Read Cows on a dare a couple months back and lemme tell you, I had the exact same reaction at the halfway point. To the point that I had to reread parts of the book to make sure that I didn’t miss a human character named “Cow” or something
Idk if ALL animals are killed in the first book but it actually is a bigger issue if it is; Animals contribute a lot to pollinations and spreading the seeds of fruit, nuts, vegetables, etc. if those animals are kileld then even the plant industry dies.
That's the thing and I'm not sure why she doesn't mention this because it is one of the first things said in the first chapter: There's a good chance the virus doesn't actually exist. Wild animals still exist. Stray dogs still exist. Birds still fly around. And they do still have plants, brush, vegetables, and farms with crops other than humans. As much as the world building of the book is great and engaging, it does honestly gloss over some pretty important world building elements.
All captive animals are killed. There are still animals in the world. There's actually a scene where Marcos's sister berates him for not carrying an umbrella in case a bird flies at him.
@@KettleBlacktheBat i believe it's mostly because it's meant to reflect the fact that Argentina (and a good chunk of South America) has cattle industry as one of the primary sources of income for the population. The use of the term "head" is a very direct way to show it's mostly about the industry itself.
The part of tender is the flesh where some of the employees are having a barbecue, cooking kids and somone says (not a direct quote) “they are celebrating one, one of them just became a father”
as someone who has never read it, cows highkey reminds me of the song meat by poppy, at first from the perspective of a human being abducted and used as livestock by aliens, before it quickly devolves into a cow's pov of the actual irl factory farm industry. especially the parts about some of the "free ones living in sewer cities", inbreeding, and forced cannibalism
I think Brownie is really cute! And I actually really love how Tender is the Flesh is actually really thought-provoking - something really uncomfortable and yet does talk about something in a way that seems really realistic Really glad to listen to your thoughts whether it's about disturbing books or feel-good nostalgic manga like Kitchen Princess
The main character of Cows is afraid of women because his mother abused him,so when he talks about wanting a housewife like the ones he sees on television,that's him saying that he wants a woman who's domesticated,who isn't capable of hurting him,she can't hurt him if he's the one in control,if he owns the house,if he controls the money,she has nothing that she can use against him,it's very much a product of the abuse he suffered at the hands of his mother,it's meant to show what abuse does to people...
It is true and sad how the actions of only ONE or a FEW people make certain victims see and paint other humans in that category with the same brush, acting as though they're all the same, but it's true what abuse can do to some people.
I interpreted it as he's afraid of people outside the apartment. The only people other than the HagBeast he's been exposed to are on the TV. In fact one of the early threats the HagBeast makes is to force Steven out of the apartment. There's actually a scene after the building collapses where Steven is faced with a street and he screams in terror at all the people when they see him before fleeing to 'cowland'.
Reading Tender is the Flesh and it reminds me a LOT of Kazuo Ishiguro's "Never Let Me Go", if anyone loves the idea of this but wants a more toned down version I'd recommend that one
This isn’t a disturbing book but a disturbing short story: “the decapitated chicken” by Horacio Quiroga. I read it in spanish in the 7th grade as part of the curriculum and it has stayed with me to this day. Another great story by Quiroga is “the feather pillow”. Quiroga was an Latin American writer, he even lived in the amazonian jungle for a couple of years (in the region in Misiones, Argentina) he’s written short stories for children set in the jungle, which are honestly really good (and a bit grotesque at times). To be honest, i want to see if the english translations of his stories hold up to the spanish ones, i haven’t gotten around to reading the translated ones yet. Quiroga himself was a very complicated person with a difficult life and tumultuous love affairs. Lmaooo this got long but i really can’t recommend this author enough if you want disturbing things, and he’s also a very important figure in latin American literature.
Oh yes, I remember being around 11 when I first read them, the feather pillow one had me checking my pillows every day for weeks lmao still read all those little messed up stories.
horacio quiroga short stories are part of the mexican literature curriculum, especially w el almohadón de plumas and to this day the stories really stick with one!! will check the other ones out
For me, if anyone says one mean thing about how Browny looks I swear to fuCKING GOD I'M GONNA gently remind them he's a beautiful boy and deserving of all the love and respect.
I have to say it....YOUR LIPS, YOUR NAILS, YOUR EYES, THEY ARE THE BOMB DOT COMMMMMM I HAVE TO KEEP REPLAYING CAUSE I CAN'T PAY ATTENTION TO ANYTHING ELSE LMAO...also another two books to add to my tbr, delicious 😌🤙🏻
In case you're taking suggestions, I'd highly recommend A Head Full Of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay. It may not be gross-out shock horror, it's more psychological horror, but I think it could be right up your alley
I’m the kind of person who unfortunately doesn’t have the time to read a lot of disturbing books (or any books for that matter, except my very precious House of Leaves because I love to be pretentious) but I still love hearing about them, so it’s very fun for me to see your channel starting to go in this direction!
Jules. I found "Totally Nude" because of you, and since I first watched the music video, my life has not known peace. I keep watching it over and over. It's mesmerizing.
So I found an E-Book for cows and holy shit it's fucked. But I'm pretty intrigued by it so far, I'm half done with chapter 17 at the moment. I'm kinda disturbed, but I totally get the "taking breaks" because like--a lump was kinda forming in my throat the more I read lmfao.
Oh please read The Troop by Nick Cutter. There's a scene in it that made me get up to just chew on fresh ginger b/c the imagery in their writing is so visceral and it upset my stomach physically. But I really did enjoy reading it! Think Lord of the Flies but with flesh eating parasites.
