The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas

[Kate]

The slap is the latest novel by Australian author Christos Tsiolkas. The plot centres around a group of families attending a suburban barbeque when one of the adults slaps someone elses child. What happens next is told from the different perspectives of eight of the adults present and delves into their own histories, cultures, secrets and family lives. Parts of the novel are quite graphic and violent in nature and it deals quite openly with all the character's dirty laundry. At times the language and descriptions are pretty full on which reminded me of Loaded- the only other work I have read by Tsiolkas. Loaded is the novel on which the nineties film Head On was based, and follows Ari a young Greek gay man in inner city Melbourne.
An interesting read and very contemporary in style- but at pretty confronting, even for a potty mouth such as myself.

[Merilyn]

Hi Kate

I'm enjoying this but have to say could do without the pornagraphic like sex scenes spinkled throughout!!!! And what's with the women who seem to sit about waiting for those big hunky men to burst in and have their way......have they not got something better to do????? All a bit sexist for my liking.....

[Kate]

I agree Merilyn- I kind of skipped over a lot of the more graphic parts- and I was a bit disappointed that all the women seemed to cave in - even at the end.

[Kate]

I agree Merilyn- I kind of skipped over a lot of the more graphic parts- and I was a bit disappointed that all the women seemed to cave in - even at the end.

[Shirley Diegelman]

I agree with your sentiments, but I did find it a riveting read - the characters were very intense and Tsiolkas raises a lot of issues that confront ordinary people. I loved how he moved the story along - each character picking up from the last and telling their own story of their past, as well as the present and future. I liked Aisha the least - she was supposed to be the most likeable one, but I was annoyed that she chose as she did.

[MLB]

Yes it was riveting, yes it was graphic in both violence and sex - often combined ! I enjoyed the way the author looked at the eight main characters, where thay had come from and their life experiences that had perhaps formed their opinions on 'the slap'. It showed how people aren't always what they seem, lives are complicated when you scratch the surface and when relationships are questioned.The characters, the couples particularly, all had their weaknesses and strengths, they had differences and these came to the surface with 'the slap'. However by the end of the book these differences and imperfections were accepted because of a shared history or just a complacency - better the devil you know !