Overview

A New York Times EDITORS' CHOICE Shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize MOST ANTICIPATED by The Guardian - Paste Magazine - LitHub - The Millions - Library Journal From the prizewinning author of The Manningtree Witches, 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. ""Obscenely beautiful...Every sentence is gorgeous...Powerful and provocative."" --The New York Times Book Review ""This year, I found myself seeking one quality above all others from the books I read: escapism. And no book plunged me into another world quite so bracingly as The Glutton."" --Vogue 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.

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Reviews

Praise for The Manningtree Witches This is an intimate portrait of a clever if unworldly heroine who slides from amused observation of the 'moribund carnival atmosphere' in the household of a 'possessed' child to nervous uncertainty about the part in the proceedings played by her adored tutor to utter despair as a wagon carts her off to prison. --Alida Becker, The New York Times Book Review Blakemore brings both beautifully crafted sentences and a thorough understanding of Hopkins' theology to her fascinating novel . . . It's clear that the author is deeply conversant in the historiography of English witchcraft as popularized by historians such as Keith Thomas and Lyndal Roper. Her characters plumb the taxonomy of the persecuted with precision . . . Brilliant. --Los Angeles Times The Manningtree Witches ventures into dark places, to be sure, but it carries a jewelled dagger. Blakemore is a poet, and readers given to underlining may find their pencils worn down to stubs . . . Such sharp wit and rich textures would be welcome in any setting, but here they form what seems a fitting tribute. The persecutors in this tale are given close scrutiny, but the book belongs to the persecuted. And on these pages, in all their ordinary glory, those women are at last allowed to live. --Paraic O'Donnell, The Guardian In A.K. Blakemore's dark, entrancing debut novel, there is something seductive about the small town of Manningtree, where women are left mostly alone as the men are off at war, and have their first tastes of freedom in their staunchly Puritanical society . . . Blakemore's story is inspired by real events from 400 years ago (primary sources are sprinkled throughout), but the narrative feels vivid, current, propulsive--and all the more viscerally deranging for it. --Kristin Iversen, Refinery29 Blakemore expertly wields the colorful language of Oliver Cromwell's time: her barbs are as sharp and her observations as salty as William Shakespeare's--but with a feminist twist . . . Blakemore has written a spellbinding novel about the unprecedented persecution of women during the 'Witch Craze' in 17th-century England. But she has done more than that . . . [she] has given voice to women whose stories have only been told by others and thus provides a very different view of history than what is written in the official narrative. --Elaine Elinson, The Los Angeles Review of Books Blakemore's novel, as Rebecca Tamas puts it, 'makes the past breathe, ' with a captivating ferocity of language, deftly wrought characters, and richly spooky images that tell a story I couldn't put down despite the dreaded ending I knew I was in for. But the past breathes whether Blakemore brings it to life or not. The present moment is a continuation of the past. We are here because we were there. We are still there. --Hannah Lamb-Vines, Full Stop While this is a historical novel of sorts, it ultimately feels very modern and can be seen as a reflection of the misogyny in the 21st Century. Blakemore is brilliant and Manningtree [Witches] is just the tip of the iceberg. --Adam Vitcavage, Debutiful If you too like to be excited (and disturbed, and amused) by your sentences, I suggest you pick up this tensile first novel by poet A.K. Blakemore . . . I'm shivering just thinking about it, but never have I been so glad to be so upset! --Emily Temple, Literary Hub [Blakemore's] poetic imagery exquisitely conjures ambiance, character, and period detail . . . The well-realized principal characters are more than simply victims and villains. --Booklist In Blakemore's debut novel, her background as a poet is clear. The language is striking, full of distinctive insights regarding gender, truth, and religious devotion . . . Historical fiction has rarely felt so immediate. --Kirkus Reviews Inventive, sharp-witted . . . The author is a devastatingly good prose stylist . . . Blakemore's ambitious and fresh take on the era will delight readers. --Publishers Weekly Blakemore writes with a sure sense of story and the heightened language of the poet she is. --Library Journal A.K. Blakemore's debut is a riveting, unsettling story of menace, corruption, and muck, rendered in limber, evocative prose that delights and surprises at every turn. Its heroine wants too much, and too often, and the wrong thing--which is quite a bit more dangerous than usual, considering this is 17th century England and the Witchfinder General has just come to town. Based on actual events, but told in a deliciously brazen voice, this novel reads like Fleabag meets Hilary Mantel: bawdy, bewitching, weird, and wise. I loved every minute, and even when I was horrified, I didn't want to look away. --Emily Temple, author of The Lightness I loved this riveting, appalling, addictive debut. In The Manningtree Witches, Blakemore captures the shame of poverty and social neglect unforgettably, and the alluring threat of women left alone together, in a novel which vividly immerses the reader in the world of those who history has tried to render mute. --Megan Nolan, author of Acts of Desperation Dark, original, unsettling, and crackling with fierce and visceral life, The Manningtree Witches heralds the birth of an utterly vital new voice in fiction. A.K. Blakemore makes the past breathe, and allows it, with dazzling candour, to speak hotly to the complicated reality of our own moment. --Rebecca Tamas, author of WITCH

