Flesh

A Novel

De: David Szalay

Narrado por: Daniel Weyman

WINNER OF THE 2025 BOOKER PRIZE AND A NATIONAL BESTSELLER

Finalist for the Kirkus Prize | Longlisted for the Carnegie Medal for Excellence

From “the shrewdest writer on contemporary masculinity we have” (Esquire), a “captivating...hypnotic...virtuosic” (The Baffler) novel about a man whose life veers off course due to a series of unforeseen circumstances.

Teenaged István lives with his mother in a quiet apartment complex in Hungary. Shy and new in town, he is a stranger to the social rituals practiced by his classmates and is soon isolated, drawn instead into a series of events that leave him forever a stranger to peers, his mother, and himself. In the years that follow, István is born along by the goodwill, or self-interest, of strangers, charting a rocky yet upward trajectory that lands him further from his childhood, and the defining events that abruptly ended it, than he could possibly have imagined.

A collection of intimate moments over the course of decades, Flesh chronicles a man at odds with himself—estranged from and by the circumstances and demands of a life not entirely under his control and the roles that he is asked to play. Shadowed by the specter of past tragedy and the apathy of modernity, the tension between István and all that alienates him hurtles forward until sudden tragedy again throws life as he knows it in jeopardy.

“Spare and detached on the page, lush in resonance beyond it” (NPR), Flesh traces the imperceptible but indelible contours of unresolved trauma and its aftermath amid the precarity and violence of an ever-globalizing Europe with incisive insight, unyielding pathos, and startling humanity.

Conflicted Intrigue

Hmmm… A dozen great take-offs, with zero smooth landings. I’m probably just too unsophisticated to appreciate the true art and inner meaning…

Engrossing and interesting style

The story progresses at a tight pace with an uncanny manner of style. The main character is both familiar and curious at the same time while all the forces around him seem to shape his decision making. I loved the way the conversations had a plain and believable style. I really enjoyed Istvan’s life from its humble beginnings to its believable conclusion. A great read and a well deserved prize.

Narration

I had high hopes for this book but it fell woefully short. The dialog was so mundane…. Primarily made up of “ok”, “yeah” and “sure”. It was painful to listen to and get through. The book was really a narration with a few dialog lines thrown in. Very disappointed that I wasted a credit

Masterful technique

I can’t explain how this author’s spare prose and monosyllabic dialogue produces a riveting story with distinct characters that’s fast paced and compelling. The vocal performance is delightful and filled with humor, pathos and distinctive character voices. This 2025 Booker Prize winner was worthy of its accolades.

Excellent writing - excellent reading!

Immersive and compelling. Extraordinarily economical writing style with a delicately shifting atmosphere. The reader performs it with rhythmic precision and an impressive but subtle attention to accents and voices. Whoever options this book should look at Yura Borisov to play Istvan!