What do you think?
Rate this book
A Carnivore's Inquiry
When we meet Katherine, the winning, and rather disturbing, 23-year-old narrator of A Carnivore's Inquiry, she has just arrived in New York City. She strikes up an affair with a middle-aged Russian emigre novelist she meets on the subway, and almost immediately moves into his apartment. Soon restless, she journeys across the United States and into Mexico, trailed everywhere she goes by a string of murders.
As the ritualistic killings pile up, Katherine comforts and inspires herself by meditating on cannibalism in literature, art, and history. She ponders subjects as diverse as the Donner Party, the fall of Dante's Count Ugolino, and the true story behind Gericault's The Raft of the Medusa. As the story races toward its frightening conclusion, Katherine, and the reader, close in on the true reason for her fascination with aberrant, violent behavior.
A shocking and enlightening modern Gothic novel, told in highly intelligent prose, A Carnivore's Inquiry is a sly, unsettling, subtle commentary on 21st century consumerism and the questionable appetites that lurk beneath the veneer of civilization.
As the ritualistic killings pile up, Katherine comforts and inspires herself by meditating on cannibalism in literature, art, and history. She ponders subjects as diverse as the Donner Party, the fall of Dante's Count Ugolino, and the true story behind Gericault's The Raft of the Medusa. As the story races toward its frightening conclusion, Katherine, and the reader, close in on the true reason for her fascination with aberrant, violent behavior.
A shocking and enlightening modern Gothic novel, told in highly intelligent prose, A Carnivore's Inquiry is a sly, unsettling, subtle commentary on 21st century consumerism and the questionable appetites that lurk beneath the veneer of civilization.
Audible Audio
First published June 4, 2004
16 people are currently reading
1484 people want to read
About the author
Sabina Murray
16 books83 followersSabina Murray was born in 1968 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She is of mixed parentage—her mother a Filipina from Manila, her father a former Jesuit scholastic turned anthropologist from Boston. Her parents met in Washington DC, where both were pursuing graduate degrees. At the age of two she moved to Perth with her family, when her father accepted a position at the University of Western Australia. In 1980 the family moved again, this time to Manila, to be closer to her mother’s family. Although Sabina Murray is an American citizen, she did not live again in the United States until she attended college. She feels that she moves easily through the various cultures that have forged her own identity: Australian, Filipino, and American. She now lives in Amherst, Massachusetts, with her family, where she directs, and teaches in, the Creative Writing Program at Umass.
In 1989, Murray’s novel, Slow Burn, set in the decadent Manila of the mid-eighties, was accepted for publication, when Murray was twenty years old. Later, she attended the University of Texas at Austin where she started work on The Caprices, a short story collection that explores the Pacific Campaign of WWII. In 1999, Murray left Texas for Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she had a Radcliffe Fellowship at Harvard. In January, 2002, Murray published The Caprices, which won the PEN Faulkner Award.
Murray’s next novel, A Carnivore’s Inquiry, follows Katherine Shea, a woman of strange appetites, as she moves from man to man ruminating on the nature of cannibalism in western history, literature and art. The book is a dark comedy that is concerned with power and hunger. Forgery is her most recent book, and this looks at authenticity by following Rupert Brigg, who is exploring art and escaping grief in Greece in the early sixties. Both novels were Chicago Tribune Best Books.
Her most recent book, Tales of The New World, a collection of short stories with an interest in explorers, was released by Grove/Black Cat in November, 2011. She is hard at work on a novel that looks at the friendship between the Irish revolutionary Roger Casement and the artist Herbert Ward.
Murray is also a screenwriter and wrote the script for the film Beautiful Country, released in 2005. Beautiful Country follows the story of Binh, a young Amerasian man who comes to the U.S. from Vietnam in search of the father he never knew. Terrence Malick commissioned Murray to write the screenplay.
Murray has been a Michener Fellow at UT Austin, a Bunting fellow at Radcliffe, a Guggenheim Fellow, and has received the PEN/Faulkner Award, a Massachusetts Cultural Council Grant, a Umass Research and Creativity Award, and a Fred Brown Award for The Novel from the University of Pittsburgh. Beautiful Country was nominated for a Golden Bear and the screenplay was nominated for an Amanda Award (the Norwegian Oscars!) and an Independent Spirit Award.
In 1989, Murray’s novel, Slow Burn, set in the decadent Manila of the mid-eighties, was accepted for publication, when Murray was twenty years old. Later, she attended the University of Texas at Austin where she started work on The Caprices, a short story collection that explores the Pacific Campaign of WWII. In 1999, Murray left Texas for Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she had a Radcliffe Fellowship at Harvard. In January, 2002, Murray published The Caprices, which won the PEN Faulkner Award.
Murray’s next novel, A Carnivore’s Inquiry, follows Katherine Shea, a woman of strange appetites, as she moves from man to man ruminating on the nature of cannibalism in western history, literature and art. The book is a dark comedy that is concerned with power and hunger. Forgery is her most recent book, and this looks at authenticity by following Rupert Brigg, who is exploring art and escaping grief in Greece in the early sixties. Both novels were Chicago Tribune Best Books.
Her most recent book, Tales of The New World, a collection of short stories with an interest in explorers, was released by Grove/Black Cat in November, 2011. She is hard at work on a novel that looks at the friendship between the Irish revolutionary Roger Casement and the artist Herbert Ward.
Murray is also a screenwriter and wrote the script for the film Beautiful Country, released in 2005. Beautiful Country follows the story of Binh, a young Amerasian man who comes to the U.S. from Vietnam in search of the father he never knew. Terrence Malick commissioned Murray to write the screenplay.