@@julesdapper5584please don’t, it’s not good or interesting and rather boring, you’d be wasting your time. Most of the shock horror is just this one screwed up kid getting hot and bothered over killing animals and worms (just a warning but you probably already forgot about this comment because it was from 2 years ago so nvm)
I was worried that the tamale i microwaved while watching this had meat in it but luckily it didn’t and I could watch you talk about cannibalism and shit in peace.
From what I understood, the cows are a stand-in for the working class. The cows know about human culture from observing the slaughterhouse for so many years. That's how they know about race relations, lol. They aren't racist, but they have a grasp on what bothers humans. It was the Guernsey that said it, the only "more evolved" cow. The author wrote about child abuse and its effects in an honest way that I have never seen before. It was a relief to read this book in a way. It is nice to be acknowledged without being shamed.
I SEVERELY need you to read 'I'm thinking of ending things'. It made me actually sick to my stomach. I don't read disturbing books often but this one did it for me. Yes, it is a movie on Netflix but the book is so much better and the ending gives you no fucking closure AT ALL. There's this really intense chase scene and I was actually saying to the book out loud "Just jump out a window!" the chase scene made me sick and I thought I was actually going to throw up just from fear for the Main Character. It's just an eerie vibe of a book overall.
I’m incredibly interested in reading Tender is the Flesh after watching this, but I have a question about one of the TWs. I believe I can handle most of what is listed except for the reference to SA. I can handle SA in stories as long as it is not at the mercy of a child or is extremely graphic in its description. Does either of that take place in this book?
⚠️⚠️⚠️ MASSIVE TRIGGER WARNING/ KINDA SPOILER⚠️⚠️⚠️ ⚠️ ⚠️ ⚠️ Okay so it's been a bit since I've read it, so I don't remember exacts. But yeah, they talk about the assault of a younger person, I think a teenager. I don't remember exactly how young, but ya know... too young. As far as the graphicness, it's descriptive enough to be upsetting. I guess I would recommend either skipping this book, or if you really want to check it out, just read a bit at a time and stop if it gets to be too much for you.
Not sure if this is helpful but it includes SA with a person who basically is mentally a child/cannot consent. It’s not graphic or described in detail but it did fuck me up.
You are the only person who would be able to make me want to read disturbing book... I am very delicate, but Tender of The Flesh sounds soooo interesting
Thanks for being the filter through which I experience these books, because I don't have the fortitude to read them myself. I watch a similar TH-cam channel for Baywatch episodes.
Tender is the flesh also works so well as like a NOVEL being adaptable to so many different themes, I got metaphors for love, capitalism, and I’m sure there are others I hadn’t picked up on but HOW DID I NOT GET THE ANIMAL RELATIONSHIP THEME 😭
I think if you genuinely recommend a book, you should give less information. The lack of information but the glowing review is what kept Tender is the Flesh in my mind for MONTHS until I finally found the audiobook on Spotify and listened to it. And oh my god it’s so incredible. It’s genuinely remarkable how easily you end up understanding the setting and Marcos’ story, and how it really feels like each event leads to another. I will say I’m personally less likely to read splatterpunk (which this book is not) so I prefer more spoiler-y reviews of those books because I’m far less likely to read them. But I love this series and hope to see more of it. It’s wonderful getting real reviews of these books because otherwise I may not pick them up at all because I don’t know if I’ll actually enjoy it, which I struggle with ALL genres. Love your work!
I don't know if House of Leaves is up your alley, but it is so weird and suspenseful and it's got those weird little moments of gore and or "wait, what happened?".
i could listen to you talk for hours, especially when it comes to media reviews! you're so articulate and have such an interesting point of view 💕 i'm adding p much all your recommendations to my reading list and i look forward to seeing more!
I love Tender is the flesh so much! I remember going into a book store and picked it up and so intrigued. I enjoyed it so much i used it for my book review for my english class and got 367/367. I really do recommend it, the way my skin feels aware as i read some of the methods they use on the head shakes my core. And your opinion on the world building is so right!! It’s so thought out and honestly addresses how the world has reacted and adapted to the virus. This book got me back into reading. Whenever i would yap about it most would look at me crazy but i don’t care at all. 10/10 read :3
Geez, these videos are great! I hope you put out more of these. I love (as someone with a weak stomach) watching people review books that I could never read. Great commentary, I've loved you're ability to tell stories since Daisy Brown.
when i read Tender is the Flesh it was in spanish, so i didn't recognize the tittle of the book at first, i got so excited to know you had read Cadáver Exquisito too! i've never thought too much about it but you're right with the worldbuilding stuff, it is SO well done, i kinda want to reread the book now haha also idk if i've said this before but i appreciate so much how you put explicit trigger warnings for the books, i can deal with some gross stuff but i'd like to know *what* it's going to be before reading
The timing! A bit silly but I was thinking today about how glad I am that you're doing this- like, when I watched daisy brown one of the only coherent thoughts I could form about it was along the lines of "this chick gets it, I bet she's cool as hell" and of course, turns out you are. Also there's just nothing I love more than this style of emotionally honest review video.
I am SO glad you exist and are doing these videos. you are one of the only people on TH-cam talking about books I’ve read. you’ve covered 3 I’ve read recently and 1 on my TBR.
