Member Reviews

"The Glutton" by A.K. Blakemore is a visceral, lyrical plunge into the life of Tarare, a historical figure from revolutionary France known for his insatiable appetite. This historical fiction weaves a grim yet captivating tale of a peasant boy turned sideshow spectacle, whose hunger drives him to consume everything from live animals to unthinkable horrors. Blakemore’s poetic prose shines, painting a vivid, often grotesque portrait of 18th-century poverty and chaos, while infusing Tarare with a haunting humanity. The pacing can drag, and the unrelenting bleakness might not suit all tastes, but for those drawn to dark, beautifully crafted narratives, it’s a feast worth savoring—albeit with a strong stomach.

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There was a lot to like about this book - the style of writing and the language used was beautiful and it was definitely a unique story. For me personally, I did find it hard to get into and wasn't 100% gripped but that's my issue, not the book. The setting in late 18th century France was very vivid and I was transported to a different world but the weirdness of the story was just very different to my normal choices.

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I found this difficult to get into, not really to my liking despite thinking it would be from the cover info. Sadly it was a DNF.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

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I haven't been able to stop thinking about this novel since I read it. I've had some difficulty trying to conjure the appropriate words to express my love for it and haven't been able to, but I want to try nonetheless. Foremost, I loved Blakemore's prose, it's flowery, descriptiveness. Some may find it superfluous but it left me with an insatiable need to devour the novel.

We follows Tarare, born to an impoverished young window, from childhood, through his adulthood and until his death. A traumtic event leaves Tarare with an voracious appetite which increasingly leans into the taboo. It is a tragic story of greed, literal and figurative - one I won't soon forget.

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There was much to admire and enjoy in this book, but I think it was a case of personal taste, because I didn't quite click with it. I will read more from this author though. And I love the cover!

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I found this a bit of an odd read, not really to my liking so it was a DNF.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

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A child is born in the violence and degradation that characterised the French countryside just before the revolution. His father dies the moment he is born and his final gasp will be the name the child will bear for the rest of his life. A name that in time will become synonymous with horror because, having survived a murder attempt by his stepfather - a smuggler - who intends to get rid of him because, in his naivety, he is incapable of keeping quiet about his affairs, he awakens from his coma endowed with an insatiable appetite, so insatiable that he becomes a freak and eventually leads to murder. Tarare, this is his name, tells his story to a young nurse nun, in an exchange of confidences that leads the girl to question her own choices and to despair at the moment of that patient's death, a death expected and desired by the doctors who wish to open his body to steal his secret. In the background, the poverty of the Third Estate, the Revolution with its trail of blood and the battles to defend the Republic, which will soon become an empire.
The book is beautifully written and, despite the horrors it describes without turning a hair, it is almost impossible to close before reaching the last page, and Tarare is a tragic, human and unforgettable character.

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Thank,you Grants Publicstions and Netgalley.
After reading Manningtree Witches I was really looking forward to this but unfortunately it just wasn’t for me.
I tried 3 times and just couldn’t finish,

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Thank you to Granta and NetGalley for the complimentary copy of The Glutton by A.K. Blakemore.

This is a retelling of a true story.
We are introduced to Tarare as he is being watched by Sister Perpetua. Sister Perpetua has received strict instructions to not engage with the prisoner. It is while Tarare is imprisoned that his sad tale is told. I felt an incredible sadness for the child that was chased away from his family home and then injured in such a manner that resulted in his insatiable hunger and appetite for all things odd.

As the story unfolds we realise he never really belongs anywhere.

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The Glutton is very reminiscent of Lapvona. It's equally as weird, set in a historical background, and filled with characters and events which do not mince the truth. The Glutton is incredibly up front and at times hard to read, especially when he starts to put his eating skills to the test. I thought it was really interesting to read from Tarare's perspective and to see his view on the world, him being very much someone who just want to be loved but is only ever betrayed or used. I'll definitely be checking out further publications from this author and looking into their backlist.