Murray has been a Michener Fellow at UT Austin, a Bunting fellow at Radcliffe, a Guggenheim Fellow, and has received the PEN/Faulkner Award, a Massachusetts Cultural Council Grant, a Umass Research and Creativity Award, and a Fred Brown Award for The Novel from the University of Pittsburgh. Beautiful Country was nominated for a Golden Bear and the screenplay was nominated for an Amanda Award (the Norwegian Oscars!) and an Independent Spirit Award.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
September 11, 2018
”Sometimes you want to stop doing something, but it’s not enough to want to stop. Something else has to happen.”
The Raft of the Medusa by Théodore Géricault
The unreliable narrator of this tale, Katherine Shea, lies to us as unreliable narrators tend to do. She doesn’t just lie to us, but also blurs the truth for herself. She isn’t a very good liar. I sussed out what was going on very quickly, and then it became more of a matter of understanding why.
We don’t have to look any further than her mother. Katherine has an unnatural relationship with her mother. She always tells Katherine that friends are overrated, which could be because she was in desperate need for her daughter to be her friend. She molds Katherine into an equally abnormal version of herself. Instead of reading her stories from Dr. Suess, or Beatrix Potter, or Mary Poppins, she tells her stories of The Donner Party, of Dante’s Count Ugolino, or details about the Raft of Medusa.
Her mother is...how do I put this delicately...batshit crazy!!!!
”The truth is not for everyone.”
Her father knows and tries to keep things stabilized by keeping her mother medicated to the gills. Without medication she tends to tear all her clothes off and perform wild, acrobatic dancing on the snow covered front lawn. Of course, they are against the father, and the secrets of what they know, what they believe, have to be kept from him.
When Katherine picks up this Russian writer in New York City, she can’t help but think of her father. ”Bored on the plane, I’d tried to picture what man my father would like to see me with least. I thought of the usual suspects: addict, musician, performance artist, his business partner. But Boris had to be the worst of them all--the European intellectual who would find my father inferior.”
Autumn Cannibalism by Salvador Dali
We are treated to the history, the art, the literature of cannibalism as we ramble through Katherine’s disjointed life. She can justify her unnatural hunger, her aberrant behavior, by stacking up all the evidence of situations where throwing some salt and pepper on some human flesh ( I hear the upper arms are the delicacy of the human body.) was necessary for survival. After all…”our civilization, the ‘America’ that was a source of unending pride for her father, was not based on the nurturing of the weak but on their calculated demise.”
She is pale, but pretty, in fact, very attractive. She collects men with ease. She has a vulnerability about her coupled with an intelligent mind that men find stimulating. I would guess, though this is speculation on my part because much is not explained about Katherine because she is controlling what we know, that she is uninhibited between the sheets. There is probably a raw hunger there that is barely suppressed from becoming outright feral.
She does meet one gentle soul. A kind, down on his luck musician named Arthur, and for a while it feels like there is a chance that she could find a way to be happy living with him and leading a normal life. It’s difficult being with someone so nice when you know what you are. ”The relationship, despite all my optimism, had already failed and Arthur had become a mirror, reflecting all my deviancy back at me.”
There are secrets, but then there are man and meat, and meat and man secrets.
Katherine is rather a sloppy eater. More of a nibbler than an efficient cannibal, like Jeffrey Dahmer who butchered the carcass and ate the whole kill. The problem with this is that bodies are not disappearing, but piling up. Will it all come undone or will her unusual culinary preferences continue to be indulged as she escapes to begin again?
Sabina Murray has lived in Massachusetts, Australia, and the Philippines. Her mixed heritage has allowed her the benefit of experiencing and being influenced by several different cultures. The historical references she sprinkled throughout the book added to my enjoyment. Her research added some whimsical, intellectual twists to a behavior that none of us can condone; and yet, I found myself pondering the possibilities if faced with the proper dire circumstances. This book certainly reminded me of the works of Patrick McGrath. It doesn’t quite have the gothic flair that McGrath’s work has, but it certainly comes close. If you’d like to make a weekend of reading about the deviances and delights of Long Pork, I would also suggest as a companion volume to this one: David Cronenberg’s book Consumed.
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at:https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten
The Raft of the Medusa by Théodore Géricault
The unreliable narrator of this tale, Katherine Shea, lies to us as unreliable narrators tend to do. She doesn’t just lie to us, but also blurs the truth for herself. She isn’t a very good liar. I sussed out what was going on very quickly, and then it became more of a matter of understanding why.
We don’t have to look any further than her mother. Katherine has an unnatural relationship with her mother. She always tells Katherine that friends are overrated, which could be because she was in desperate need for her daughter to be her friend. She molds Katherine into an equally abnormal version of herself. Instead of reading her stories from Dr. Suess, or Beatrix Potter, or Mary Poppins, she tells her stories of The Donner Party, of Dante’s Count Ugolino, or details about the Raft of Medusa.
Her mother is...how do I put this delicately...batshit crazy!!!!
”The truth is not for everyone.”
Her father knows and tries to keep things stabilized by keeping her mother medicated to the gills. Without medication she tends to tear all her clothes off and perform wild, acrobatic dancing on the snow covered front lawn. Of course, they are against the father, and the secrets of what they know, what they believe, have to be kept from him.
When Katherine picks up this Russian writer in New York City, she can’t help but think of her father. ”Bored on the plane, I’d tried to picture what man my father would like to see me with least. I thought of the usual suspects: addict, musician, performance artist, his business partner. But Boris had to be the worst of them all--the European intellectual who would find my father inferior.”
Autumn Cannibalism by Salvador Dali
We are treated to the history, the art, the literature of cannibalism as we ramble through Katherine’s disjointed life. She can justify her unnatural hunger, her aberrant behavior, by stacking up all the evidence of situations where throwing some salt and pepper on some human flesh ( I hear the upper arms are the delicacy of the human body.) was necessary for survival. After all…”our civilization, the ‘America’ that was a source of unending pride for her father, was not based on the nurturing of the weak but on their calculated demise.”