Brownie makes me so incredibly happy. I've got a bear as old at I am (30 yrs fuckin christ) and I've been wanting to give him similar treatment but don't know the first thing about sewing. So that was super cathartic. I totally come for the reviews even though I myself am not much as a reader. I just love hearing the fucking up shit people come up with and how those feelings or horror and revulsion are used to mean something and if they succeed So I super do love this series and honestly keep getting tempted by every one you cover on this format.
I don't know if I recommended this when I commented last time, but I think you'd really like Earthlings by Sayaka Murata. I read it all in one night and it haunts me to this day. Weirdly, it probably was my entry point into questioning whether or not I'm asexual? TW for CSA, incest, stuff like that. It's more of a quiet and unsettling novel, but the end is a gut punch and I love it.
Maybe not the *most* disturbing, but Wasp Factory was incredibly good and definitely did not make me gag during that one scene. Uhhhhhhh Let's Go Play at the Adams (is that what it's called????) Anyway, keep up the great work!!!
That chapter changed how I viewed the book. Yes, the whole book is weird, but up to that point I had found it tamer than expected. It was really jarring
Yeees tender is the flesh is SO good. The author came to my school in 2020 to talk about it! She gave really good insight about how it felt to write the book, how the success impacted her and what was she writing next. She was really nice :)
Really enjoying your reviews! I honestly want to read both of these. I've been avoiding visual horror media lately for some reason, but I think I want to read something uncomfy.
There's something about Disturbing Books that allures me. Maybe it's cause I'm so used to disturbing games, cartoons, or even internet things. And books are such untapped potential that I can't get enough
1. Love the Junji Ito top. Uzimaki is awesome 2. Great video (btw I may skip Cows, sounds gross) 3. REALLY really looking forward to the next disturbing book review.
A friend read Tender is the flesh and from what you said about Cows is....they suffer from the same problems, the interesting parts are interesting but there are a lot of slow parts that you have to slog through to get to the good parts
@@julesdapper5584 I have not unfortunately, my friend was very detailed about Tender Is the flesh and I've had my eye of Cows, but finding time is hard xD
im part way thru haunted which my mother bought me when i was like 14 and i did not expect it to get a callout but all things considered that makes sense.
How I read the trigger warnings for gender is the flesh: animal cruelty and goth. My brain mixed death and gore and I have never laughed harder at myself 😂😂😂😂
a friend recommended me your channel and i was so excited to see these disturbing book reviews, i agree so much with a lot of what you say in your reviews of them! i really enjoyed Tender is the Flesh as well and the worldbuilding was the most fascinating and disturbing part of it. Something i wanted out of more of these books was more interesting prose, so one of my favorite disturbing books that i Highly recommend is Exquisite Corpse by Poppy Z. Brite. i think it raises some really thought-provoking stuff similar to what you said about Dead Inside (def gonna check that one out soon) and i really liked the writing style a lot as well :)
I’m reading cows right now and I’ve gotten to the part where he cooks for his mom. I had to stop for the night 😭 but a great song to compare this book to, would be chat pile- Slaughterhouse
Perhaps you should talk about No Longer Human (the Junji Ito adaptation). I’m a massive fan of Junji Ito’s work and in my opinion, No Longer Human is the disturbing book I’ve ever read. It’s a brilliant character study, it has amazing illustrations, it’s extremely disturbing and there’s many things in this book for you to talk about. This book is honestly a horror masterpiece.
I just finished TitF a little while ago, and I loved hearing your thoughts on it!^^ The world building was one of my favorite aspects of it-- especially the interview scene. I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
I have to recommend High Life by Matthew Stokoe, author of Cows. It's a fantastic book, with a much stronger plot and less of a reliance on shock value.
I’m not very far into this, but Under the Skin is also such a great book about using humans as food but for aliens. It’s soooooooo goooooodddd!!! There was a movie made years ago w Scarlett Johansson but they skipped over the entire part of the book where they go into the alien world and how they treat humans as cattle while the humans are aware the entire time. I loved it.
The most disturbing books I've ever read are Lautreamont's The Songs of Maldoror and The Tunnel by William Gass. The Songs of Maldoror is an occasionally very demented surrealist poetic novel from the mid-1800s about the nature of evil. Its composed of disjointed episodes covering Maldoror's bizarre escapades--for example, he mates with a shark, talks to a hair follicle, kills a dragon, torments many families, and chloroforms and bisects little girls to feed their flesh to giant lice he hope can one day inherit the earth. It's mostly rather beautiful and strange, really, it's an utter masterpiece and it was one of Dali's biggest inspirations. But it gets insanely gruesome, and there are passages wherein whats described is worse than anything ever yet depicted in film, that I legitimately cannot describe to anyone because it makes me nauseous to even think about; it would give a serial killer nightmares. The Tunnel is nasty and misanthropic. It has almost no violence or shock value, but the narrator is probably the most repulsive character in all of literature. It's about human hatred and prejudice in America. A college professor finds his historical research interrupted by reflections on his trip to Nazi Germany, his abusive father and his alcoholic mother, and his SA scandals--as he digs deeper into his past, he begins to dig a tunnel through his basement floor. Reading it is akin to suffocating for 650 pages. Highly recommended if you want to read one of the greatest American novels of the past 50 years or if you want to be unhappy for the next three weeks of your life.
I honestly want to read the books based in your descriptions, but I keep forgetting that these are extremely gory and upsetting and if hannibal can make me uncomfy, these are a no go
If you ever decide you want to read them you could look up where the book goes into territory that you want to avoid and skip over those parts or look up a summary If not it’s always best to be safe and avoid them if it’s not for you :)
@@leee1260 thank you! I didn't even think about skipping the gross parts! And since I'm not that scared of spoilers I think it won't be hard to find when their parts will come.