"Praise for The Manningtree Witches ""This is an intimate portrait of a clever if unworldly heroine who slides from amused observation of the 'moribund carnival atmosphere' in the household of a 'possessed' child to nervous uncertainty about the part in the proceedings played by her adored tutor to utter despair as a wagon carts her off to prison."" --Alida Becker, The New York Times Book Review ""Blakemore brings both beautifully crafted sentences and a thorough understanding of Hopkins' theology to her fascinating novel . . . It's clear that the author is deeply conversant in the historiography of English witchcraft as popularized by historians such as Keith Thomas and Lyndal Roper. Her characters plumb the taxonomy of the persecuted with precision . . . Brilliant."" --Los Angeles Times ""The Manningtree Witches ventures into dark places, to be sure, but it carries a jewelled dagger. Blakemore is a poet, and readers given to underlining may find their pencils worn down to stubs . . . Such sharp wit and rich textures would be welcome in any setting, but here they form what seems a fitting tribute. The persecutors in this tale are given close scrutiny, but the book belongs to the persecuted. And on these pages, in all their ordinary glory, those women are at last allowed to live."" --Paraic O'Donnell, The Guardian ""In A.K. Blakemore's dark, entrancing debut novel, there is something seductive about the small town of Manningtree, where women are left mostly alone as the men are off at war, and have their first tastes of freedom in their staunchly Puritanical society . . . Blakemore's story is inspired by real events from 400 years ago (primary sources are sprinkled throughout), but the narrative feels vivid, current, propulsive--and all the more viscerally deranging for it."" --Kristin Iversen, Refinery29 ""Blakemore expertly wields the colorful language of Oliver Cromwell's time: her barbs are as sharp and her observations as salty as William Shakespeare's--but with a feminist twist . . . Blakemore has written a spellbinding novel about the unprecedented persecution of women during the 'Witch Craze' in 17th-century England. But she has done more than that . . . [she] has given voice to women whose stories have only been told by others and thus provides a very different view of history than what is written in the official narrative."" --Elaine Elinson, The Los Angeles Review of Books ""Blakemore's novel, as Rebecca Tamás puts it, 'makes the past breathe, ' with a captivating ferocity of language, deftly wrought characters, and richly spooky images that tell a story I couldn't put down despite the dreaded ending I knew I was in for. But the past breathes whether Blakemore brings it to life or not. The present moment is a continuation of the past. We are here because we were there. We are still there."" --Hannah Lamb-Vines, Full Stop ""While this is a historical novel of sorts, it ultimately feels very modern and can be seen as a reflection of the misogyny in the 21st Century. Blakemore is brilliant and Manningtree [Witches] is just the tip of the iceberg."" --Adam Vitcavage, Debutiful ""If you too like to be excited (and disturbed, and amused) by your sentences, I suggest you pick up this tensile first novel by poet A.K. Blakemore . . . I'm shivering just thinking about it, but never have I been so glad to be so upset!"" --Emily Temple, Literary Hub ""[Blakemore's] poetic imagery exquisitely conjures ambiance, character, and period detail . . . The well-realized principal characters are more than simply victims and villains."" --Booklist ""In Blakemore's debut novel, her background as a poet is clear. The language is striking, full of distinctive insights regarding gender, truth, and religious devotion . . . Historical fiction has rarely felt so immediate."" --Kirkus Reviews ""Inventive, sharp-witted . . . The author is a devastatingly good prose stylist . . . Blakemore's ambitious and fresh take on the era will delight readers."" --Publishers Weekly ""Blakemore writes with a sure sense of story and the heightened language of the poet she is."" --Library Journal ""A.K. Blakemore's debut is a riveting, unsettling story of menace, corruption, and muck, rendered in limber, evocative prose that delights and surprises at every turn. Its heroine wants too much, and too often, and the wrong thing--which is quite a bit more dangerous than usual, considering this is 17th century England and the Witchfinder General has just come to town. Based on actual events, but told in a deliciously brazen voice, this novel reads like Fleabag meets Hilary Mantel: bawdy, bewitching, weird, and wise. I loved every minute, and even when I was horrified, I didn't want to look away."" --Emily Temple, author of The Lightness ""I loved this riveting, appalling, addictive debut. In The Manningtree Witches, Blakemore captures the shame of poverty and social neglect unforgettably, and the alluring threat of women left alone together, in a novel which vividly immerses the reader in the world of those who history has tried to render mute."" --Megan Nolan, author of Acts of Desperation ""Dark, original, unsettling, and crackling with fierce and visceral life, The Manningtree Witches heralds the birth of an utterly vital new voice in fiction. A.K. Blakemore makes the past breathe, and allows it, with dazzling candour, to speak hotly to the complicated reality of our own moment."" --Rebecca Tamás, author of WITCH"

