It is a claustrophobic experience. You are trapped in the car with Marcos. You are trapped in the processing plant. And when the .m4a file ends, you will sit in silence for a long time, staring at the wall, wondering what you just witnessed.
★★★★★ (5/5 for the audio experience. Zero stars for your mental health afterward.) Agustina Bazterrica -- Cadaver exquisito.m4a
But what is it about Bazterrica’s novel that makes it such a compelling subject for audio? Why are readers seeking out this specific file, and what does the story itself say about our relationship with consumption, empathy, and the banality of evil? It is a claustrophobic experience
When you read Cadaver exquisito silently, your internal voice protects you. It softens the blows. But when you hear played through a pair of noise-canceling headphones, there is no protection. The narrative bypasses your eyes (which can close) and goes straight into your ears (which cannot close). And when the
The title itself, Cadáver exquisito (Exquisite Corpse), references the Surrealist game where words or images are collectively assembled to create a bizarre whole. In the novel,
Agustina Bazterrica uses the extreme premise of industrial cannibalism to deliver a sharp critique of modern society: