01
Why it matters
Szalay turns a decades-spanning life into a study of masculine silence and mobility.
A celebrated work
Flesh
David Szalay2 lists & prizes
2025 selection · Literary fiction
Flesh
István’s life moves from a quiet Hungarian adolescence through military service and into the world of London wealth. Spare episodes trace how desire, class, luck, and violence shape his ascent.
02
Read this if…
You like cool, economical prose with moral pressure beneath the surface.
03
Ideas inside
classdesirepoweridentity
Get or borrow
Continue with this book.
Affiliate disclosure: We may earn a commission when you purchase through these links, at no extra cost to you. Editorial selections are independent.
Further reading
Read the critics
Independent reviews and criticism from established publications. Links open at the original outlet.
Primary record
Verify the selection
Every inclusion traces back to the organization that made the selection.
Booker Prize — official winner recordOfficial record↗ (opens in a new tab)NPR Books We Love — official recommendation recordOfficial record↗ (opens in a new tab)NPR Books We Love — official recordOfficial record↗ (opens in a new tab)Continue reading
From the same conversation
Girl, Woman, Other
On 2 lists: Booker Prize, NPR Books We Love
Half-light: Collected Poems 1965–2016
National Book Award for Poetry
The Power
On 3 lists: Women’s Prize for Fiction, NPR Books We Love, The New York Times — 10 Best Books