Bookseller Reviews
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Nothing short of a masterpiece!
A new novel by David Szalay is not a regular occurrence, he is definitely an author opting for quality over quantity in terms of his writing and, in Flesh,... READ MORE
Gahhh... more books like this please!
A novel to be devoured- I was swept up by the writing and spat out at the end a little wrung out and worse for wear by MY GOD it was worth it. Flesh is ess... READ MORE
Superb start to 2025
Flesh unerringly draws you in, written in short sentences draped over the bones of young István’s sexual experiences at first. As the story effortlessly pr... READ MORE
Fiery, visceral, precise
"Flesh" is first class fiction. Szalay turns a dusty, rough mirror on boyhood to manhood, and sort of drowns the reader in a loss of innocence, highlightin... READ MORE
A strong Booker Prize contender
A compelling, pacey, intricately made novel taking us through 40-odd years of the protagonist’s life from a single-parent home in Hungary to London’s super... READ MORE
Such a uniquely written book!
I’ve never read a book like this. David Szalay writes in a way that flows so easily, the actual sentences so simple yet crafted perfectly to capture a lone... READ MORE
Spare and Striking!
A novel that pulls the reader to its pages, and doesn’t let go until the end. It is an interesting, thought-provoking read. The writing is fantastic, and I... READ MORE
Powerful and passive
This is a skilfully written book with themes of power, money, masculinity and identity.
I could see the author's purpose but it was hard to identify wit... READ MORE
An Accidental Life
At the heart of this stunning novel is the story of Istvan, and his life, seemingly shaped wholly by the actions of other individuals. From a Hungarian hig... READ MORE
Realistic, confronting and provoking
This pared back and unsentimental novel follows István as he navigates the world as an outsider: a newcomer, a soldier, an immigrant, a driver for the supe... READ MORE
Couldn't put it down.
I couldn’t put this book down. From the moment Istvan appeared on the page, I felt an instant connection to him and found myself completely absorbed in his... READ MORE
A stunning contemporary bildungsroman
A stunning contemporary bildungsroman.
I tore through Istvan's story from beginning to end. This is an incredibly readable and thought provoking portra... READ MORE
I LOVED IT!!
When I tell you my jaw DROPPED.
I picked this up purely because I was up in Leeds for the weekend and finished my last book earlier than planned and I u... READ MORE
Synopsis
From author David Szalay, comes a propulsive, hypnotic novel, about a man who is unravelled by a series of events beyond his grasp
Fifteen-year-old István lives with his mother in a quiet apartment complex in Hungary. New to the town and shy, he is unfamiliar with the social rituals at school and soon becomes isolated, with his neighbour – a married woman close to his mother’s age – as his only companion. These encounters shift into a clandestine relationship that István himself can barely understand, and his life soon spirals out of control.
As the years pass, he is carried gradually upwards on the currents of the twenty-first century’s tides of money and power, moving from the army to the company of London’s super-rich, with his own competing impulses for love, intimacy, status and wealth winning him unimaginable riches, until they threaten to undo him completely.
Spare and penetrating, Flesh is the finest novel yet by a master of realism, asking profound questions about what drives a life: what makes it worth living, and what breaks it.
Publisher information
- Publisher: Vintage Publishing
- ISBN: 9780224099783
- Number of pages: 368
- Dimensions: 241 x 161 x 32 mm
- Weight: 579g
- Languages: English
Customer Reviews
View allDetached and unfeeling, yet horrifying at the same time.
Firstly I want to say thank you to the author and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
After having finished the novel I feel she... READ MORE
Fascinating read with a unique style
I found this a mixed experience. I loved the direct style of writing but did at times find it a challenging read and difficult to gain a connection with th... READ MORE
An affective, thought-provoking read
This is an affecting story about Istvan’s life and the twists and turns in his fortunes, taking him from his modest family home in Hungary to England and t... READ MORE
The inner lives of inarticulate men
I read the third chapter of this as a standalone story in the New Yorker, and liked it, though the very flat, choppy dialogue and descriptions aren’t my us... READ MORE
Powerful and provocative - pulls you in
Flesh is a curious read.- stark - direct - but pulls you in
Following the life of 15 year old István - a lonely boy living with his mother in a Hungari... READ MORE
Very moving
David Szalay's latest novel, Flesh, tells the story of a lonely Hungarian boy to whom things happen, from the sexual to the physical. There is a detached ... READ MORE
Unique & fascinatingly raw
This book was unlike anything I have ever read before. The author somehow creates such an interesting and complex character out of a gentleman who, quite f... READ MORE
Szalay's prose is stark and spare; I would not be surprised to see this longlisted for the Booker Prize in 2025.
