i thought this book was brilliant. it's such a clever expression of governmental issues and the vanity in consumption. it's utterly grotesque but fascinating.

the society within the novel acts as a commentary on our societal values, but framed around the concept of cannibalism. at first glance, this book is vile. it represents the depths of human greed and the complete lack of regard for others. it covers themes of slavery, racism, and sexism alongside morality which is the overwhelming force behind the novel.

the perspective of the main character is so interesting. it seemed to reflect our understanding of the effects of cannibalism on the psyche, especially when it occurs on such a widespread scale like this. our narrator is confusing and his thoughts are inconsistent. he's a cog in the machine, who feels nothing for his job, yet feels uncomfortable with the cruelty the heads face. he keeps a woman in his barn with the intention of impregnating her to replace the child he lost. but as readers, we are none the wiser to this intention because of his unreliable narration. i found myself consistently shocked by this novel, and simultaneously deeply disturbed and impressed. because of his behaviour he is utterly unlikeable - but terribly interesting.

a key theme explored in the text is slavery. aspects of this are found through the keeping of jasmine, the breeding facilities, the sexual exploitation, and of course the medical research. the chapter about the laboratory very much reminded me of the enslaved black women used to begin gynecological research. the scientist (J. Marion Sims) who completed the research was awarded his efforts with zero regard for his research having been founded on enslaved women using zero anaesthetic. this is strongly reminiscent of the doctor in the novel (Doctor Valka), who is similarly unconcerned with the feelings of her subjects and is only focused on "revolutionising medicine".

obviously throughout the book there are clear themes of sexism as well, with female heads being used as incubators to create more meat. the women would 'rebel' by attempting to terminate their pregnancy against the bars of their cell.

like many sci-fi novels it hinted towards a government that seeks to ban knowledge, through the brief mention of banned films. it offered an extreme representation of our society and the corruption that greed brings to morality.

all that being said, i can't say i enjoyed this book. i found it fascinating but it did make me feel fairly ill throughout and has brought up the age old question of "should i become a vegetarian?" i'm leaning towards yes.