Been wanting to read both of these! Have you read Woom by Duncan Ralston? Would love to hear what you have to say. It was so disturbing but the way everything came together towards the end is amazing. Looking forward to more disturbing book reviews from you!
love your reviews! disturbing books are some of my favorites because everything is out on the floor and it allows for a lot of exploration of humanity. have you tried exquisite corpse by poppy z. brite/billy martin? its very dark but its written so beautifully (like i've never seen gore described like it was pretty) i would recommend checking out the tws if you are bothered by any heavy topics like SA, abuse, homophobia, and of course gore
If you liked Tender is the Flesh and want to learn more about the meat and animal product industry as a whole, I highly recommend reading Porkopolis by Alex Blanchette. It's an ethnography about the author's experience working in a slaughterhouse for two years. It's genuinely stomach turning at points, but it covers a lot of the themes found in Tender is the Flesh
I definitely recommend Dead Inside by Chandler Morrison. That book was a roller coaster. I had to put it down a few times just from sheer shock. I was expecting some messed up subjects but nothing on the level that book had.
What s perfect video to watch while I eat this Nutella and jam covered bagel. I'm sure there's no way for the contents of this video to make me regret my breakfast decision.
Suuuuuper late to this party, so hope you’ll see this comment lol I have read Cows & while I didn’t enjoy it, I thought it was interesting. The first half almost feels like an endurance test, if you can get through it, you’ve ‘earned’ the second half. I’m not sure the prize is worth the effort but that’s just me. Wanted to hit you up with a recommendation along the theme of these two books. Meat by Joseph D’Lacey I won’t say anymore, cos spoilers. But it’s one of my fav books Loving these reviews, glad yo have found you! ❤❤
I mostly really enjoyed tender is the flesh, i havent picked up a book in years honestly but i finished this one in just two days. I wasnt satisfied with the ending however, i dont know. *SPOILER* I was half hoping it would end with Marcos being reported and sent to the slaughter house, the last pages walking us through the process of him well... being processed, and sold to butcher shops at a reduced price or something along those lines.
New subbie here! Please do more videos like this! 🥺 I just finished watching both of your videos & I’m definitely going to read all of the books you mentioned. I recently read Tender Is The Flesh , I was both equally disturbed & amazed lol. Love from Texas! ✨🖤
Damn. It's too bad that the horrible torture porn parts of Cows are too overpowering, because the idea of a cow suddenly talking about overthrowing the system out of the blue is so fucking funny and interesting On the other hand I'm definitely reading Tender is the Flesh
Another reason i loved Tender is The Flesh is because obviously its about animal welfare but also i got the inkling of how far humanity will go if something is legalized and normalized. Morally, its fucked. Its cannibalism. Its rape. Its torture. But its legal here. All of this stuff is above board. And most of the characters just dont question it. Its legal. That means everything we're doing is fine, right? ESPECIALLY Marco's sister. She and her kids are so desensitized to whats happening. tldr, i love this damn book. and as its my introduction to horror books. And i want more.
I remember just reading Cows and having the AI voice read along with me on Kindle and i was following along, once the cow said a SLUR, I stopped for a little bit cause i was shook hahahah
Hi! You should try to give a look at Spider by Patrick McGrath, not so gruesomely disturbing, but its a nice new gothic pyschologic horror novella. Also, check out The Dualists by Bram Stoker. Awesome content, greetings from Mexico!
Read Cows on a dare a couple months back and lemme tell you, I had the exact same reaction at the halfway point. To the point that I had to reread parts of the book to make sure that I didn’t miss a human character named “Cow” or something
FR I was reading it and thinking “what the actual f*ck is going on,” but also liking the plot from then because it wasn’t just torture sm*t
Idk if ALL animals are killed in the first book but it actually is a bigger issue if it is; Animals contribute a lot to pollinations and spreading the seeds of fruit, nuts, vegetables, etc. if those animals are kileld then even the plant industry dies.
That's the thing and I'm not sure why she doesn't mention this because it is one of the first things said in the first chapter:
There's a good chance the virus doesn't actually exist. Wild animals still exist. Stray dogs still exist. Birds still fly around. And they do still have plants, brush, vegetables, and farms with crops other than humans. As much as the world building of the book is great and engaging, it does honestly gloss over some pretty important world building elements.
All captive animals are killed. There are still animals in the world. There's actually a scene where Marcos's sister berates him for not carrying an umbrella in case a bird flies at him.
@@KettleBlacktheBat i believe it's mostly because it's meant to reflect the fact that Argentina (and a good chunk of South America) has cattle industry as one of the primary sources of income for the population. The use of the term "head" is a very direct way to show it's mostly about the industry itself.
The part of tender is the flesh where some of the employees are having a barbecue, cooking kids and somone says (not a direct quote) “they are celebrating one, one of them just became a father”
as someone who has never read it, cows highkey reminds me of the song meat by poppy, at first from the perspective of a human being abducted and used as livestock by aliens, before it quickly devolves into a cow's pov of the actual irl factory farm industry. especially the parts about some of the "free ones living in sewer cities", inbreeding, and forced cannibalism
I think Brownie is really cute! And I actually really love how Tender is the Flesh is actually really thought-provoking - something really uncomfortable and yet does talk about something in a way that seems really realistic
Really glad to listen to your thoughts whether it's about disturbing books or feel-good nostalgic manga like Kitchen Princess
Wait-Kitchen Princess??? That’ll be a great palate cleanser after this video
The main character of Cows is afraid of women because his mother abused him,so when he talks about wanting a housewife like the ones he sees on television,that's him saying that he wants a woman who's domesticated,who isn't capable of hurting him,she can't hurt him if he's the one in control,if he owns the house,if he controls the money,she has nothing that she can use against him,it's very much a product of the abuse he suffered at the hands of his mother,it's meant to show what abuse does to people...