She is pale, but pretty, in fact, very attractive. She collects men with ease. She has a vulnerability about her coupled with an intelligent mind that men find stimulating. I would guess, though this is speculation on my part because much is not explained about Katherine because she is controlling what we know, that she is uninhibited between the sheets. There is probably a raw hunger there that is barely suppressed from becoming outright feral.
She does meet one gentle soul. A kind, down on his luck musician named Arthur, and for a while it feels like there is a chance that she could find a way to be happy living with him and leading a normal life. It’s difficult being with someone so nice when you know what you are. ”The relationship, despite all my optimism, had already failed and Arthur had become a mirror, reflecting all my deviancy back at me.”
There are secrets, but then there are man and meat, and meat and man secrets.
Katherine is rather a sloppy eater. More of a nibbler than an efficient cannibal, like Jeffrey Dahmer who butchered the carcass and ate the whole kill. The problem with this is that bodies are not disappearing, but piling up. Will it all come undone or will her unusual culinary preferences continue to be indulged as she escapes to begin again?
Saturn Devouring his Son by Francisco Goya.
Sabina Murray has lived in Massachusetts, Australia, and the Philippines. Her mixed heritage has allowed her the benefit of experiencing and being influenced by several different cultures. The historical references she sprinkled throughout the book added to my enjoyment. Her research added some whimsical, intellectual twists to a behavior that none of us can condone; and yet, I found myself pondering the possibilities if faced with the proper dire circumstances. This book certainly reminded me of the works of Patrick McGrath. It doesn’t quite have the gothic flair that McGrath’s work has, but it certainly comes close. If you’d like to make a weekend of reading about the deviances and delights of Long Pork, I would also suggest as a companion volume to this one: David Cronenberg’s book Consumed.
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at:https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten
March 25, 2024
“This is what exploration had opened up the door to. Not only widespread slaughter, but the necessary accompaniment of gorging.”
Unapologetically solipsistic and deeply manipulative, Katherine, the central character of A Carnivore's Inquiry, makes for an awful human being and a deeply entertaining narrator. A predecessor to Ottessa Moshfegh and Mona Awad’s protagonists, and many of the young women from the 'She's Not Feeling Good at All' subgenre, Katherine is a ceaselessly sardonic and relentlessly remorseless narrator with a predilection for histories and representations of cannibalism.
“I was one of those people who made up for what she lacked in talent with her father’s money.”
Katherine is 23 and has arrived in New York after an extended trip to Italy. She is young, attractive, and from wealth. However, she has no interest in reconnecting with her father, a man she thinks rarely of, and never with any particular fondness. Her mother has been in and out of institutions all her life, and glimpses into Katherine’s childhood reveal just how unstable she was. But Katherine is not prone to melancholy, or at least, if she thinks of the past, it is not her past that she longs or feels for, rather, she is fascinated by tales and accounts of cannibals, cannibalism itself, and nurtures a troublesome, perverse even, admiration for colonialist and their violence and usurpation against native communities. She’s often awed by accounts of violence, of madness, and of death, recounting and reimagining many of these episodes, often adopting the point of view of the person who inflicted violence upon others, or went mad, or was put in a situation where cannibalism was the only means of survival.
“I find it hard to feel bad for Hansel. It’s the witch I feel for.”
Katherine sets her sights on an older man, a fairly well-off writer Boris. Her momentary interest in Boris seems a consequence of boredom and a monetary desire. Soon she grows tired of Boris, a rather pathetic yet nasty person, who makes the mistake of thinking himself cleverer than her. Katherine convinces him to buy a house in rural Maine, a town that happens to have a killer on a loose. Far from bothered by this, Katherine seems comforted by the idea of this killer. Eventually, she finds herself travelling to Mexico City, and later returning to New York where she comes across some unwelcome familiar faces.
As her restlessness sees her hitting the road, she forms unlikely friendships with random men she meets on her travels. All the while, bodies keep piling up wherever she goes.
“[I]n our culture there was a weird enthusiasm for cannibalism. Cannibalism was a big thrill as long as we weren’t doing it.”
While we know from the start that something is off about Katherine, we don’t really know just how unreliable a narrator she is. She often says and does exactly what she wants when she wants, has no trouble striking up conversations with strangers and is not put off by people not liking her. Her disregard for social niceties and norms makes her a character that is always able to surprise you. Her blithe responses to the odd, occasionally disturbing, circumstances she finds herself in are pure gold. Yet, despite knowing and being confronted with her strangeness, she retains a hypotonic quality. Her ambiguous nature drew me in, as I found myself eager to learn what was truly going on. Who is responsible for these deaths? Why is Katherine obsessed with cannibalism? What is at the root of her ennui?
“After a few hurdles, my life would achieve a stunning, appealing normalcy.”
Adroit, dark, and wickedly funny, A Carnivore's Inquiry is a riveting tale. The plot, however meandering, reflects Katherine’s restlessness. Aloof, duplicitous, and hungry for experience Katherine uses those around her as she pleases, both for materialistic gain and to pass away time. The novel’s historical and artistic discourses brought to mind the work of María Gainza, as here too we are given in-depth insights into art pieces and historical figures. I found A Carnivore's Inquiry's exploration of taboos, cannibalism, and violence to be sharp and subversive. I appreciated how Sabina Murray upends traditional power dynamics and challenges notions of normalcy and likeability. Her commentary on consumerism, colonialism, power structures, the ‘elite’, NY’s art and literary scene, femininity, and privilege was sly and thrilling.
“The needs of appetite justified everything.”
