Description

Flesh by David Szalay is a sharp and unsettling novel that explores masculinity, desire, power, and moral ambiguity in contemporary Europe. The story follows a young man from Eastern Europe whose physical strength and good looks draw him into a series of relationships with older, wealthier women, gradually pulling him into a world shaped by money, control, and exploitation.

Written in Szalay’s characteristically restrained and precise prose, Flesh examines how bodies, class, and opportunity intersect in a modern capitalist society. The novel offers a cool, penetrating look at intimacy and ambition, revealing how personal choices are shaped by larger economic and social forces. Both provocative and deeply reflective, Flesh is a powerful meditation on vulnerability, agency, and the quiet consequences of desire.

About the Author

David Szalay is a British-Canadian novelist and short story writer, widely regarded as one of the most significant contemporary voices in literary fiction. He is the author of several acclaimed works, including All That Man Is, which was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. Szalay’s writing is known for its clarity, emotional restraint, and incisive exploration of modern life, particularly themes of masculinity, loneliness, and social power. His work has been translated into multiple languages and praised for its subtle psychological depth and realism.