10 Best Books Like Tender Is the Flesh

If you loved Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica, here are the most similar books our readers recommend.

Tender Is the Flesh cover
Literary Fiction4.22020240 pages

After a virus makes all animal meat deadly, humanity has transitioned to legally farming and consuming human flesh—euphemistically called "special meat." Marcos works at a processing plant trying not to think about his grim profession until he's given a live human specimen as a gift, forcing him to confront the horrifying world he's helped create. As he begins to see her humanity, he must grapple with what society has lost and whether redemption is still possible.

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Detailed Recommendations

2
1984 cover

by George Orwell

01949

Why you'll love it:

This literary fiction shares a bleak and claustrophobic tone that will resonate with Tender Is the Flesh fans.

4
Rebecca cover

by Daphne du Maurier

02012448 pages

Why you'll love it:

This literary fiction shares a brooding and atmospheric tone that will resonate with Tender Is the Flesh fans.

Quick Comparison: Books Like Tender Is the Flesh

BookAuthorRatingYearPagesBest For
The Handmaid's TaleMargaret Atwood01985—Closest match
1984George Orwell01949—Similar vibes
Crime and PunishmentFyodor Dostoevsky4.72012608Similar vibes
RebeccaDaphne du Maurier02012448Similar vibes
The Picture of Dorian GrayOscar Wilde01890—Similar vibes
The Corruption of Hollis BrownK. Ancrum4.52025384Similar vibes
All the Light We Cannot SeeAnthony Doerr02014—Similar vibes
My Sister's KeeperJodi Picoult02005—Similar vibes
A Little Life: A NovelHanya Yanagihara4.52015—Similar vibes
The Scarlet LetterNathaniel Hawthorne4.42005212Similar vibes

Authors Who Write Like Agustina Bazterrica

If you enjoy Agustina Bazterrica's writing style, explore these similar authors.

Frequently Asked Questions

What books are most similar to Tender Is the Flesh?

The most similar books to Tender Is the Flesh are The Handmaid's Tale, 1984, Crime and Punishment.

What should I read after Tender Is the Flesh?

After finishing Tender Is the Flesh, readers most commonly pick up The Handmaid's Tale next.

Who writes books like Agustina Bazterrica?

Authors similar to Agustina Bazterrica include Kazuo Ishiguro, Cormac McCarthy.

What genre is Tender Is the Flesh?

Tender Is the Flesh is a Literary Fiction novel by Agustina Bazterrica, published in 2020.

How long is Tender Is the Flesh?

Tender Is the Flesh is 240 pages long.

About Tender Is the Flesh

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.