A Carnivore's Inquiry makes for a unique read, a rare treat. Not only is A Carnivore's Inquiry rich thematically but stylistically. Murray constantly keeps her readers on their toes as she shifts from genres (gothic, thriller, satire) and tones (playful, grotesque, introspective). Katherine’s voice is the book’s strength, as readers are bound to find her both fascinating and abhorrent. Her interactions are always interesting, as they often veer into the realms of the absurd (more than once david lynch came to mind).
“I seem to have touched a nerve,” said Ann.
“Thank God for that,” I said. “I was beginning to wonder if I was still alive.”
My only quibble really is in regards to the Italian (chingiale should be cinghiale, seiscento should be seicento, and then gittoni should have been gettoni). And yeah that Silvano was utterly ridiculous (of course, he is a fascist) but he ended up adding to the novel's vibe of surreality.
I think this would definitely appeal to fans of Moshfegh, Awad, and Danzy Senna as well as readers who are on the lookout for novels exploring 'The Female Malaise' or that centre on alienated & alienating young women.
Clever, enigmatic, and atmospheric, A Carnivore's Inquiry is a novel that I look forward to rereading. I liked this so much that I am even planning on revisiting The Human Zoo, also by Murray, which I read with little fanfare last year (hopefully this time around it will win me over).
re-read: a truly ingenious novel, thematically rich and written with impressive confidence. within the novel colonialism and cannibalism are deeply intwined, the monstrous desire to conquer is presented as a hunger, one that our narrator and anti-heroine feels deeply. similarly to Guadagnino's Bones and All the novel questions inherited monstrosity, especially in a mother/daughter dynamic. i loved the hazy quality permeating much of this novel, which really adds to Katherine's ambivalence.
June 19, 2015
This is like sitting next to someone on a long flight. At first you chat a little and she seems interesting, so you don’t mind when she starts talking about her life. And as she gets comfortable with you, she begins opening up more and more, until she seems to be censoring herself less and starts saying some slightly strange stuff, but she says it so off-hand or matter-of-fact that you think you must have misheard or misunderstood. But by the time the plane is beginning its descent, you’ve begun to suspect that everything you thought was a strange metaphor she meant literally, and so you just keep smiling and nodding as though you are totally cool with everything she’s said, and checking to make sure that all your personal identification is accounted for because you don’t want this woman knowing your full name, much less your address, and you sure as hell aren’t planning to share a cab with her when you land, and in fact you’re thinking of having your own cab perform some evasive maneuvers just in case she tries to follow you in hers. And later, when you get home, you install an alarm system and floodlights around your house and get several large dogs and/or handguns.
And yet, when all is said and done, you still kind of like that woman on the plane. She’s really not so different from other people. Wait, seriously? If she’s just like everyone else, does that mean everyone else is like her? So you think on that for a while and then install a razor-wire perimeter fence.
In other words, this book was interesting, a little creepy, and generally a kick in the pants.
And yet, when all is said and done, you still kind of like that woman on the plane. She’s really not so different from other people. Wait, seriously? If she’s just like everyone else, does that mean everyone else is like her? So you think on that for a while and then install a razor-wire perimeter fence.
In other words, this book was interesting, a little creepy, and generally a kick in the pants.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 22, 2010
Really amazing. A transcendent and important work.
Also, for any would-be writers out there who are interested in how to achieve the voice of the unreliable narrator: look no further than this novel.
I loved this book so much (which was, in turn, recommended to me by my good friend Professor Min Hyoung Song of Boston College), that I even wrote the author a gushy little fan letter to her Facebook page. (I did not dare ask for her to be my friend, however: this is one scary book, and anyone capable of writing that gorgeous and that fierce should be feared, and not friended on Facebook.)
Also, for any would-be writers out there who are interested in how to achieve the voice of the unreliable narrator: look no further than this novel.
I loved this book so much (which was, in turn, recommended to me by my good friend Professor Min Hyoung Song of Boston College), that I even wrote the author a gushy little fan letter to her Facebook page. (I did not dare ask for her to be my friend, however: this is one scary book, and anyone capable of writing that gorgeous and that fierce should be feared, and not friended on Facebook.)
November 22, 2012
The most beautiful, compelling, subtle book you may ever read about cannibalism. The character remained a bit of a mystery even at the end. However, I enjoyed all her thoughts on the subject matter within history and art, and also how her tragic mother tied into the story.
You know what's happening all along and yet it's still chilling when the truth is revealed.
You know what's happening all along and yet it's still chilling when the truth is revealed.
September 8, 2024
CW: cannibalism, infidelity, animal death, suicide, descriptions of corpses, psychosis
This book is so slept on. It fits SO desperately well into the current "hot girl/sad girl meandering lit fic" genre that has taken the Internet by storm. Although there's no school, also very dark academia adjacent - sleeping with professors and writers, long art history lessons...
It's such a good book. One of my many Roman empires, frankly, and the see of many of my obsessions: cannibalism, Sir John Franklin, Arctic and Antarctic exploration...
Original review:
This book is important to me in that it's the first piece of literary fiction I can say I genuinely enjoyed. I read this for the first time in high school and it got me through an especially shitty road trip. I was also reading Moby Dick for school at the time, so I think the rather frequent references some somewhat fated.
Upon rereading, I'm actually kind of surprised how much I liked it at the time. It's very literary fiction, with an extremely unlikable narrator and a weird, flow-y plot. Other than the especially dark discussions of literature, art, and historical cannibalism, this doesn't at all seem like something teenage-me would have enjoyed.
But this is just a weird little book that's very hard to describe. Definitely one where it's best you read it yourself to find out what's happening.
