Staff Pick
What a gut punch of a book. God how I loved it. As Meat Loves Salt is grimy and greasy and bloody; where love (lust?) and violence are written with the same amount of passion and dedication. This book is incredibly immersive — I could practically taste and smell 17th-century England while I was reading, and it totally swept me away. If you're looking for a book with a twisty and toxic queer relationship — or a psychological portrait of messed up characters in a very messed up time period — look no further. Recommended By Nicole S, Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
"This is an outstanding debut novel, a fresh and unusual achievement . . . As the title implies, it has all the dirt, stink, rasp and flavour of the time." - The Daily Telegraph (London)
Torn in two by a vicious Civil War, Seventeenth Century England was the scene of extraordinary violence. Among the soldiers travelling across the country from one deadly battle to another is Jacob Cullen, a former servant who dreams of baptizing himself with the blood of battle into a new life after the war. Only his brewing erotic obsession with a fellow fighter threatens his plans.
A dark, erotic tale of passion and obsession, AS MEAT LOVES SALT is a gripping portrait of England beset by war, and the harrowing tale of a man on the edge of madness. Hailed as a masterpiece, this is an extraordinary first novel by a most original new voice in fiction.
"Creeps up on the reader from behind, gathering an emotional momentum and intensity . . . it imaginatively re-creates the mentality of a society racked by war and intoxicated by radical new ideas of freedom and change. "--Times Literary Supplement (London)
"An inventive and vigorous debut novel set in 17th century England at a time of revolution ... urgent and energetic, full of voluptuous descriptions of food, paintings and lifestyles, as well as the war scenes. [Maria McCann's] language is bold and alive, and the reader is drawn into the story right from the start."-- Independent on Sunday (London)
Maria McCann was born in Liverpool in 1956. Since 1985 she has been a lecturer in English at a Somerset college. As Meat Loves Salt is her first book.
A Harvest Original
Review
"Absorbing and historically meticulous...a fat, juicy masterpiece." The Economist
Review
"McCann, a marvelous storyteller, does not disappoint. Forbidden sensuality is searingly described by chiaroscuro candlelight. Rich in secrets and surprises, this novel has its own fierce poetry." The Independent (London)
Review
"A story tense with anguish, intimacy and shame...it imaginatively re-creates the mentality of a society racked by war and intoxicated by radical new ideas of freedom and chance....This is an intriguing and disturbing first novel which lingers in the mind." The Times Literary Supplement
Review
"This harrowing novel of passion, insanity, and insurrection is not for the faint of heart, but its startling honesty will appeal to readers with an appetite for realistic historical fiction." Booklist
Review
"The scope of the narrative, the unusual conceit and the resonant writing combine to make this a powerful, unusual debut." Publishers Weekly
Review
"Published in the United Kingdom two years ago to critical acclaim, McCann's brilliant debut is an eloquent narrative that is historically rich and enthralling. American readers, especially those who enjoyed Sarah Waters's Tipping the Velvet, will rejoice." Library Journal
Synopsis
In the seventeenth century, the English Revolution is under way. The nation, seething with religious and political discontent, has erupted into violence and terror. Jacob Cullen and his fellow soldiers dream of rebuilding their lives when the fighting is over. But the shattering events of war will overtake them.
A darkly erotic tale of passion and obsession, As Meat Loves Salt is a gripping portrait of England beset by war. It is also a moving portrait of a man on the brink of madness. Hailed as a masterpiece, this is a first novel by a most original new voice in fiction.
A Harvest Original
Synopsis
In the seventeenth century, the English Revolution is under way. The nation, seething with religious and political discontent, has erupted into violence and terror. Jacob Cullen and his fellow soldiers dream of rebuilding their lives when the fighting is over. But the shattering events of war will overtake them.
A darkly erotic tale of passion and obsession, As Meat Loves Salt is a gripping portrait of England beset by war. It is also a moving portrait of a man on the brink of madness. Hailed as a masterpiece, this is a first novel by a most original new voice in fiction.
A Harvest Original
Copyright (c) 2003. Published in the U.S. by Harcourt, Inc.
About the Author
Maria McCann was born in Liverpool in 1956, and educated there and at the University of Durham. Since 1985 she has been a lecturer in English at Somerset College. As Meat Loves Salt is her first book.
