I’m not even sure how to talk about The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas because I loved it that much. Last year I read his latest work, Barracuda and was blown away by it, but it has nothing on The Slap. The Slap is gritty, messy, at times offensive, and beautifully written. For me it was the perfect combination of writing, flawed characters, compelling story and social commentary.
But the real reason you should read The Slap is because it exemplifies diversity in a very natural way, in the way in which most of us living in a diverse world encounter it on a daily basis. Though the story is set in Australia, the majority of the characters are Greek, but there are also characters of Indian and Vietnamese descent, regular old Australians and a wide range of sexualities. In other words, it reflected the reality of life in Australia.
And just because there was this rainbow of diversity in The Slap, doesn’t mean everything was happy and beautiful, that would be too simple. There is racism of various degrees, sexism, abuse, degradation … you name it. But that is precisely what makes the novel so brilliant – nothing is black and white and it actually reflects the world we live in pretty accurately.
Who would like this book? These days it seems that everyone is looking for more diverse reads, so pick up The Slap. It does not present diversity for diversity’s sake, but more likely because it is the author’s reality. And for those who wish to be ahead of the curve, Uma Thurman will be starring in an American remake of the Australian mini-series based on the book later in 2015.
52 books or bust 
Another book I have to read! And I have a lovely signed copy on the shelf. I was just watching a video tonight of a panel discussion he took part in recently in India and was reminded of how thoughtful and soft spoken he is in person while his work can be very direct and intense. Too many books, too many books…
I’m begging you – begging! – to read this book. I loved it. I saw Tsiolkas speak in Edinburgh and he is so intense but in a very quiet way. His books are not. But they are oh so brilliant.
I will read it, I promise. I met him here in Calgary last fall and he was most generous with his time. He is a writer who is very passionate about literature, in fact I would say he was just about bursting with enthusiasm during his interview.
I often think of Canada and Australia as being quite similar. His books highlight their differences to me and I like that about them. I can’t wait to see what you think.
Agree, it’s a gripping read.An American remake of the (brilliant) mini-series…? Hmmm. Not sure about that.
So the Australian mini-series was good? I just may hunt it down.
The Australian mini-series was brilliant. Perfectly cast and captured all of Tsiolkas’s character detail. Easily one of the best things I’ve seen on tv in the last ten years.
I’ll see if i can find it on netflix or amazon or something.
So glad you enjoyed this book, I think it’s he best novel so far. However it is difficult to recommend and I’ve found a lot of people hate this book (usually mothers of small children) but it is a very interesting/important topic
I LOVED it, but I can see how it could be a divisive novel. All the characters are full of faults and it is a contentious issue. Having heard about it years ago I was afraid it was going to be a very ‘issue’ based novel like a Jodi Picoult, but since I’ve fallen in love with Tsiolkas’ writing, I knew it would be brilliant. And also you said it was good.
REALLY weird…I have the Today Show on as I’m eating breakfast and going through my blog feed and they were just talking about the mini series called The Slap about 30 seconds ago. Then this came up. Honestly, the book sounds much, much better than the mini series looks!
I just heard that it was being made into an american mini-series earlier today as well. Weird! It was also done by the Australians. I don’t know how well it will translate to screen. I’m especially wary of how the American version will treat the question of race. But it is a tremendous book! I highly recommend.
Ok, maybe I should give this book another try. I tried reading it when it first came out, and what I read of it, I hated. The problem is, because it was a while ago, I can’t remember exactly why. I just have this impression of hatred and nastiness. I am not easily put off, but this one just rubbed me the wrong way. I suspect it might be partly that I don’t want to admit that that is what people in this world are like. (These impressions are all based on just the first 50 pages or so. Does it change at all after that?) Just the fact that you loved it so much makes me incredibly curious about it.
Every section of the novel is written from a different characters point of view, and some of the characters are very unlikable. I felt differently with every chapter. But one thing is true, Tsiolkas doesn’t shy away from the uncomfortable and the unlikeable. I’d say give it another go, if you don’t like the first voice jump to the second.
Oh, yes, I remember that now. I think I read the first 3 voices; the husband, the wife, and the mistress. I didn’t like either of the parents, and the mistress was so young! Does it get more tolerable from there?
Maybe it’s not for you. I liked the husband and wife’s voices, even if the characters were unlikeable. He makes me uncomfortable & i like that.
I’m sold! Adding it to my list! I like what you say about it not doing diversity for diversity’s sake. Rather it’s just a representation of what life actually looks like in Australia. I haven’t read anything set in Australia for a while. I’m also encouraged by the other posts that come up with this one – The Dinner and All The Light We Cannot See? It’s a sign.
I have not read this author yet. Maybe I should start with Barracuda … after taking a look at their premises.
I really liked Barracuda as well. In both cases he deals with race, sexuality and class in a really great way.
When I first heard of this novel a few years ago, I wasn’t terribly interested in it (all of the hype I guess left me feeling a little =| about it), but it has piqued my interest in recent weeks. I think hearing about the miniseries prompted me to reconsider picking up this book so yeah, will bump this up the want-to-read pile. Great review!
Yeah, when it first came out I thought it was all hype too. Are you watching the mini-series?
Not yet. I’ll probably just marathon it when it finishes xD
An American remake? Not sure about that. I watched the Australian mini-series and thought it was good, but it wasn’t anywhere near as powerful as the book. I’m pleased that you enjoyed The Slap as much as I did!
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