It is true and sad how the actions of only ONE or a FEW people make certain victims see and paint other humans in that category with the same brush, acting as though they're all the same, but it's true what abuse can do to some people.
I interpreted it as he's afraid of people outside the apartment. The only people other than the HagBeast he's been exposed to are on the TV. In fact one of the early threats the HagBeast makes is to force Steven out of the apartment. There's actually a scene after the building collapses where Steven is faced with a street and he screams in terror at all the people when they see him before fleeing to 'cowland'.
"Steven is a very anxious, neurotic, miserable man"
I feel called out.
Reading Tender is the Flesh and it reminds me a LOT of Kazuo Ishiguro's "Never Let Me Go", if anyone loves the idea of this but wants a more toned down version I'd recommend that one
This isn’t a disturbing book but a disturbing short story: “the decapitated chicken” by Horacio Quiroga. I read it in spanish in the 7th grade as part of the curriculum and it has stayed with me to this day. Another great story by Quiroga is “the feather pillow”. Quiroga was an Latin American writer, he even lived in the amazonian jungle for a couple of years (in the region in Misiones, Argentina) he’s written short stories for children set in the jungle, which are honestly really good (and a bit grotesque at times). To be honest, i want to see if the english translations of his stories hold up to the spanish ones, i haven’t gotten around to reading the translated ones yet. Quiroga himself was a very complicated person with a difficult life and tumultuous love affairs. Lmaooo this got long but i really can’t recommend this author enough if you want disturbing things, and he’s also a very important figure in latin American literature.
I… I just read the first one… my gosh
@@spleens4200 IKR?!? Well…. Hoped you liked it!
Oh yes, I remember being around 11 when I first read them, the feather pillow one had me checking my pillows every day for weeks lmao still read all those little messed up stories.
horacio quiroga short stories are part of the mexican literature curriculum, especially w el almohadón de plumas and to this day the stories really stick with one!! will check the other ones out
Brownie is adorable and I would happily fight anyone who says otherwise.
Brownie is so lucky to have a person who cares about him so much to repair him!
I like his big ol eyes and round head
For me, if anyone says one mean thing about how Browny looks I swear to fuCKING GOD I'M GONNA gently remind them he's a beautiful boy and deserving of all the love and respect.
I have to say it....YOUR LIPS, YOUR NAILS, YOUR EYES, THEY ARE THE BOMB DOT COMMMMMM I HAVE TO KEEP REPLAYING CAUSE I CAN'T PAY ATTENTION TO ANYTHING ELSE LMAO...also another two books to add to my tbr, delicious 😌🤙🏻
In case you're taking suggestions, I'd highly recommend A Head Full Of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay. It may not be gross-out shock horror, it's more psychological horror, but I think it could be right up your alley
I’m the kind of person who unfortunately doesn’t have the time to read a lot of disturbing books (or any books for that matter, except my very precious House of Leaves because I love to be pretentious) but I still love hearing about them, so it’s very fun for me to see your channel starting to go in this direction!
I bought dead inside after your review of it and throughly enjoyed it and your points and views of the book were entirely accurate
Right! It's kinda a banger.
Jules. I found "Totally Nude" because of you, and since I first watched the music video, my life has not known peace. I keep watching it over and over. It's mesmerizing.
Ngl I unironically love reading reviews for books I can’t actually stomach reading
So I found an E-Book for cows and holy shit it's fucked. But I'm pretty intrigued by it so far, I'm half done with chapter 17 at the moment. I'm kinda disturbed, but I totally get the "taking breaks" because like--a lump was kinda forming in my throat the more I read lmfao.
Oh please read The Troop by Nick Cutter. There's a scene in it that made me get up to just chew on fresh ginger b/c the imagery in their writing is so visceral and it upset my stomach physically. But I really did enjoy reading it! Think Lord of the Flies but with flesh eating parasites.
added to my list. I expect to regret this
@@julesdapper5584 maybe just a smidge 👹
@@julesdapper5584please don’t, it’s not good or interesting and rather boring, you’d be wasting your time. Most of the shock horror is just this one screwed up kid getting hot and bothered over killing animals and worms (just a warning but you probably already forgot about this comment because it was from 2 years ago so nvm)
I was worried that the tamale i microwaved while watching this had meat in it but luckily it didn’t and I could watch you talk about cannibalism and shit in peace.
9:00 I haven't experienced auditory hallucinations in over fifteen years, and I swear I heard the record scratch.
From what I understood, the cows are a stand-in for the working class. The cows know about human culture from observing the slaughterhouse for so many years. That's how they know about race relations, lol. They aren't racist, but they have a grasp on what bothers humans. It was the Guernsey that said it, the only "more evolved" cow.
The author wrote about child abuse and its effects in an honest way that I have never seen before. It was a relief to read this book in a way. It is nice to be acknowledged without being shamed.