Table of Contents
Contents
Part One
1 Scum Rises
2 Beating
3 Battles
4 Espousal
5 Over the Edge
Part Two
6 Prince Rupert
7 Bad Angel
8 Mistress Lilly
9 God's Work
10 Golgotha
11 The Man of Bones
Part Three
12 At Liberty
13 Eve of Nativity
14 An Incubus
15 Broken Men
16 Hope
17 Brothers and Sisters
18 The Uses of a Map
19 Possession
20 As Meat Loves Salt
21 Discoveries
22 What's Past Repair
23 Coney-Catching
Part Four
24 Of Snares
25 Things Broken
26 Things Called By Their Right Names
27 Things Not To Be Compelled
28 The Stuff of Jest
29 Well-Loved Games
30 Unsealing
31 Treasures
Reading Group Guide
As Meat Loves Salt, Maria McCann's gripping, meticulously researched debut novel, is a darkly erotic tale of passion set during the English Revolution of the seventeenth century. Jacob Cullen is a giant of a man with a black temper, born free in a small English town, but forced to labor as a servant upon the death of his father. He is forced to flee for his life when he is caught up in an intrigue of forbidden politics and murder. While wandering through the war-torn countryside, he is impressed into Oliver Cromwell's revolutionary New Model Army, which is locked in a struggle with Royalist forces for control of England. After taking part in one of the bloodiest sieges of the war, Jacob deserts with his new friend Ferris, an idealistic Londoner who dreams of starting a commonwealth of free and equal people, living as brothers and sisters. As they live and work together, planning their commonwealth, Jacob and Ferris become lovers, defying the puritanical prohibitions against sodomy. They lead a ragtag group of misfits and idealists to start their longed-for community from scratch in the countryside. But when Jacob's violent temper finally drives them apart, the fragile new society they have struggled to build is threatened, from outside and from within. QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION Q> What is the nature of the Voice that speaks to Jason? How does it change over the course of the novel? Is Jason schizophrenic, or is the Voice just an expression of his rage? Jacob thinks of the Voice in theological terms; he says that he is possessed, and his fellow soldiers call him a "Bad Angel." What is the significance of this religious element? Q> The novel has been praised for its historical accuracy and period detail. Which everyday elements of seventeenth-century life were most surprising or interesting to you? To what extent is Jacob's story a universal one, and to what extent is it defined by the period? Q> The English Revolution was in large part a religious conflict. What role does religion play in the lives of Jacob's fellow soldiers? In the lives of the other characters? How does morality relate to religion in the novel? Whom do you consider the most moral characters? Why is Ferris an Atheist? How does his repudiation of religion relate to his plans for the Commonwealth? Q> Do you think Jacob and Ferris would define themselves as homosexuals, if such a term had existed in their era? Discuss the concept of homosexual sex as a sinful act, as opposed to a marker of the men's identity-for example, see the quote from Leviticus that Jacob reads (and imagines Nathan and Ferris having read) on p. 376: "If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death.". Is it significant that this refers to an act rather than a type of person or a state of being. Q> How does McCann weave the themes of the folktale that opens the novel into Jacob's story? How do the self-inflicted loss and regret of the King who banishes his daughter relate to the patterns of Jacob's life? Q> How important is the fact that Jacob was born to free, landholding parents to his view of the world and the course of his life? How does his time as a servant affect his attitudes once he is free, for example during the planning stages of Ferris's Commonwealth? Q> Who would you say has the position of power in Jacob and Ferris's relationship? What do they see in one another? Would you describe Jacob as passive? Do you recognize any elements of their relationship from your own experience or observations of others? Q> Compare the two rape scenes, when Jacob forces himself on Caro and on Ferris. What happens to Jacob in each case? What sparks his anger? Rape is generally considered to be more a crime of violence and power, not sex; would you say that is the case here? Q> How does the glass inscribed "Loyaute" that Jacob loots from Basing and gives to Ferris work as a symbol? Why does Ferris give it back to Jacob? Why does Jacob throw it away at the end of the book? Q> How has the death of Ferris's wife affected him? Is it related to his atheism? Is it a cause or a product of his idealism? Q> McCann does not reveal Jacob's guilt in the murder of Christopher right away, just as she gradually unfolds Jacob and Ferris's sexual attraction to one another. Did you anticipate these secrets? Do you think McCann's concealing them from the reader is important to the flow of the novel? Q> After reading Psalm 115, which had been cited by Cromwell in his address to the troops before the assault on Basing, Jacob reflects on its meaning, "We were to leave them like unto their idols, utterly unable to see, hear, smell, touch, walk," and then thinks, "I knew what it was to send a soul down into silence." (157) Is there a difference between the righteous bloodlust Cromwell is trying to stir in his troops and Jacob's sudden fits of rage? What does Ferris mean when he tells Jacob, "The army is bad for you."? (179) Q> After listening to Ferris read a pamphlet calling for liberty and equality for all men, Jacob remarks, "it is a curious thing to be reading such matter as this and have a woman serve us. The last time I read such things I was a servant myself, and now I have one." (238). What do you think about the conversation that follows? Read the community rules Ferris reads on p. 316. How are they different from the principles by which we live today? Do you think that Ferris's notion of a colony of men and women living like brothers and sisters, and holding all property in common, is possible, or is Jacob right in his skepticism? Q> Is Sister Jane actually Caro? If she is, why does she pretend not to know Jacob when he confronts her? Q> After Jacob has found Ferris and Caro having sex in the wood, the chapter closes what seems to be a kind of parable: "There was once a man who heard his wife and her lover together. He heard the secret things the wife whispered to the lover, and said only, 'yes, that is she.'But then the lover pleaded to be touched, and the husband clenched his fists; and when the man cried aloud then the husband's nails cut deep into the palms of his hands." (506). Why does McCann have Jacob shift into the third person voice here? What is she trying to express in this passage? Q> How has Jacob changed at the end of the book? Is he completely responsible for the tragedies of his life? Did you empathize with him throughout the book? What do you imagine will become of him? Do you think he will be able to make a fresh start in Massachusetts?
Copyright (c) 2003. Published in the U.S. by Harcourt, Inc.