by Anthony_Conty: “Flesh” by David Szalay immediately identifies itself as my favorite type of novel because you read the flap, and you still have no idea what it is going to be about. There are several time jumps, and you will feel disoriented, but you will still feel like antihero Istvan as he navigates his search for himself and the loss of his freedom in the arduous process.
When the topic, scene, and timeline change rapidly, you will experience the expected disorientation, but follow along with the essential parts of the character study. Istvan will remind you of Holden Caulfield, Damon Fields, or Lazarillo de Tormes, depending on your reading experience. He floats from one conflict to the other without prior warning.
I will summarize the plot until about the halfway point to avoid spoilers. Istvan gets involved with the older, married woman and accidentally kills her husband, leading to juvenile detention. This arrested development leads to several questionable decisions and unconventional relationships. The author develops the main character mostly through dialogue, which is unusual for Booker Prize winners that encourage deep thought.
So, what is the deeper meaning? Apparently, it tackles a character study of a man with limited direction and guidance. When you write your own law, morality suffers significantly. The class warfare that takes place later in the novel shows that you can lose sight of your own identity easily and that therapy can help even the most stoic.
I repeat this theme often, but the measure of a story is how much you care when tragedy strikes, and Istvan, the man of few words, has earned our sympathy. The last 35 pages will surely tug at your heartstrings. Some will say that the complete ending is too bleak, but Istvan stays true to himself for better or worse.
