Eat Him If You Like

It’s difficult to imagine that an event from 1870 would keep your attention in 2014. Jean Teule proves that is not the case in Eat Him if You Like . The book, which is a mere 112 pages, is an amazing feat, balancing our growing unease throughout. The day for Alain de Moneys starts normally enough as he leaves his parents’ doting and heads to the nearby fair that has swelled the population of under 100 to 600 hundred. Alain’s a popular deputy mayor of the town and, although quite young, a bright spark who contributes to area. If someone is suffering from misfortune, Alain is more than likely one of the leaders to help. He’s wealthy, but instead of paying someone to replace him in France’s raging war against Prussia, Alain has said that he will start serving the following week. Except Alain is misheard in the dynamic crowd. This sets loose a horrific series of brutal events.

The true story and Teule’s prose keep you engaged. I started reading it before bed and couldn’t put it down until I’d finished it. It’s compelling. It has graphic parts, so it is not for the fainthearted.