September 19, 2014
2.5 out of 5 stars
I had a really mixed reaction to this book. On one level, I love the writing style and enjoyed the constant references to literature, history, and art. However, I loathe the main character. Simply put, she is a terrible person. I also totally figured everything out in the plot within the first 30% of the book...therefore, it really dragged and was pretty boring until the last few chapters where I was proven right. Also, this book really isn't for the faint of heart. IT IS FREAKY. But I also didn't care about a single character, so I really didn't feel any sadness over what happens. The main character is awful and everyone she meets along the way is equally awful for being entranced by her. Time to read a nice book not about cannibals please!
I had a really mixed reaction to this book. On one level, I love the writing style and enjoyed the constant references to literature, history, and art. However, I loathe the main character. Simply put, she is a terrible person. I also totally figured everything out in the plot within the first 30% of the book...therefore, it really dragged and was pretty boring until the last few chapters where I was proven right. Also, this book really isn't for the faint of heart. IT IS FREAKY. But I also didn't care about a single character, so I really didn't feel any sadness over what happens. The main character is awful and everyone she meets along the way is equally awful for being entranced by her. Time to read a nice book not about cannibals please!
November 27, 2012
It seems that the author wants the main character to be some seductress that could make any man crazy enough to live with her even though she is already with a bunch of other strange men. However she and the other characters do not come off as the wild impulsive creatures the author wants them to be, but just unreal. You read the book and think, these are not real people.
The way too many accounts of real-life cannibals do not help either. They may be necessary to understand the main character better, but if I wanted a history lesson I would have read another book (which, in hindsight, I should have just done). Anecdotes like those set the tone of the book, or introduce a philosophy, but once these have been accomplished, additional stories appear to be just accounts which have been included in an attempt at horror--which the actual story fails to accomplish.
Stripped of the musings on real-life cannibals, what is the story really? It is not a story of awakening. It is not a story of discovery. It is a story of revelation, a revelation made necessary by the very little details given on the central events of the novel, obviously to try to hook the reader on the mystery, or whatever semblance of it.
Towards the end of the novel I felt tired but compelled to finish the book, for the record. I skimmed to find out what was going on. No, it wasn't because the suspense was killing me; it was because the unnecessary suspense was irritating me, and the characters, after several hundred pages, still do not seem like real people but caricatures of a self-indulgent narcissistic author.
The way too many accounts of real-life cannibals do not help either. They may be necessary to understand the main character better, but if I wanted a history lesson I would have read another book (which, in hindsight, I should have just done). Anecdotes like those set the tone of the book, or introduce a philosophy, but once these have been accomplished, additional stories appear to be just accounts which have been included in an attempt at horror--which the actual story fails to accomplish.
Stripped of the musings on real-life cannibals, what is the story really? It is not a story of awakening. It is not a story of discovery. It is a story of revelation, a revelation made necessary by the very little details given on the central events of the novel, obviously to try to hook the reader on the mystery, or whatever semblance of it.
Towards the end of the novel I felt tired but compelled to finish the book, for the record. I skimmed to find out what was going on. No, it wasn't because the suspense was killing me; it was because the unnecessary suspense was irritating me, and the characters, after several hundred pages, still do not seem like real people but caricatures of a self-indulgent narcissistic author.
July 22, 2023
Occasionally man finds himself in the jaws of existence, chewed over, and when there is no reason that makes sense, the happening in an accident (134)
Were we not all cannibals dispensing with the defenceless, concerned only with our own survival? (326)
“Know hunger and satisfy it” she said. “That’s the key to success”
“But I don’t want to be successful.”
“Then it’s the key to freedom and everyone wants to me free” (335)
(4.5 stars) A hidden gem of a book, I found it in a charity shop and had never heard of book or the author but I’m so glad I picked it up. The literary references throughout were so well placed and interesting to learn. The plot was built up so well, mostly due to the unreliable narrator, who always had me second guessing. The theme of cannibalism was introduced so smoothly and subtly, and built to a great crescendo that was not all that surprising but still disturbingly unexpected. One might describe it as a slow paced thriller.
Were we not all cannibals dispensing with the defenceless, concerned only with our own survival? (326)
“Know hunger and satisfy it” she said. “That’s the key to success”
“But I don’t want to be successful.”
“Then it’s the key to freedom and everyone wants to me free” (335)
(4.5 stars) A hidden gem of a book, I found it in a charity shop and had never heard of book or the author but I’m so glad I picked it up. The literary references throughout were so well placed and interesting to learn. The plot was built up so well, mostly due to the unreliable narrator, who always had me second guessing. The theme of cannibalism was introduced so smoothly and subtly, and built to a great crescendo that was not all that surprising but still disturbingly unexpected. One might describe it as a slow paced thriller.
February 20, 2010
Upon a second reading, I can say unequivocally that I like this novel. A lot.
The protagonist's affect, or lack thereof, reminds me of Morvern Callar. The book also puts me in mind of The Talented Mr. Ripley, the mix of urbanity and depravity.
I found myself hitting Wikipedia every few chapters, looking for more information on one of Katherine's digressions into famous carnivores in art, history, and literature.
The Raft of the Medusa also features in Julian Barnes' A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters, so I'm sure I'll find myself re-reading that soon, too.
Quotes
"When a thing becomes its most extreme, the seeds of its opposition are planted."
"Men usually told me everything in a hurry, as if they hoped to control me by burying me under a mountain of useless personal information, as if--once I knew all about their childhood friends, former jobs, maudlin desires--I'd be so weighted down by all this knowledge that I would be unable to leave."
First reading, 9/17/04:
I read a review of this book in Elle this summer, and it sounded intriguing. It also sounded like something I might hate, but I thought it was worth a gamble.
I certainly didn't hate it. I think I might even have liked it. But I'm not certain why or in what way. As soon as I read the last page, I fel the need to flip to the beginning and read it again, just to see if what I think happened is really what happened.
Inquiry is a difficult book to review or recommend. You can't go into much detail without spoiling the pleasure of how it unfolds.
