Booker Prize Winner David Szalay Delivers “Relentless exteriority” in novel Exploring Modern Life
London, UK – Hungarian-Austrian author David Szalay has won the 2023 Booker Prize for his novel Flesh, a work lauded for its brutally realistic portrayal of a man’s life and its avoidance of traditional character development. Szalay intentionally crafted a protagonist who remains “unknowable” to the reader, eschewing both reliable and unreliable narration.
“I vrey specifically didn’t want a character who unpacked themselves for the reader, either reliably or unreliably,” Szalay explained in a recent interview. The result, critics say, is a ”triumph” of exteriority, together tragic and comedic in its depiction of banality.
Szalay actively worked to avoid limiting the novel’s scope, editing out overt references to masculinity to ensure the book resonated beyond a single theme.”I hope that it’s about much more than that,” he stated, aiming for a deeply “emotional impact” achieved through realism.
Flesh spans roughly the author’s lifetime, incorporating past events like the Iraq war, Eastern European migration, and the COVID-19 pandemic to illustrate the impact of broader political and socioeconomic forces on individual lives. Szalay highlighted the transformative effect of Hungary joining the EU and the end of communism on Hungarian society, drawing parallels to the potential impact of Brexit on the UK’s collective psychology.
Describing himself as a “literary hermit” currently based in Austria,szalay expressed a preference for “compressed or concise novels” over lengthy,traditionally structured works. He cited Ernest Hemingway, John Updike, and Virginia Woolf as key influences, noting he reads ”equally as many novels by women as by men.” He is currently working on his next book, which will “partly” feature a female viewpoint.
The win comes at a personal moment for Szalay, who is temporarily separated from his wife and baby while promoting the book. He expressed surprise and gratitude at the positive reception Flesh has received, stating, “I’m proud that it has connected with so many people.”
Flesh by David Szalay is published by Vintage (£18.99) and is available for purchase at a discounted price of £16.14 at guardianbookshop.com.
