FleshFlesh
What it's about
David Szalay's novel follows a man whose life veers off course through a series of unforeseen circumstances, in a hypnotic portrait of contemporary masculinity.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Booker Prize. Critics call Szalay the shrewdest writer on contemporary masculinity.
You'll love it if you liked
All That Man Is
Stoner
The PromiseGood to know
It's written in spare, minimal prose, with much left unsaid.
By the numbers
- Readers11 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics67 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller22 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz72 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #192 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #278 of the 481 new books we rank
- #1611 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
More by David Szalay
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Quick answers
Is Flesh worth reading?
Yes. It won the Booker Prize. It ranks #1,611 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 67.4 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Flesh about?
David Szalay's novel follows a man whose life veers off course through a series of unforeseen circumstances, in a hypnotic portrait of contemporary masculinity.
How long does it take to read Flesh?
About 9 hours (353 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has Flesh won?
Booker Prize winner (2025).
What should I read after Flesh?
If you liked it, try All That Man Is by David Szalay, Stoner by John Williams or The Promise by Damon Galgut.