I SEVERELY need you to read 'I'm thinking of ending things'. It made me actually sick to my stomach. I don't read disturbing books often but this one did it for me. Yes, it is a movie on Netflix but the book is so much better and the ending gives you no fucking closure AT ALL. There's this really intense chase scene and I was actually saying to the book out loud "Just jump out a window!" the chase scene made me sick and I thought I was actually going to throw up just from fear for the Main Character. It's just an eerie vibe of a book overall.
I’m incredibly interested in reading Tender is the Flesh after watching this, but I have a question about one of the TWs. I believe I can handle most of what is listed except for the reference to SA. I can handle SA in stories as long as it is not at the mercy of a child or is extremely graphic in its description. Does either of that take place in this book?
⚠️⚠️⚠️ MASSIVE TRIGGER WARNING/ KINDA SPOILER⚠️⚠️⚠️
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Okay so it's been a bit since I've read it, so I don't remember exacts. But yeah, they talk about the assault of a younger person, I think a teenager. I don't remember exactly how young, but ya know... too young. As far as the graphicness, it's descriptive enough to be upsetting.
I guess I would recommend either skipping this book, or if you really want to check it out, just read a bit at a time and stop if it gets to be too much for you.
@@julesdapper5584 Alright thank you, I’ll definitely keep that in mind!
thank you same for me and i was looking everywhere to find out how bad it is
@@julesdapper5584 are there multiple instances of sa in the book
Not sure if this is helpful but it includes SA with a person who basically is mentally a child/cannot consent. It’s not graphic or described in detail but it did fuck me up.
You are the only person who would be able to make me want to read disturbing book... I am very delicate, but Tender of The Flesh sounds soooo interesting
Thanks for being the filter through which I experience these books, because I don't have the fortitude to read them myself. I watch a similar TH-cam channel for Baywatch episodes.
Same
Tender is the flesh also works so well as like a NOVEL being adaptable to so many different themes, I got metaphors for love, capitalism, and I’m sure there are others I hadn’t picked up on but HOW DID I NOT GET THE ANIMAL RELATIONSHIP THEME 😭
cognitive dissonance i guess
I think if you genuinely recommend a book, you should give less information. The lack of information but the glowing review is what kept Tender is the Flesh in my mind for MONTHS until I finally found the audiobook on Spotify and listened to it. And oh my god it’s so incredible. It’s genuinely remarkable how easily you end up understanding the setting and Marcos’ story, and how it really feels like each event leads to another. I will say I’m personally less likely to read splatterpunk (which this book is not) so I prefer more spoiler-y reviews of those books because I’m far less likely to read them. But I love this series and hope to see more of it. It’s wonderful getting real reviews of these books because otherwise I may not pick them up at all because I don’t know if I’ll actually enjoy it, which I struggle with ALL genres. Love your work!
This is the most chill video she’s made tbh. The vibes are immaculately comfy
I don't know if House of Leaves is up your alley, but it is so weird and suspenseful and it's got those weird little moments of gore and or "wait, what happened?".
i could listen to you talk for hours, especially when it comes to media reviews! you're so articulate and have such an interesting point of view 💕
i'm adding p much all your recommendations to my reading list and i look forward to seeing more!
I love Tender is the flesh so much! I remember going into a book store and picked it up and so intrigued. I enjoyed it so much i used it for my book review for my english class and got 367/367. I really do recommend it, the way my skin feels aware as i read some of the methods they use on the head shakes my core. And your opinion on the world building is so right!! It’s so thought out and honestly addresses how the world has reacted and adapted to the virus. This book got me back into reading. Whenever i would yap about it most would look at me crazy but i don’t care at all. 10/10 read :3
Geez, these videos are great! I hope you put out more of these. I love (as someone with a weak stomach) watching people review books that I could never read. Great commentary, I've loved you're ability to tell stories since Daisy Brown.
when i read Tender is the Flesh it was in spanish, so i didn't recognize the tittle of the book at first, i got so excited to know you had read Cadáver Exquisito too! i've never thought too much about it but you're right with the worldbuilding stuff, it is SO well done, i kinda want to reread the book now haha
also idk if i've said this before but i appreciate so much how you put explicit trigger warnings for the books, i can deal with some gross stuff but i'd like to know *what* it's going to be before reading
The timing! A bit silly but I was thinking today about how glad I am that you're doing this- like, when I watched daisy brown one of the only coherent thoughts I could form about it was along the lines of "this chick gets it, I bet she's cool as hell" and of course, turns out you are.
Also there's just nothing I love more than this style of emotionally honest review video.
I am SO glad you exist and are doing these videos. you are one of the only people on TH-cam talking about books I’ve read. you’ve covered 3 I’ve read recently and 1 on my TBR.
8:10 This is completely unrelated to the video but I've heard this EXACT background music in a video game and when I say I j u m p e d -
Browny is adorable. I can tell he's well-loved! Also, your Dethklok shirt rocks.
Brownie looks like he can see into my soul but it doesn't affect his absolutely adorable nature. 11/10 would fight for him
Brownie makes me so incredibly happy. I've got a bear as old at I am (30 yrs fuckin christ) and I've been wanting to give him similar treatment but don't know the first thing about sewing. So that was super cathartic.
I totally come for the reviews even though I myself am not much as a reader. I just love hearing the fucking up shit people come up with and how those feelings or horror and revulsion are used to mean something and if they succeed So I super do love this series and honestly keep getting tempted by every one you cover on this format.
I usually dont do too well with disturbing content but still kind of have an interest in it so vids like this are very helpful.