Katherine is young. She seems sad and somehow distanced from the world. She has just returned from Italy, where she was ill for a time. She meets Boris, an older man, a noted author. She seduces him. He gives her a place to stay, and he gives her money.
Katherine is avoiding her father. She thinks often of her mother, who suffers from an unspecified disease that seems both (or alternately) physical and psychological.
Katherine claims she was a poor student. But she is well-informed on certain topics. She knows much about Goya's painting of Saturn devouring his children, about shipwrecked sailors and stranded explorers driven to cannibalism.
Katherine is pale, and has headaches.
Katherine travels to Maine, to New Mexico, to Mexico, and back.
More characters, most of them male, come and go.
Does that make you want to read the book? That's all I can say, really.
I'm reminded of In the Cut, which was dreamlike and suffused with menace (although ridiculously bad). Inquiry is also dreamlike; events are told from Katherine's perspective, and are therefore often indistinct. How much does she know? What does she understand about herself and about what goes on around her? How much is she willfully concealing? And Inquiry is also suffused with menace. I hated Cut, in large part because of the protagonist's unfathomable idiocy, which seemed driven by an inexplicable (or never explicated) compulsion for self-destruction. Katherine, on the other hand, seems driven by a quite reasonable compulsion for self-preservation. While Susanna Moore's protagonist provided indistinct, vague narration because she was simply too stupid to live, Sabina Murray's protagonist seems a master of misdirection and a particular brand of childlike, forthright deception (and perhaps self-deception).
The protagonist's affect, or lack thereof, reminds me of Morvern Callar. The book also puts me in mind of The Talented Mr. Ripley, the mix of urbanity and depravity.
I found myself hitting Wikipedia every few chapters, looking for more information on one of Katherine's digressions into famous carnivores in art, history, and literature.
The Raft of the Medusa also features in Julian Barnes' A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters, so I'm sure I'll find myself re-reading that soon, too.
Quotes
"When a thing becomes its most extreme, the seeds of its opposition are planted."
"Men usually told me everything in a hurry, as if they hoped to control me by burying me under a mountain of useless personal information, as if--once I knew all about their childhood friends, former jobs, maudlin desires--I'd be so weighted down by all this knowledge that I would be unable to leave."
First reading, 9/17/04:
I read a review of this book in Elle this summer, and it sounded intriguing. It also sounded like something I might hate, but I thought it was worth a gamble.
I certainly didn't hate it. I think I might even have liked it. But I'm not certain why or in what way. As soon as I read the last page, I fel the need to flip to the beginning and read it again, just to see if what I think happened is really what happened.
Inquiry is a difficult book to review or recommend. You can't go into much detail without spoiling the pleasure of how it unfolds.
Katherine is young. She seems sad and somehow distanced from the world. She has just returned from Italy, where she was ill for a time. She meets Boris, an older man, a noted author. She seduces him. He gives her a place to stay, and he gives her money.
Katherine is avoiding her father. She thinks often of her mother, who suffers from an unspecified disease that seems both (or alternately) physical and psychological.
Katherine claims she was a poor student. But she is well-informed on certain topics. She knows much about Goya's painting of Saturn devouring his children, about shipwrecked sailors and stranded explorers driven to cannibalism.
Katherine is pale, and has headaches.
Katherine travels to Maine, to New Mexico, to Mexico, and back.
More characters, most of them male, come and go.
Does that make you want to read the book? That's all I can say, really.
I'm reminded of In the Cut, which was dreamlike and suffused with menace (although ridiculously bad). Inquiry is also dreamlike; events are told from Katherine's perspective, and are therefore often indistinct. How much does she know? What does she understand about herself and about what goes on around her? How much is she willfully concealing? And Inquiry is also suffused with menace. I hated Cut, in large part because of the protagonist's unfathomable idiocy, which seemed driven by an inexplicable (or never explicated) compulsion for self-destruction. Katherine, on the other hand, seems driven by a quite reasonable compulsion for self-preservation. While Susanna Moore's protagonist provided indistinct, vague narration because she was simply too stupid to live, Sabina Murray's protagonist seems a master of misdirection and a particular brand of childlike, forthright deception (and perhaps self-deception).
April 15, 2017
Reading the summary of this book, I could immediately tell how it ended, however I still greatly enjoyed the ride there. Murray's writing definitely isn't for everyone, but I rather liked how she framed the story with history lessons followed by narrative. There were a lot of questions I had that were left unanswered, but I find that this is because the author chose not to answer them as cannibalism, while definitely a theme of the story, is not the story that Murray is telling us. She is not one for neat resolutions, because as she says, "life often is awful". I can admire her choice in the story's focus, even though I did not have the resolution I sought as a reader.
September 4, 2025
the approach the author took in writing a gothic tale from the villains pov was truly fresh and genius. every single character in the book was so incredibly lovable even the villain. i couldn’t have had a better time reading this book. hands down one of my all time favorite reads
January 9, 2017
This is a near perfect modern thriller steeped in horror imagery. About halfway through I was ready to give it a solid three stars because the plot was dragging with so much exposition, down to two stars when certain imagery got me to fearing a lazy ending and honestly there's quite a bit of typos, but after sticking through A Carnivore's Inquiry to the end I wanted to stand and applaud.
The characterization is stellar. Murray uses all five senses to set the perfect scenes. The dialogue is natural. Historic, artistic, and musical allusions are well referenced and explained beautifully, so much so that this novel borderlines on historical fiction. The text is highly quotable. Symbolism and imagery are aptly threaded throughout for the discerning reader.
But of utmost importance, this novel will shake the very foundation of your beliefs about humanity, and that is what makes this work not just a thriller, not just a horror novel, not a beach read, but a truly poignant masterpiece, all of which is pleasantly surprising for a book published in 2004. Having a multidimensional female protagonist, written by a female author, makes it all that much... more delectible.
