About The Glutton
A subversive historical novel set during the French Revolution, inspired by a young peasant boy turned showman, said to have been tormented and driven to murder by an all-consuming appetite.
1798, France. Nuns move along the dark corridors of a Versailles hospital where the young Sister Perpetué has been tasked with sitting with the patient who must always be watched. The man, gaunt, with his sallow skin and distended belly, is dying: they say he ate a golden fork, and that it’s killing him from the inside. But that’s not all—he is rumored to have done monstrous things in his attempts to sate an insatiable appetite… an appetite they say tortures him still.
Born in an impoverished village to a widowed young mother, Tarare was once overflowing with quiet affection: for the Baby Jesus and the many Saints, for his mother, for the plants and little creatures in the woods and fields around their house. He spends his days alone, observing the delicate charms of the countryside. But his world is not a gentle one—and soon, life as he knew it is violently upended. Tarare is pitched down a chaotic path through revolutionary France, left to the mercy of strangers, and increasingly, bottomlessly, ravenous.
This exhilarating, disquieting novel paints a richly imagined life for The Great Tarare, The Glutton of Lyon in 18th-century France: a world of desire, hunger and poverty; hope, chaos and survival. As in her cult hit The Manningtree Witches, Blakemore showcases her stunning lyricism and deep compassion for characters pushed to the edge of society in The Glutton, her most unputdownable work yet.
- Complete Title: The Glutton
- Format: Hardcover
- Language: English
- Number of Pages: 320
- Publication Time: October 31, 2023
- Publisher: Scribner
- ISBN: 1668030624
- ISBN13: 9781668030622
About A.K. Blakemore
A.K. Blakemore
A.K. Blakemore is the author of two collections of poetry: Humbert Summer and Fondue. She has also translated the work of Sichuanese poet Yu Yoyo. Her poetry and prose writing have been widely published and anthologized, appearing in The London Review of Books, Poetry, The Poetry Review, and The White Review, among other publications. Her debut novel, The Manningtree Witches won the Desmond Elliot Prize 2021. She lives in London, England.
Reviews The Glutton
Barry Pierce
finger licking good…
Annette
The Glutton imagines life of the Great Tarare, a historical figure known for bottomless appetite, in the 18th century France.The story begins with Tarare being locked up and under watchful eye of a nu…
Helga
Notes:* This book is a fictionalized version of the real Tarare who lived in the 18th century France and had the ability to devour anything.*This book is excellent if one wants to go on a diet. You wi…
Summer
I love reading literary and historical fiction works this time of year. AK Blakemore’s The Glutton not only delivered on both of these genres but also delivered me a truly incredible and unforgettab…
Willow Heath
A.K. Blakemore’s second historical novel continues her immaculate trend of injecting poetry into prose, and writing tales of tragedy and hardship with so much beauty and elegance.The Glutton is base…
Kate O’Shea
Most assuredly my sort of book so firstly, thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. For reasons unknown (except perhaps the oddity of Tarare’s disposition) it reminded me of Suskind’s brilliant Perfume. The r…
Dammitkassi
Not for the easily troubled. This is by far the oddest book I have read in as long as I can remember. It had bits of very dark, very funny humour and very touching emotive parts too. If you want that…
Kobe
4 stars. utterly bizarre but wonderfully dark and grotesque…
Erin
How good it is to be back in the realm of A. K. Blakemore! It seems to’ve been such a long time since The Manningtree Witches, which was a standout book of 2021 for me. Based upon the true story of a…