I don't know if I recommended this when I commented last time, but I think you'd really like Earthlings by Sayaka Murata. I read it all in one night and it haunts me to this day. Weirdly, it probably was my entry point into questioning whether or not I'm asexual? TW for CSA, incest, stuff like that. It's more of a quiet and unsettling novel, but the end is a gut punch and I love it.
Tender is the Flesh feels like a book you’d read in a high school English class in hell.
Maybe not the *most* disturbing, but Wasp Factory was incredibly good and definitely did not make me gag during that one scene. Uhhhhhhh Let's Go Play at the Adams (is that what it's called????) Anyway, keep up the great work!!!
That chapter changed how I viewed the book. Yes, the whole book is weird, but up to that point I had found it tamer than expected. It was really jarring
this series is a great way for me to find out about books that i would never under any circumstance read
Yeees tender is the flesh is SO good. The author came to my school in 2020 to talk about it! She gave really good insight about how it felt to write the book, how the success impacted her and what was she writing next. She was really nice :)
You mentioning Haunted omgg!! Bro I love Chuck’s work so much, currently reading Haunted and Snuff at the same time💀
The black farm is great read an really interesting premise. Some really dark scenes an a dark world built in detail. Great video too.
Feed the Pig.
Really enjoying your reviews! I honestly want to read both of these. I've been avoiding visual horror media lately for some reason, but I think I want to read something uncomfy.
There's something about Disturbing Books that allures me. Maybe it's cause I'm so used to disturbing games, cartoons, or even internet things. And books are such untapped potential that I can't get enough
1. Love the Junji Ito top. Uzimaki is awesome
2. Great video (btw I may skip Cows, sounds gross)
3. REALLY really looking forward to the next disturbing book review.
Actively cackled out loud at "Who have you been hanging out with young man?"
I actually really like Brownie! Patchwork stuff is so cute and he looks loved as hell.
A friend read Tender is the flesh and from what you said about Cows is....they suffer from the same problems, the interesting parts are interesting but there are a lot of slow parts that you have to slog through to get to the good parts
have you read either?
@@julesdapper5584 I have not unfortunately, my friend was very detailed about Tender Is the flesh and I've had my eye of Cows, but finding time is hard xD
im part way thru haunted which my mother bought me when i was like 14 and i did not expect it to get a callout but all things considered that makes sense.
How I read the trigger warnings for gender is the flesh: animal cruelty and goth. My brain mixed death and gore and I have never laughed harder at myself 😂😂😂😂
a friend recommended me your channel and i was so excited to see these disturbing book reviews, i agree so much with a lot of what you say in your reviews of them! i really enjoyed Tender is the Flesh as well and the worldbuilding was the most fascinating and disturbing part of it. Something i wanted out of more of these books was more interesting prose, so one of my favorite disturbing books that i Highly recommend is Exquisite Corpse by Poppy Z. Brite. i think it raises some really thought-provoking stuff similar to what you said about Dead Inside (def gonna check that one out soon) and i really liked the writing style a lot as well :)
I’m reading cows right now and I’ve gotten to the part where he cooks for his mom. I had to stop for the night 😭 but a great song to compare this book to, would be chat pile- Slaughterhouse
Perhaps you should talk about No Longer Human (the Junji Ito adaptation). I’m a massive fan of Junji Ito’s work and in my opinion, No Longer Human is the disturbing book I’ve ever read. It’s a brilliant character study, it has amazing illustrations, it’s extremely disturbing and there’s many things in this book for you to talk about. This book is honestly a horror masterpiece.
I just finished TitF a little while ago, and I loved hearing your thoughts on it!^^ The world building was one of my favorite aspects of it-- especially the interview scene. I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
I have to recommend High Life by Matthew Stokoe, author of Cows. It's a fantastic book, with a much stronger plot and less of a reliance on shock value.
Cute cats, i almost cried with that little cam kiss from Stella
>Saw the Video
>Read "Cows"
>Same reaction as Julia to his mothers dinner
Love watching tour videos during dinner!!!😊😊😊
I’m not very far into this, but Under the Skin is also such a great book about using humans as food but for aliens. It’s soooooooo goooooodddd!!! There was a movie made years ago w Scarlett Johansson but they skipped over the entire part of the book where they go into the alien world and how they treat humans as cattle while the humans are aware the entire time. I loved it.
A may call it a cowlt?
OMG I grew up in a house full of that same type of blue rimmed glass you have at the end.
The most disturbing books I've ever read are Lautreamont's The Songs of Maldoror and The Tunnel by William Gass.
The Songs of Maldoror is an occasionally very demented surrealist poetic novel from the mid-1800s about the nature of evil. Its composed of disjointed episodes covering Maldoror's bizarre escapades--for example, he mates with a shark, talks to a hair follicle, kills a dragon, torments many families, and chloroforms and bisects little girls to feed their flesh to giant lice he hope can one day inherit the earth. It's mostly rather beautiful and strange, really, it's an utter masterpiece and it was one of Dali's biggest inspirations. But it gets insanely gruesome, and there are passages wherein whats described is worse than anything ever yet depicted in film, that I legitimately cannot describe to anyone because it makes me nauseous to even think about; it would give a serial killer nightmares.
The Tunnel is nasty and misanthropic. It has almost no violence or shock value, but the narrator is probably the most repulsive character in all of literature. It's about human hatred and prejudice in America. A college professor finds his historical research interrupted by reflections on his trip to Nazi Germany, his abusive father and his alcoholic mother, and his SA scandals--as he digs deeper into his past, he begins to dig a tunnel through his basement floor. Reading it is akin to suffocating for 650 pages. Highly recommended if you want to read one of the greatest American novels of the past 50 years or if you want to be unhappy for the next three weeks of your life.