The characterization is stellar. Murray uses all five senses to set the perfect scenes. The dialogue is natural. Historic, artistic, and musical allusions are well referenced and explained beautifully, so much so that this novel borderlines on historical fiction. The text is highly quotable. Symbolism and imagery are aptly threaded throughout for the discerning reader.
But of utmost importance, this novel will shake the very foundation of your beliefs about humanity, and that is what makes this work not just a thriller, not just a horror novel, not a beach read, but a truly poignant masterpiece, all of which is pleasantly surprising for a book published in 2004. Having a multidimensional female protagonist, written by a female author, makes it all that much... more delectible.
February 5, 2024
I really tried to read this, but the waffly tone/style of writing immediately put me off and even though I tried multiple times over a few days, I couldn't force myself to pick it up again after finishing the first chapter.
February 26, 2021
Having a penchant for slightly quirky things, I naturally enjoyed this book.
I read it without having read the cover so had no idea what to expect. I do not even recall how it came into my possession so the story unfolded for me without judgement or preconception. I think I enjoyed it more for that. Not that it would matter, you soon realise that the story is being told by an unreliable narrator and that something strange is afoot.
I was drawn to the main character from the outset. I liked her confidence, her passive belligerence, her lack of awareness of any impending doom and her sense of humour. In fact I think the entire book is particularly well written in a style of very subtle humour.
Another thing I would mention is that it is a bit of a slow burner, not insofar as it is dull at the beginning, but somehow it seems to pick up the pace and I found myself liking it more and more the further into it I got to the extent that I was sorry it ended so soon!
Reading other reviews subsequently, the book does polarize opinion but mine most definitely falls on the positive side. A great little read.
I read it without having read the cover so had no idea what to expect. I do not even recall how it came into my possession so the story unfolded for me without judgement or preconception. I think I enjoyed it more for that. Not that it would matter, you soon realise that the story is being told by an unreliable narrator and that something strange is afoot.
I was drawn to the main character from the outset. I liked her confidence, her passive belligerence, her lack of awareness of any impending doom and her sense of humour. In fact I think the entire book is particularly well written in a style of very subtle humour.
Another thing I would mention is that it is a bit of a slow burner, not insofar as it is dull at the beginning, but somehow it seems to pick up the pace and I found myself liking it more and more the further into it I got to the extent that I was sorry it ended so soon!
Reading other reviews subsequently, the book does polarize opinion but mine most definitely falls on the positive side. A great little read.
July 14, 2016
The main character, Katherine, has an exciting and enviable life. In the 1990s, she would have been put on a pedestal as "the most interesting girl in the world." That is worth noting, because A Carnivore's Inquiry (why can't I put this in italics?) has a very 90s feel to it. There is a band called Intravenous, for one thing. Katherine globe-trots, has multiple men at her disposal for multiple purposes, and possesses the chic of childhood trauma. Though she shows no creativity herself (but she is fiercely intelligent), she is surrounded by creative people, which helps make the book interesting.
Secrets also make one chic, and Katherine has these in spades. These are slowly revealed as the book progresses. The author also spends quite a lot of time discussing her secrets as they have appeared throughout art and history... grisly is one way to describe this.
I would call this book a thinking woman's beach read. Some people look for big, meaty books, while others look for much lighter fare. This is nicely in-between: the book is very smart and entertaining, but won't make you feel as if you have just eaten the literary equivalent of fast food.
NB: This chick - the character - lights up a smoke on every page. Every. freaking. page. She also drinks oozes of boozes!
Secrets also make one chic, and Katherine has these in spades. These are slowly revealed as the book progresses. The author also spends quite a lot of time discussing her secrets as they have appeared throughout art and history... grisly is one way to describe this.
I would call this book a thinking woman's beach read. Some people look for big, meaty books, while others look for much lighter fare. This is nicely in-between: the book is very smart and entertaining, but won't make you feel as if you have just eaten the literary equivalent of fast food.
NB: This chick - the character - lights up a smoke on every page. Every. freaking. page. She also drinks oozes of boozes!
August 23, 2015
I saw Sabina Murray on the Women and Darkness pannel at AWP in Minneapolis this year. She is clearly a very passionate woman (and also kind of intimidating, in the best possible way). As part of the pannel, she talked about this book and her character, so I had a slightly different expectation going into this book than most of the other books I read.
What I liked: It is incredible well-written. Katherine, as an unreliable narrator, is fantastic. The crafting of this novel overall was very well done.
What I found problematic: The essay-like narration from Katherine was heavy handed at times, especially at the beginning of the book. I felt like I didn't get a chance to get a handle on Katherine before it all started (which, I suppose, is done purposefully, because she is not a person who wants to fully reveal herself).
I did feel like I learned a lot, and the slow unveiling of the main character really worked to the novel's advantage. This isn't my favorite genre to read, but it was a good way to spend my morning train rides.
What I liked: It is incredible well-written. Katherine, as an unreliable narrator, is fantastic. The crafting of this novel overall was very well done.
What I found problematic: The essay-like narration from Katherine was heavy handed at times, especially at the beginning of the book. I felt like I didn't get a chance to get a handle on Katherine before it all started (which, I suppose, is done purposefully, because she is not a person who wants to fully reveal herself).
I did feel like I learned a lot, and the slow unveiling of the main character really worked to the novel's advantage. This isn't my favorite genre to read, but it was a good way to spend my morning train rides.
July 9, 2024
American Psycho
, but female and much, much better.
August 7, 2020
This has to be one of the most tiresome books I've read in a long time. The write up on the back was so promising but the text between the covers did not live up to it.
I don't normally give up on books but I actually don't care what happens to any of the characters in this book.
I don't normally give up on books but I actually don't care what happens to any of the characters in this book.
