Sarah has buggered off to Europe for a bit, so we're lucky to have the lovely Michelle step up and give the books the dress down...

15 March 2010

The Slap
By Christos Tsiolkas

Allen and Unwin 2008

This multi-award winning novel by Australian writer Christos Tsiolkas, examines the fallout when a man at a barbeque slaps a child that is not his own. The novel is told from the perspective of eight people who were present at the barbeque in an inner city suburb of Melbourne, and deals with issues of personal morality, racism and relationship. As each character examines their own reaction to the event, and the ensuing repercussions of it, we are automatically facing our own concepts of right and wrong. This cleverly self-reflexive story is at times a little unpleasant in it's familiarity.

This is easily the most gripping novel I've read so far this year. Tsiolkas writes with an assured voice and a remarkable ear for dialogue, whether it be a troubled seventeen year old girl coming to terms with her own guilt, or an aging Greek Grandfather, struggling with his culture in the face of a changing world. Each character is beautifully defined, and the author, while zeroing in on ethnic groups, has managed to highlight the cultural concerns, whilst avoiding stereotypes. Some of these characters are downright repulsive, and some of them are desperately sad, but ultimately they are all very real and coherent.

I was startled to encounter such an honest story about the undercurrent of racism and prejudice in Australia. This is a novel about loyalties too — for family, for culture, for friends. It is also about marriage and relationship, and the passing of passion and excitement into tedium. It was fascinating to read about the clash of parenting models, too. Ultimately, this is a thoroughly modern novel about a thoroughly modern Australia, and the diversity and tensions within it.

This story is divisive — such a contentious idea is bound to polarise you, and interestingly, I started the novel very firmly on one moral side, and ended up on the other. Smacking children is a very topical issue in New Zealand currently — I'd challenge you to read this book with an open mind, you will be surprised by the debates that rage inside you.

Un-put-down-able. This is a remarkable, exciting novel, with a distinct, authentic voice. A must read. Go out and buy it now.