Flesh (Szalay novel)

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Flesh, published in 2025, is the sixth novel by Canadian-Hungarian David Szalay. It tells a rags-to-riches story about a Hungarian man named István. He lives impulsively, making decisions without thinking them through. After his sexual awakening, juvenile detention, military service, and a series of menial jobs, István becomes a rich married socialite in London. This brings him some contentment, but his personality generates conflict with his new family. Some critics praised the novel's lean prose, compelling story and taciturn protagonist. Others disliked the book's omission of many important events in István's life and its sparse dialogue. The work won the 2025 Booker Prize. The chair of the judging panel, Roddy Doyle, called the book "singular" in its narrative style and said its sparseness invites the reader to engage with the character.

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