Todas saben a muerte

[Michael30000]

Hola a todos,

La frase en cuestión es del libro Tinta invisible de Javier Peña.

A mi padre le dieron el alta y lo mandaron para casa, tal como él deseaba y yo nunca pensé que sucedería, pero sentado en el sillón negro de Scheherezade parecía más triste a cada rato. El regreso al hogar había sido decepcionante para él; supongo que creía que volver a casa sería un retorno a lo que había antes, pero aquel antes, como el esplendor en la hierba de Wordsworth, ya solo subsistía en el recuerdo. Estaba rodeado de libros que no podía leer, como el protagonista hambriento de un cuento que se encuentra un jardín lleno de frutas apetitosas, pero cada vez que le da un mordisco a una descubre que todas saben a muerte.

What does "saber a muerte" imply? That something has a very bad and unpleasant taste, so bad and unpleasant that you simply can't eat it?

Or does it mean that something has absolutely no taste at all?

Thank you.

[Rusty]

The writer wrote that each bite of the appetizing fruits tastes like death. Without asking the author what he meant, I would surmise no more than you about its meaning.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

I think this is a metaphor for the taste or smell of a decayed corpse.
The man in the story is hungry, but he can't eat, because despite the appealing look of the fruits, they are rotten inside and can't be eaten.
The author's father is so sick, that even though he's surrounded by his books and feels the need to read them, he can't.




Edit: Rusty beat me to reply, but another answer won't harm.

[Michael30000]

Originally Posted by Rusty

The writer wrote that each bite of the appetizing fruits tastes like death. Without asking the author what he meant, I would surmise no more than you about its meaning.

Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar

I think this is a metaphor for the taste or smell of a decayed corpse.
The man in the story is hungry, but he can't eat, because despite the appealing look of the fruits, they are rotten inside and can't be eaten.
The author's father is so sick, that even though he's surrounded by his books and feels the need to read them, he can't.


Edit: Rusty beat me to reply, but another answer won't harm.

Thank you, Rusty and Angelica.