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An exceptionally written book that seeps with sadness. The Glutton is set in late 18th century France and reimagines the story of The Great Tarar, a figure famed for his bottomless hungar and ability to devour anything. The descriptions are brutal and raw, so not for the fainthearted. The story is told from the perspective of Tarar tethered to a hospital bed under scrutiny from a young nun, who bears witness to his story and ailing frame. Tarar's early experiences in his village are tough, and he suffers a great deal. His story is tragic. A.K Blakemore has captured his story so evocatively. #theglutton #akblakemore #netgalley

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Insatiable hunger
Poor Tarare, his life gets of to a bad start, his Father is killed just before his birth, leaving his Mother Agnes to cope alone with him, she works hard and becomes a prostitute and ends up fostering two babies from the city along with his half sister, one of the babies dies amd Tartatre has to dispose of the body, he is a very emotional, trusting child. Nollet lives with his Mother and Tartare thinks of him as his Step Father although he is cruel with a harsh temper.
Nollet starts to smuggle salt and hides it in the cottage, whilst drunk Nollet gives away the secret to his friend Herve, who then breaks in and steals the salt. Nollet takes Tarare into the forest and beats him senseless with an axe, thinking he has killed him. Tarare recovers enough to crawl away, he is changed after his beating and is permanently hungry. When he comes across a group of itinerant travellers, they look after him and take him with them, on finding out his capacity for eating they make an exhibition of him and he eats many things, animals, intestines and metal. The travellers rob a rich woman and a man is murdered, it is too much for Tarare he manages to leave the group but is miserable and hungry.
Tarare then becomes a soldier thinking that he will get fed, the rations are not enough for him, on finding his ability to eat anything he is sent as a spy behind enemy lines and ends up eventually in hospital.
A sad sometimes amusing story of a misfit who is taken advantage and misunderstood.
Thank you NetGalley and A.K.Blackmore

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A.K. Blakemore's sophomore novel, The Glutton is utterly brilliant. Bringing to life revolutionary France, it's a blackly funny read about a man's insatiable appetite

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The Glutton is set in 17th century France and is about Tarare, a boy who seems to have an insatiable hunger. I found his story strange and at times uncomfortable. I found myself at times feeling pity towards him, and at times disgust, just like many other characters in the book. Tarare is a young man who is a victim of his circumstances in a tough world. I enjoyed the book but found the language overly complicated at times. I had to push through some of the slower parts but overall an interesting read.

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"The Glutton" by AK Blakemore serves up a tantalizing feast of historical fiction set against the backdrop of Revolutionary France. Meet Tarare, a man with an appetite as legendary as his journey. Blakemore's narrative grips from the first bite, as Tarare's insatiable hunger leads him through a landscape teeming with turmoil and upheaval. From the quaint village to the heart of Paris, Tarare's tale unfolds with electric intensity, offering a vivid glimpse into a world of desire and destruction. With prose as rich as a French pastry, "The Glutton" is a captivating exploration of one man's voracious appetite amid the chaos of revolution.

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In a Versailles hospital Tarare lies unloved, and largely forgotten, with only the young Sister Perpetué for company. That Tarare is dying is not disputed and as we travel along the journey of his past so we begin to see just what has made this man into The Great Tarare, The Glutton of Lyon, and into a monster whose gargantuan appetite would be his downfall. We meet Tarare in the aftermath of Revolutionary France as he recounts his life in dreadful detail to Sister Perpetué, which at times shocks her into silence. From rural France to his life as a soldier, and showman, Tarare is unsparing in sharing the horrors of his life.

Based on the true story of Tarare, the French showman and soldier, who was renown for his unusual eating habits, this is serious historical fiction at its absolute best. At times quite shocking whilst at others gravely serious I followed Tarare as he moved from the small rural village he was named after and into the nightmare which became the French Revolution. His huge and unusual appetite made him the subject of public scrutiny and in doing so he seemed to lose his humanity altogether.

Elegantly written, with beautifully written prose, which is, at times, so scarily realistic that I had to catch my breath, The Glutton definitely fired my imagination. I started the story feeling only revulsion for this man who was purported to have eaten all manner of unusual things only to find, by the conclusion to Tarare's story, that he was merely a misunderstood man and not a depraved monster.

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This just wasn't for me unfortunately, I found it hard to get into and a bit too strange for my tastes.

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Regrettably, I didn't finish the book. While the writing style was commendable, I lost interest as it seemed overly verbose. Perhaps it's just not aligning with my current preferences.

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A real historical romp, this. Truly a feast of pleasures. The writing, the vivid scenes, the characters - they were engrossing from the very start. I didn’t want it to stop.

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Unfortunately I dnf’d at 50%, although the writing style was good the book failed to keep me interested as it felt long winded. Possibly just my personal tastes at this moment in time.

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