I honestly want to read the books based in your descriptions, but I keep forgetting that these are extremely gory and upsetting and if hannibal can make me uncomfy, these are a no go
If you ever decide you want to read them you could look up where the book goes into territory that you want to avoid and skip over those parts or look up a summary
If not it’s always best to be safe and avoid them if it’s not for you :)
@@leee1260 thank you! I didn't even think about skipping the gross parts! And since I'm not that scared of spoilers I think it won't be hard to find when their parts will come.
You don't post often but i love your content and humor. I hope you stick with TH-cam for awhile longer. Good stuff right here
Tender Is The Flesh sounds really good. Thanks for letting me know about it.
Stella and Tilly are too cute, really takes the edge off the content of the book reviews.
Been wanting to read both of these! Have you read Woom by Duncan Ralston? Would love to hear what you have to say. It was so disturbing but the way everything came together towards the end is amazing. Looking forward to more disturbing book reviews from you!
love your reviews! disturbing books are some of my favorites because everything is out on the floor and it allows for a lot of exploration of humanity. have you tried exquisite corpse by poppy z. brite/billy martin? its very dark but its written so beautifully (like i've never seen gore described like it was pretty) i would recommend checking out the tws if you are bothered by any heavy topics like SA, abuse, homophobia, and of course gore
Jules uploaded! What a great birthday gift!
My birthday was last year in October but late gifts are accepted too 🖤
The core of "Tender Is the Flesh" sounds suspiciously like "A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift and "Babycakes" by Neil Gaiman.
If you liked Tender is the Flesh and want to learn more about the meat and animal product industry as a whole, I highly recommend reading Porkopolis by Alex Blanchette. It's an ethnography about the author's experience working in a slaughterhouse for two years. It's genuinely stomach turning at points, but it covers a lot of the themes found in Tender is the Flesh
im glad this video was recommended to me (even if its a year late lol) your reviews are very entertaining!
I just found your channel and I absolutely love it and your way of expressing stuff I really hope I get to see more videos from you in the future
This is the reason I don't keep my goodreads public
Off topic but you should make more of these disturbing book reviews I love themmm
I definitely recommend Dead Inside by Chandler Morrison. That book was a roller coaster. I had to put it down a few times just from sheer shock. I was expecting some messed up subjects but nothing on the level that book had.
What s perfect video to watch while I eat this Nutella and jam covered bagel. I'm sure there's no way for the contents of this video to make me regret my breakfast decision.
The Troop by Nick Cutter is the grossest book ive ever read. It mixes wilderness survival with a nasty virus and its SO gross.
Suuuuuper late to this party, so hope you’ll see this comment lol
I have read Cows & while I didn’t enjoy it, I thought it was interesting. The first half almost feels like an endurance test, if you can get through it, you’ve ‘earned’ the second half. I’m not sure the prize is worth the effort but that’s just me.
Wanted to hit you up with a recommendation along the theme of these two books.
Meat by Joseph D’Lacey
I won’t say anymore, cos spoilers. But it’s one of my fav books
Loving these reviews, glad yo have found you! ❤❤
I mostly really enjoyed tender is the flesh, i havent picked up a book in years honestly but i finished this one in just two days. I wasnt satisfied with the ending however, i dont know.
*SPOILER*
I was half hoping it would end with Marcos being reported and sent to the slaughter house, the last pages walking us through the process of him well... being processed, and sold to butcher shops at a reduced price or something along those lines.
New subbie here! Please do more videos like this! 🥺 I just finished watching both of your videos & I’m definitely going to read all of the books you mentioned. I recently read Tender Is The Flesh , I was both equally disturbed & amazed lol. Love from Texas! ✨🖤
Damn. It's too bad that the horrible torture porn parts of Cows are too overpowering, because the idea of a cow suddenly talking about overthrowing the system out of the blue is so fucking funny and interesting
On the other hand I'm definitely reading Tender is the Flesh
I'm reading both of these immediately lol you're so great. Please bring echo back!!! I was so invested, stupid covid
''Are the cows racist?!'' - Julia Dapper 2k22
I had the same expierence with cows. I was like okay I get it then the cow talked and I was like WOAAHHHHH HOLD ONNN!
Another reason i loved Tender is The Flesh is because obviously its about animal welfare but also i got the inkling of how far humanity will go if something is legalized and normalized.
Morally, its fucked. Its cannibalism. Its rape. Its torture.
But its legal here. All of this stuff is above board. And most of the characters just dont question it.
Its legal. That means everything we're doing is fine, right?
ESPECIALLY Marco's sister. She and her kids are so desensitized to whats happening.
tldr, i love this damn book. and as its my introduction to horror books. And i want more.
I remember just reading Cows and having the AI voice read along with me on Kindle and i was following along, once the cow said a SLUR, I stopped for a little bit cause i was shook hahahah
I couldn't finish Cows, but I loved Tender is the Flesh.
Came for the stories stayed for the cat
Tender is the flesh is a warning.
I would like to see book rewiew of No longer human from Dazai Osamu i heared its good.:)
Watching these in reverse order it seems.
Hi! You should try to give a look at Spider by Patrick McGrath, not so gruesomely disturbing, but its a nice new gothic pyschologic horror novella. Also, check out The Dualists by Bram Stoker. Awesome content, greetings from Mexico!