"""Obscenely beautiful...Every sentence is gorgeous...[The Glutton is] a novel of revolution, deeply socialist and feminist, exploring the privileges of class and gender, a novel preoccupied with bodies, their labor, the marks they make, the humanity within...Tarare's restless hunger in revolutionary France feels very real, viscerally so, in 2023. One senses in it the dissatisfaction of living under capitalism; the hollows left by the billionaire class, which, like France's monarchy, is a 'parasite with its mouthparts buried deep'; and our desperate disconnection, the longing to see and be seen...powerful and provocative.""--The New York Times Book Review ""No book plunged me into another world quite so bracingly as A.K. Blakemore's second novel, The Glutton. It's a grisly and utterly gripping picaresque following the life of Tarare, a young man in 18th-century France who flees his hometown after a violent run-in, eventually becoming a street performer, solider, and spy. It's just as immersive and vividly realized as any work of science fiction or fantasy--and a lot more gory.""--Vogue ""Blakemore is a breathtakingly fine writer... she can conjure with equal force the beauty of the natural world and the deathbed stench of rotting wounds. There are few writers who can be truly likened to Hilary Mantel, but Blakemore is one: not only because Mantel wrote novels about both the French Revolution and the life of a human exhibit, but because Blakemore shares her rare ability to reanimate the past in a way that makes it knowable to us, while remaining true to itself.""--The Observer ""One of the best books of the year... The Glutton is remarkable for its beautiful language, for its hallucinatory imagery, and for its ability to mingle these things with the world of 18th-century poor folk.""--The Guardian ""Blakemore takes Tarare's life, recorded only in a medical paper, and puts the meat on the bones. But what meat it is. Blood drips from every page as she creates a banquet of gorgeously crafted, unexpected images. You'll find yourself turning them over in your mind for days.""--Evening Standard ""Drawn on a real-life figure whose apparently insatiable (and reputedly even cannibalistic) appetites left his 18th-century contemporaries agog... Rivetingly inserting itself into the blanks of the historical record, this is a smart, endlessly stylish novel, glinting with sly intelligence and humour.""--Daily Mail ""Excellent... Blakemore's writing is exceptional, saturated with the viscera of this life...Tarare doesn't know his letters, but Blakemore gives him the yearning inner life of a poet: the sort of boy who as a child would escape his mother's hut to watch the neighbours' pigs sleep and wonder about their dreams.""--The Telegraph ""[The Glutton] has the most visceral, haunting, and downright disturbing historical premises we've seen in a while.""--Paste (most anticipated) ""The great gift of this novel is that Blakemore somehow never loses sight of the warm, thrumming humanity that is Tarare. He's a man, he's a monster, he's a frightened boy and he's a living myth. All of these aspects live through Blakemore's lyrical, sweeping prose, making The Glutton a stunning, mesmeric novel of uncommon power.""--BookPage (starred review) ""Atmospherically charged and written in eloquent and compassionate prose, this is a lusty feast.""--Publisher's Weekly (starred review) ""[Blakemore] deftly questions what terrible appetites develop when people are denied love and a place in the world.... In Blakemore's skilled hands, Tarare becomes complex and fully human rather than an abject horror and historical footnote. Viseral and haunting.""--Kirkus ""Gorgeous and brutal, striking and wise, The Glutton is, at its core, a rich story of the lengths we will go to find belonging. A lyrical and propulsive reimagined historical rendering that will strike a deep cord with today's readers. Like nothing else I've ever read. Absolutely outstanding.""--Chelsea Bieker, author of Heartbroke ""An embarrassment of riches. A sensory assault fit to slap any reader awake with its gorgeous glut of baroque prose and wise, poised lessons on life, pleasure, class, desire, and love.""--Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of The Dance Tree ""The Glutton contains some of the most striking writing I have read in a very long time. An audacious and humane study of desire, pain and tenderness; a remarkable book about a remarkable subject by a remarkable writer""--Keiran Goddard, author of Hourglass ""Can there be any human frailty beyond this author's understanding? The Glutton is an extraordinary accomplishment, a truly horrible and truly glorious novel. I devoured it. AK Blakemore's intelligence is tempered by a profound and merciful human compassion, and the tragic making and breaking of Tarare is going to be with me for quite some time. Heartbreaking.""--Annie Garthwaite, author of Cecily"

"""Gorgeous and brutal, striking and wise, The Glutton is, at its core, a rich story of the lengths we will go to find belonging. A lyrical and propulsive reimagined historical rendering that will strike a deep cord with today's readers. Like nothing else I've ever read. Absolutely outstanding.""--Chelsea Bieker, author of Heartbroke ""An embarrassment of riches. A sensory assault fit to slap any reader awake with its gorgeous glut of baroque prose and wise, poised lessons on life, pleasure, class, desire, and love.""--Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of The Dance Tree ""The Glutton contains some of the most striking writing I have read in a very long time. An audacious and humane study of desire, pain and tenderness; a remarkable book about a remarkable subject by a remarkable writer""--Keiran Goddard, author of Hourglass ""Can there be any human frailty beyond this author's understanding? The Glutton is an extraordinary accomplishment, a truly horrible and truly glorious novel. I devoured it. AK Blakemore's intelligence is tempered by a profound and merciful human compassion, and the tragic making and breaking of Tarare is going to be with me for quite some time. Heartbreaking.""--Annie Garthwaite, author of Cecily"

Author Information

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.

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