David Szalay was shortlisted for The Booker Prize for his 2016 novel, 'All That Man Is.' 9 years later, he returns with another possible contender with his... READ MORE
A modern day morality tale- direct and powerful
Flesh is a curious read.- stark - direct - but pulls you in
Following the life of 15 year old István - a lonely boy living with his mother in a Hungari... READ MORE
Effortlessly brilliant
Flesh by David Szalay is a free-flowing story starting with a fifteen year old boy who becomes a man and follows many episodes of his life and his relation... READ MORE
A man who drifted
Flesh by David Szalay is one of those books I finished, closed slowly, and then just... sat with. Not because I was emotionally shattered—though there’s pa... READ MORE
A tale with a touch of existentialism
This is the story of Istvan and starts with him in Hungary as a fifteen year old and follows him throughout his life, his loves and his ups and downs. He t... READ MORE
Flesh, by David Szalay
At first, I wasn’t sure if I could connect with such a quiet, emotionally distant character, but Flesh surprised me. It’s a stark, slow-burn novel that qui... READ MORE
One thing most definitely leads to another
Flesh tells the story of István, each chapter of the book representing one in his life. In this way, David Szalay saves a lot of exposition: the reader soo... READ MORE
Bleak and curiously disengaging 3.5 rating
It’s difficult to know how to characterise the role of Istvan, the central character in this story. He is not the hero, he isn’t even particularly and anti... READ MORE
Four stars!
In Flesh, David Szalay presents a propulsive, hypnotic tale about István, a man whose life is shaped by forces beyond his control. From his isolated teenag... READ MORE
Latest from the author of "All That Man Is"
David Szalay first came to my attention in 2016 when his short story collection “All That Man Is” was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. The collection its... READ MORE
Literary Fiction
Istvan is a 15 year old school =boy in Hungary when we meet hiiiii, he's an awkward boy who finds it difficult to fit in at school. His mother makes him h... READ MORE
Contemporary literature
A modern novel tracing the life and loves of Istavan a Hungarian man living at first with his mother.The story follows his life from time in a young offend... READ MORE
Cool and compelling
David Szalay’s Flesh draws you in, in a way that seems contradictory to the cool, detached writing style. The story of István takes us from his youth in Hu... READ MORE
Compulsive yet uncomfortable reading
I found this a compulsive read, in that I had to know what was going to become of Istvan. The writing, simple and yet graphic at times, had a rhythm that r... READ MORE
All bones and no flesh
Flesh represents the apotheosis of the trend in lit fic to focus on the alienation of modernity, portraying characters whose lives are devoid of intimacy a... READ MORE
Why bother?
I may be in a minority of one, but this is such a dull, badly written novel; I forced myself to read to the end and was relieved when I could close the bac... READ MORE
really poor book
from the beginning with the serial abuse of a young man by an older woman to the end where he ended up with his mothers it all started I found it superfici... READ MORE
Sparing & Sensitive
15 year old István, a shy introvert, lives with his mother in a small apartment in Hungary. An illicit relationship develops between him & and a married wo... READ MORE
Detached, icy yet intriguing
An interesting, yet intensely cold book. The 2025 booker prize winner chronicles the life of a man starting from when he is fifteen living in hungry, going... READ MORE
Missed the email….
Great art always subjective but for me, I missed the email and the hype around this dreary, anodyne life story of a gentlemen with no particularly redeemin... READ MORE
Verified Purchase
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Totally bored to tears!
The Booker Prize must of had very few candidates last year or set itself a very low standard. Everything seemed so ridiculous. The fact I am giving it two... READ MORE
Beautiful and truthful
David Szalay can write such simple text and still have it be full of life. This novel is grounded and true and such an easy read. I could sit down for hour... READ MORE
An interesting tale about love
This is such a weird book. It reminds me of the film with Tom Hanks. Istvan, the protagonist, seems to be quite dim in his actions. He doesn’t really say a... READ MORE
Booker Winner 2025
Booker Winner 2025
Thank you to the publishers for this review copy.
I had no expectations for this book before starting it, I hadn't predicted it's win ... READ MORE
A harsh and brutal beauty
A harsh and brutal story of one man's life as he passes through different times, places and experiences in his life. It is told with power and restraint, a... READ MORE
Uncomfortable, honest, and very human
Reading Flesh made me think about how much of life is lived in between decisions, driven by impulse, habit, or circumstance. It’s a quiet, unsettling book ... READ MORE
Challenging but insightful
This is a story about a man of our time. About how society influences an individual’s story. It also reflects abuse and objectification in our world. It is... READ MORE
Verified Purchase
A worthy winner.
I know Flesh has had a lot of 3* reviews, but I’m going to say how much I enjoyed it. It seemed to me to be the story of a quiet man who always kept himsel... READ MORE
well written but depressing
A unique novel completely centred around a protagonist who isn't particularly likeable although he's redeemed by a handful of notably brave acts. In the do... READ MORE
An incredible book - give it your time
I begin reading this book knowing not at all what to expect other than it had been shortlisted for the Booker Prize and hopefully would be worthy of my tim... READ MORE
Jaundiced
Over time the author has developed a stripped down prose style which is distinctive. However, this means the novel lacks variety of pace and tone. The auth... READ MORE
Sex, money, love and loss - how we live today
There couldn’t be a better title for this book than Flesh. It is the naked skin, fat and sinew of a man’s life.
Istvan is Hungarian, raised by his moth... READ MORE
fictional biography
I’d describe this book as a “fictional biography.” I kept wanting to connect more deeply with the characters, but they remained fairly surface-level and de... READ MORE
a simple read
A simple read but plenty to think about along the journey.
Flesh is too fleshy
Beautiful writing only partially masks a nasty book about an amoral man. This book is so obsessed with heartless sexual encounters that it almost loses foc... READ MORE
Verified Purchase
Colin in Droitwich
I read this book on the basis that it had won the 2025 Booker Prize.
Please, let me tell you, and help to save you a waste of money and time, it is poss... READ MORE