The Slap - Christos Tsiolkas

Review by Julia

Best consumed with

A strong homemade coffee is required to get through the tense barbecue that sets the scene for this story! My preferred at home brew is coffee made in a plunger, topped with frothy milk, served in my Winnie the Pooh mug. 

However, for this read, in honour of the many Greek characters who make Greek coffee at home, you may want to try a Greek coffee.

Don’t know what a ‘Greek coffee’ is? Don’t worry, I didn’t either! Here’s what I found online - it’s a distinct type of coffee, made by boiling coffee beans, rather than brewing, which results in a rich and creamy flavour, with a small foam on top. It is best served in small (slightly larger than espresso) cups. If you're interested in finding out more about Greek coffee check out this website - Greek coffee - Mia Kouppa, Traditional Greek recipes.

What's it all about?

At a barbecue in Melbourne, Australia, a man slaps a 3 year old child (not his own) across the face. The child, Hugo, had been misbehaving throughout the day and his parents have not intervened once. When Hugo starts to threaten another boy (Rocco), Rocco’s dad (Harry) takes the matter into his own hands…literally! 

This event leads to profound and shocking consequences for the people at the barbecue. Opinion is divided about the incident and the witnesses are forced to re-examine their own lives and relationships with each other as a result. The story is cleverly told from the perspective of 8 individuals (4 men and 4 women) who witness the slap.

Why did I choose this book to read? 

This novel has been on my TBR list for a really long time. A few years ago whilst living in London, my boss highly recommended this book - so I wrote it down on my phone and for a long time, it just stayed there.

Fast forward a few years later when I was visiting my local book exchange and found The Slap. I’ve recently been on a bit of an Australian author binge (Tessa Lunney, Sulari Gentill, Holly Ringland and Benjamin Stevenson), so I decided it was time I gave Christos Tsiolkas a go too.

What did I love?

The Slap explores many difficult themes and it does not shy away from the uncomfortable. This is not a PC book, but in an overly PC world, it’s a breath of fresh air. The themes dealt with include marriage, infidelity, sexuality, adolescence, drugs, raising and disciplining children, multiculturalism and racism in Australia.

The novel begins with the point of view of Hector, the man who is hosting the barbecue, and ends with Richie’s point of view - who is one of the two 17 year olds in attendance. As much as the narrative is about “the slap” the characters don’t just ruminate about this one event. The story moves forward at a good pace and a lot of other (and often, more interesting) events occur throughout. 

At first, I wasn’t sure how this would work. I thought that perhaps you would get the perspective of one character in one chapter, and then never really find out what happens to them again. However, I read a review of this novel on The Guardian (The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas | Christos Tsiolkas | The Guardian) which said that each character “is a sharp observer of those around him or her, so many more lives are illuminated as well” and this sums up why this 8 point of view construct actually works. Each character knows the others and their lives are inextricably intertwined - so for example, in Richie’s chapter, we find out more about Hector as well.

Throughout the novel you’re not sure who you’re meant to side with, or who the hero is, and Christos never really makes it clear - but that’s what makes The Slap so good. There isn’t one obvious villain, or one obvious point of view, which is reflective of real life. Every day we all have to make compromises, prioritise certain relationships over others and make hard choices. Nobody is perfect, we are all hypocritical, judgmental and deeply flawed and that is reflected in the story, which makes it a lot of fun to read.

The writing is also superb. It’s sharp, witty and never gets stale. It makes you want to keep turning the page.

What did I not love? 

Two of the chapters are told from the perspectives of the teenage characters. In my opinion these were the weakest parts of the novel. It was interesting to see the event from their point of view, and learn more about their lives, but I kept wishing that the story would go back to the “adults” as that’s where I felt the real issues lay.

Book club recommended?

Absolutely, yes! I think this book is sure to divide opinion. The event of “the slap” alone will surely lead to a lively discussion. The Slap has also been adapted into an Australian and American TV miniseries, so watching that too could be a good idea for the book club.