Confessions of a Flesh Eaters: Dedalus Original Fiction in Paperback Ser. [Paperback]

David Madsen (Author)

Book Description

Series: Dedalus Original Fiction in Paperback Ser. | Publication Date: September 28, 1998

Confessions of a Flesh-Eater is the story of a grand passion - the story of man and meat, and the intimate relationship between them. That man is Orlando Crispe, universally acknowledged as one of the finest exponents in the world of classical and creative cuisine, and at present languishing in a Roman prison, charged with the murder of at least four people. The confessions of Orlando Crispe constitute a detailed and frank account of the love affair between a master and his medium. For Crispe, the consumption of flesh is essentially an act of love, a communion as intimate as the act of sex, and such intimacy inevitably achieves its own proper apotheosis between persons. The novel gives Orlando Crispe's classic menus and readers who wish to try them are advised that whenever human flesh is specified, animal flesh can be used instead - indeed it should be.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

David Madsen is the pseudonym of a philosopher, theologian, therapist and author who has always had a special interest in the esoteric, the oblique and the heterodox byways of the human psyche. His first novel, Memoirs of a Gnostic Dwarf, partially sprang from Madsen's enthusiasm for Gnosticism, which he had the opportunity of studying in Rome for several years; Memoirs won great critical acclaim and has been translated into eleven languages. It was followed by Confessions of a Flesh-Eater, Confessions of a Flesh-Eater Cookbook and, most recently, A Box of Dreams, all published by Dedalus Books. He has also collaborated on film scripts. David Madsen has been interviewed by several well-known periodicals and literary magazines, including The New Statesman, Spoiled Ink and Venue; he has also been the subject of articles and interviews in newspapers and journals from countries as diverse as Lithuania and Brazil.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Dedalus Limited (September 28, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 187398247X
• ISBN-13: 978-1873982471
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,692,154 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A delicious mix of philosophy, gluttony, erotica & decadence, March 31, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Confessions of a Flesh Eaters: Dedalus Original Fiction in Paperback Ser. (Paperback)

The story of Orlando Crispe, chef extraordinaire is (among other things) a study of misogynist pschychology (I liked the treatment of Freud in particular), an ode to gourmet cooking, a satire of restaurant (and other) critics and a philosophic tract.

Very much in the tradition of Peter Greenaway's "The Cook, the Thief, his Wife and her Lover". A bit like "Perfume", but better in my view.

Not for the faint hearted.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars delightfully prurient, April 18, 2005

By 

Semioticghost "Semioticghost" (London, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Confessions of a Flesh Eaters: Dedalus Original Fiction in Paperback Ser. (Paperback)

"Confessions of a Flesh Eater" serves up a gourmet meal and does not hold back on the condiments, though the cooking remains simple despite reflecting the complexities of Orlando Crispe - chef extraordinaire, gnostic and hedonist.

Single-mindedly devoted to his cause of inducing in the Eater the emotions he wishes to convey, he lets us taste the lives of others with the unique flavours imparted by their experience and demise.

Crispe is delightfully prurient, and there is method to his madness, which justifies his actions on the basis of what he terms 'absorptionism': The consumption of flesh is a final act of love, with the weaker being eaten, ascending to ultimate fulfilment by becoming part of the stronger.