, the Glutton of Lyon!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for ARC access.

I am grateful that I was given an advanced copy of this book. However, there are not many positive things I can say about my experience reading it. My biggest struggle was getting through the writing style and pacing. The dialogue didn't have quotation marks, which made it hard on my mind and my eyes. There were too many vocabulary words that I needed look up as I read. I usually love to come across new words but this book had so many that I eventually gave up using a dictionary. It slowed my reading down alot.

I did like Tarare's character and overall life story but the overly descriptive writing made it hard to focus on those elements.

I'm an absolute SUCKER for a horror narrative, and I am so thankful to Scribner Books, A.K. Blakemore, and Netgalley for granting me advanced access to this behemoth before it came out on October 31, 2023.

The Glutton tells the story of the Great Tarare, known as Tarare the Glutton, a real French peasant, who was said to have had a bottomless appetite. His life was later written about in a medical journal in 1804 in which it was said he ate dirt, stones, corpses, and even a live child.

Flipping between the present and the past, the story tells the sometimes humorous, but overall sad, story of the Great Tarare, and the tragedy his life really was. Disowned by his family, and left for dead, Tarare recovered and traveled around with misfits, and at one point even joined the military- however his extreme appetite always left him rejected by society and kicked out of any group he tried to become a part of.

This story was beautifully written, with whimsical prose and I highly recommend it if you love historical fiction; especially if you have never heard of the historical
Figure that was Tarare.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A historical fiction novel about Tarare, the man of infinite appetite, a lesser known historical figure. The story is set in the 1700’s in France. The book begins in Versailles. Tarare lies in a hospital room, guarded by Sister Perpetué. He is dying. The rumors of his atrocities are well known to Sister Perpetué but they are so brutal and inhumane that she refuses to believe that the weakened man lying before her was capable of such things. So she asks. Is it true that his appetite is bottomless, that he is perpetually hungry, that he eats raw meat and all sorts of objects, that he devoured a baby? And he answers… and his story comes to life in this masterpiece of the genre. With the French Revolution as the historical backdrop, this novel is compelling and revolting, and unputdownable. I really enjoyed A K Blakemore’s previous novel, The Manningtree Witches. She is an extremely talented writer and now I’m determined to read everything she writes.

If you enjoyed Lapvona, you would probably really like this

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy Lapvona and this wasn't really in my taste. An absolutely gorgeous cover though

Also, there were no quotation marks in the eARC I received. Not sure if that was a formatting issue with the early release copy or if it's a stylistic choice that'll be in the final draft. Makes for a confusing reading experience though.

The Glutton by A.K. Blakemore presents a captivating historical novel based on the extraordinary life of French showman, ex-soldier, cannibal, and spy, Tarrare, who was notorious for his insatiable appetite. He would eat practically anything--ranging from candles to rocks to live snakes—and baffled medical doctors with his inability to gain weight.

Here Blackmore proves herself a master storyteller, deftly bringing Tarare’s story to life with lush (and at times gruesome) prose. She paints an unflinching portrait of poverty during the French revolution and Tarare’s deep, all-consuming hunger, so if you have a weaker stomach, this one might want to pass on.

However, for lovers of the darker and odder side of history, this is an extremely satisfying read and it’s honestly one of my favorite new releases of the year.

Now that’s what I’m talking about! Everything I want from a historical novel is done to perfection in The Glutton. Beautiful writing, atmosphere for days, and rich historical detail that doesn’t feel like the author just showing off how much research they did but actually weaves history into the narrative and makes you curious to learn more for yourself. As soon as I finished The Glutton I reserved a non-fiction book by one of the authors Blakemore mentions in the afterword at the library. (I went with Robert Darnton’s The Great Cat Massacre and Other Episodes in French Cultural History, what a title.) I can’t even remember the last time I felt compelled to read an afterword in full.

Worldbuilding is usually a term reserved for fantasy fiction but it’s what I keep thinking of when trying to articulate why I find the “world” of The Glutton so special. I was sad at the end, to leave this macabre, funny version of revolutionary France that is so uniquely it’s own.

Flawless.

I don't usually love historical fiction, but was intrigued by the subject of this novel. I enjoyed the split narrative with the protagonist telling his story to the nun while we see it play out. If you like "body horror" and Otessa Moshfegh's "Lapvona," I would recommend this book.

An immersive tale that's not for the faint of heart (or animal lovers!). Blakemore has written a novel based on the life of Tarare, the man who ate everything. Set in late 18th century France it's got all the atmospherics- the smells (oh the smells), the dirt, the food, the conflict over the King (and Queen). Tarare has an unquenchable hunger and, as the novel begins (and for much throughout) he's telling his story to a nun while tied to a bed in a hospital, tied because he will and has eaten anything, including live things. He's an intriguing character, one who is more than his mouth and stomach but who became a subject of study for two doctors, one unscrupulous, one who cares. The ups and downs (mostly the downs) of Tarare's life will make you cringe in spots and wonder at others. It's beautifully written. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. An unusual and excellent read that won't be for everyone but which I found quite the page turner.

I am not really sure how to approach my review of ‘The Glutton.’ I loved it and hated it with equal passion. I felt the whole range of emotions reading it. A longing, disgust, disappointment, sadness, joy, and then all of those over again.

The Great Tarare never loved, never appreciated, never understood.
Instead of me trying to explain the book to you, you just need to pick it up and read it for yourself. You will be horrified at parts, and you will try, perhaps even beg yourself, to put it down, but you will continue to read it, because Tarare drags you forward along the path with him to the end.

The author, AK Blakemore, has the most delicious way with words. And, I will admit, I did have to look up quite a few, but they were always the perfect choice. They also chose to use a figure from French history, which I did not realize until about two-thirds of the way through the book when something made me do a quick google search. They couldn’t have picked a better character to reimagine.

Give ‘The Glutton’ a go. It will stick with you for a long time, which to me is the sign of a great novel.

Thank you to Net Galley and Scribner for the eArc in exchange for my honest review.

After finishing The Glutton several days ago, I find myself still thinking of the main character often. If you google the subject first, you understand that the shocking sections of the book are necessary but what will remain with me is the deep connection and empathy I feel for this young man. The books stands out for me, because it was both very interesting and beautifully written.

The Glutton tells the story of Tarare, a peasant born during the French Revolution. A historical figure, Tarare had a prodigious appetite, which could not be sated. He was able to eat almost anything and became a showman.

As with A.K. Blakemore’s previous novel, The Manningtree Witches, The Glutton is concerned with those people who find themselves on the outskirts of society. Although this is set during the French revolutions with its cries of “Liberté, égalité, fraternité!” Tartare finds himself ostracized and mistreated.

Always on the outside, even within his own family, we follow Tarare on his journey from a wide-eyed naïf to a jaded 27-year-old. During this journey we see Tarare try to find community, love and understanding. He never manages.

Yet, despite his strangeness and despite being driven by his hunger, Blakemore managers to make Tarare a character that the reader empathizes with and understands.

It is this and Blakemore’s exquisite language that makes this both one that is worth reading and spending some time with.