February 4, 2017
Predictable and, aside from the occasional crackling sentence, mostly unremarkable.
November 30, 2018
This was incredibly original. Fascinatingly disturbing. And beautifully written.
October 20, 2018
Gave up halfway through. The writing isn't bad itself but (personally) I just couldn't like the narrator no matter what. I get that to a certain point that's intentional and Katherine isn't meant to be a good person, but her superiority complex and the constant references to cannibalism in history just felt tiring and repetitive to me after a while.
It also came across as kind of strange how quickly Katherine was to trust random men she met in trains/bars/whatever but I guess it makes sense with her character so *shrug*.
Overall it didn't really feel like anything that interesting happened in the first half of the book. I realize the second half probably has more going on but Katherine unfortunately didn't reel me in enough for me to keep reading.
It also came across as kind of strange how quickly Katherine was to trust random men she met in trains/bars/whatever but I guess it makes sense with her character so *shrug*.
Overall it didn't really feel like anything that interesting happened in the first half of the book. I realize the second half probably has more going on but Katherine unfortunately didn't reel me in enough for me to keep reading.
July 25, 2021
I guess I am not twisted enough to give this book 5 stars. Twisted is the word. Yup. Last few pages of the book, my heartbeat was kind of low and loud, and I was afraid of the dark. I needed light. I am not a person who is easily scared but this books was scary in a unpredictable kinky kind of way.
The character is extremely interesting to anyone who meets her for the first time. Interesting point of views, frank and doom. She probably was pretty too and young. Oh, didn’t expect to like this book. Didn’t even think I will finish this one. I kept to it because of another interesting review. And it was worth it. I am glad I didn’t give up. This is one of those books That made super impression on me in a not very nice way. Still, I like it. Poor sods.
The character is extremely interesting to anyone who meets her for the first time. Interesting point of views, frank and doom. She probably was pretty too and young. Oh, didn’t expect to like this book. Didn’t even think I will finish this one. I kept to it because of another interesting review. And it was worth it. I am glad I didn’t give up. This is one of those books That made super impression on me in a not very nice way. Still, I like it. Poor sods.
January 9, 2024
Wow, this book.
It is obvious from the title, that it is about cannibalism. (It is a mere coincidence for me to read this in the midst of my Hannibal hyperfixation) From time to time, it read like a textbook because there was so much cannibalism information in it from real-life events to stories to paintings, and I had to stop reading to check out the things more often than not. And I knew where this was going, obviously, but still, it left me with my mouth open, staring into the last line of the story because holy fuck. Congratulations to the author and the narrator because they certainly did a great job at pulling me out of Istanbul's crowdedness and traffic.
It is obvious from the title, that it is about cannibalism. (It is a mere coincidence for me to read this in the midst of my Hannibal hyperfixation) From time to time, it read like a textbook because there was so much cannibalism information in it from real-life events to stories to paintings, and I had to stop reading to check out the things more often than not. And I knew where this was going, obviously, but still, it left me with my mouth open, staring into the last line of the story because holy fuck. Congratulations to the author and the narrator because they certainly did a great job at pulling me out of Istanbul's crowdedness and traffic.
October 24, 2017
I like reading something creepy around Halloween and a literary friend recommended it. It was clear to me from the beginning what was going on so the story to me was really more about why. Great use of the unreliable narrator and literary works/art. It's also, for being the subject matter, not a gory read at all due to the way the narrator talks about the deaths (which I won't reveal to avoid spoilers).
March 6, 2018
I wish I could give it 4.5 stars but she deserves a little inflationary promotion for the lovely integration of research into her narrative. She weaves fascinating history into the intellectual life of her main character. I learned some new things and plan on looking up the historical characters she mentions. I dock half a star because she left me feeling molested, but I suppose I should have expected that.
August 11, 2018
Quite the entertaining story. The protagonist is a spoiled, only child, whose father never seemed to be around, and whose mother liked to tell her fascinating stories. Katherine often seems drawn to older men who, like her father, have plenty of money. She finds a good use for their money, and when they get married to her, she finds a way to lose them.
I found the numerous vignettes of various cannibals in history that the author included for the reader's amusement informational.
I found the numerous vignettes of various cannibals in history that the author included for the reader's amusement informational.
August 30, 2022
Hard to rate. 3.5 or 4 stars. I listened to the audiobook for this one.
I don't know quite how to describe the plot of this book. The bloody inner musings of a girl as she takes advantage of people and kind of floats through life?
I enjoyed the prose of this book and it really cemented the rating of this book. A lot of the "bloody" musing are about about serial killers and suspected cannibalism throughout history.
Kind of an odd book overall, but I had an enjoyable experience.
I don't know quite how to describe the plot of this book. The bloody inner musings of a girl as she takes advantage of people and kind of floats through life?
I enjoyed the prose of this book and it really cemented the rating of this book. A lot of the "bloody" musing are about about serial killers and suspected cannibalism throughout history.
Kind of an odd book overall, but I had an enjoyable experience.
August 21, 2020
*DNF AT 36%*
Utterly pretentious, boring and bland. The prose was nothing interesting, mentions of cannibalism inconsequential and not really explored. I just wanted to finish it asap and move on, but honestly? I have no obligation to do so.
One star for Goya's paintings and Arthur, though I'm being generous.
Utterly pretentious, boring and bland. The prose was nothing interesting, mentions of cannibalism inconsequential and not really explored. I just wanted to finish it asap and move on, but honestly? I have no obligation to do so.
One star for Goya's paintings and Arthur, though I'm being generous.
May 24, 2019
Interesting, if a little disturbing. I liked the historical and art references, and looked up many of them. As far as mysteries go, it was pretty easy to figure out, but the narrator journeys to interesting places and tells good stories.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews