The Glutton

Set during the French Revolution, the story is based on the life of Tarrare, a real historical figure known for his insatiable and disturbing appetite. Born into extreme poverty, Tarrare begins eating anything he can find—stones, live animals, and even things far worse—simply to quiet the constant, gnawing void inside him. As he travels through a landscape of war, filth, and revolution, he is used as a circus act and a military spy, always viewed as a monster rather than a man. It is a story of a life consumed by a "possessive" need to devour the world before it devours him.