Cadáver Exquisito

I picked up this book in original version, to practice Spanish. The book is well suited for a beginner learner. It is written in present, using simple words and short sentences. The vocabulary is also rather useful in general, since the story is mostly concerned with day to day life.

We are thrown into a world where a virus (that may or may not have existed) infected all animals with the exception of the birds. This virus is lethal to humans, so a choice is made to destroy all animals including livestock, pets and wildlife.

Soon after, people start clamoring for meat. And so the world governments, pushed by a strong lobby, authorize cannibalism. Naturally it still remains illegal to eat people, so a portion of the population is selected and turned into cattle.

The story follows a high level executive of a slaughterhouse/refrigeration company. Personal misfortune and the state of the world pushes him into depression. He finds his own job and all people associated with it despicable, but as he needs to care for his very ill father he keeps on working.

His life has lost its meaning, every interaction with other people describes how words don’t matter, things just happen.

As readers we accompany the main character on inspections of various parts of the supply chain like a breeding farm, a slaughterhouse and a meat shop. The book is an increasingly disturbing horror show; eating people alive and grilling infants is introduced in chapter two, and it only gets worse.

At first the book reads like a criticism of meat processing industry. Everything done to the hypothetical cattle in the book, and worse, is being done to millions of animals right now. Second layer, is a criticism of individuals who continue working in unethical fields, that they might even oppose. Maybe to maintain their lifestyle or sometimes just to survive. Post-modernist would blame the society for forcing this reality upon us¹.

However…

❦

Although the protagonist is critical of his line of work, his real moral dilemma is introduced when, after the death of his son, he impregnates one of the chattel women.