Flesh (Szalay novel)

Flesh, published in 2025, is the sixth novel by Canadian-Hungarian David Szalay. It tells a rags-to-riches story, about a young Hungarian man named István. He lives an impulsive lifestyle, making rash decisions without thinking them through. After his sexual awakening, juvenile detention, military service and a series of menial jobs, István becomes a rich married socialite in London. This success brings him some contentment, but István's largely unchanged personality generates conflict with his new family.

Some critics praised the novel's lean prose, compelling story and taciturn protagonist. Others reacted negatively to the decision to omit many important events in István's life from the narrative, and to his sparse, limited dialogue.

The work won the 2025 Booker Prize. The chair of the judging panel, the author Roddy Doyle, described the work as "singular" in its narrative style. Doyle further stated that the sparseness of the novel invited the reader to engage with the character.