How would you react if someone slapped your child? This is only one of the questions about family, parenting, marriage, and friendship this book (published 2008) invites you to make judgements about, though don’t expect any easy answers.
Aisha and Hector are having a barbeque for friends and family. They are a diverse bunch in terms of ethnic origin, religion, social aspiration and achievement, and age. All is going reasonably well until three year old Hugo won’t accept that he’s out in a game of backyard cricket. He raises the bat; is he going to hit another child? Adults rush to intervene. Harry, the father of the other child, gets there first, and slaps Hugo. His parents are outraged, but others think he deserved it. The consequences of this incident reverberate throughout the rest of the book.
But whether or not it is always wrong to hit a child is only one of the issues. Tsiolkas has in his sights the whole experience of Australian suburbia by post war European migrants, their children and grandchildren, and other ethnic minorities who have arrived since, or been here all the time. In particular, it is the ‘bonds and fractures of family’, and of friendship, that interest him. He investigates this by devoting a chapter each to eight of the people who were at the barbeque – Hector and Aisha, Anouk, a single friend of Aisha’s, Rosie, another friend and mother of Hugo, Harry, who is Hector’s cousin, Manolis, Hector’s father, and two teenagers, Connie and Ritchie. The consequences of the slap affect all of these to a greater or lesser degree, but each has their own story. There is a linear narrative in the sense that the action takes place over about six months, but the structure of the book is more like the spokes of a wheel which radiate out from the initial grouping at the barbeque. The stories are of course not discrete; what happens to Rosie, for example, becomes clear through the stories of both Aisha and Ritchie, to Harry through Rosie’s story and to Hector through Aisha’s story.
None of the stories is entirely happy; in this, Tsiolkas is no doubt being true to life. I found the stories of Hector and Harry to be the most confronting, partly because of their infidelities and drug use, but more so because they both – Harry especially – seem so utterly self-regarding. Most of the men in the story seem to be angry much of the time, or disappointed – with their children, their wives or the lack of respect shown them by the younger generation. Tsiolkas recommends George Megalogenis’s book The Longest Decade (2006) for an understanding of some of the sources of this anger. The young people are also into sex and drugs, but I didn’t find this so hard to deal with, possibly because it is more of a commonplace these days. And the two teenagers do make the most generous gestures in the whole book. Overall, it is not a comfortable or comforting picture of suburbia that emerges.
I found it impossible not to make strong judgements about the behaviour of the characters. Tsiolkas gives both sides of many of the arguments, particularly the one about slapping a misbehaving child, and the structure of the book is well set up to accommodate this. And often there are no right answers in the tangle of jealousy and dislike, love and betrayal found in families and friendships. I was a bit surprised, though, that with the author’s apparent approval, one of the ‘best days’ in Ritchie’s life was the first day he shot up drugs. Tsiolkas seems to get a bit of a kick out of being a bad boy himself.
Does the non-linear structure work? Are the characters more than sociological exhibits? The Slap was long-listed for the Man Booker Prize, but didn’t make it any further, so perhaps the judges had their doubts. However it won the 2009 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize (S E Asia and Pacific) for 2009. It is now being made into a mini series, and should make fascinating viewing.
There is remarkably little about Tsiolkas himself on the internet, but you can read an interesting interview with him here and see him taking about his influences and inspirations here.
What Book to Read? 
Renee
Loved the book. I first saw the DVD it was fabulous. The book deals with modern life issues. Fantastic book club choice because there are so many issues to discuss. I wish the series had gone on for much longer.
Well, I have now read it.
Kay, I was curious about your comment ‘None of the stories is entirely happy; in this, Tsiolkas is no doubt being true to life.” Do you mean to say that Tsiolkas is no doubt being true to his own life, or all of us in general?
I enjoyed the book but felt dragged down by the constant negativity from all the characters. At one point I was afraid that the book would start focusing on the rape accusation and was glad it didn’t. Overall I didn’t feel it reflected life in Australia, though I am not Greek so perhaps this is a bias view. I would just like to think that not all humans on this earth are destined to be so miserable for their entire existence!
I agree with Lyn that the central dispute is unbelievable. And more so that it would end up in court. But perhaps that is all he had to bind the book, and the characters, together.
I would recommend this book to friends and will likely watch the mini series, but it didn’t make my top 10.
Hi Jo
Thanks for your comments. I agree that I would recommend The Slap to others but it is not amongst my most favourite books.
In answer to your question, I meant that Tsiolkas is being true to all our lives, in that he obviously believes none of us are entirely happy. Perhaps this perception comes from his own life?
I will be looking out for the mini series, and will probably write a review of it for my ‘books to film’ category.
Cheers
Kay
Hi Jo
Romulus my Father engaged me far more than The Slap. I thought it was great, and the film was excellent too.
Perhaps one source of the disjunctions in The Slap came from Tsiolkas having in mind a TV series when he wrote it? Certainly the structure lends itself to episodic treatment
My book club read The Slap a year or so ago, and it provoked a fairly negative reaction. In part, this was all the characters seemed to be missing a moral base; the men fuelled by anger and the women fluttering like moths too close to the flame.
In my view, Tsiolkas undermines his attempts to discuss issues such as parenting, friendship and domestic violence by drawing his characters more with a thick texta than a fine pen, when a finer pen at least is needed to bring the central issues into focus. For instance, Rosie (mother of the detestable Hugo) is still breast feeding the boy though he is nearly 4. (This symbolises her need to keep the intimate, loving relationship between herself and her child). Hugo seems not to be disciplined at all and is quite monstrous. Tsiolkas has exaggerated these central characters to the point where the central dispute is essentially unbelievable. I would rather read a good non-fiction book on the same issues.
The book didn’t, in my view, merit the awards it did get, and I am delighted it didn’t win the Booker.
Having said which, Tsiolkas is a talented writer and I will look out for his next book.
I still think you were generous with you support of Tsiolkas’ presentation of the issues in this book. For me there were too many issues and too many characters dealing with all these issues.
If I were Greek I think I would feel a sense of prejudice since there is a strong presentation of stereotypes in this novel and yes, I do think the characters are sociological exhibits.
Finally, I’m not a prude but at times the language was a little over the top….but sadly that is probably Tsiolkas touching on reality.
I haven’t read this yet but has been on my list for a long time… A friend of mine is the sister of Robert Connolly (producer of Romulus, My Father) and he will be assisting with the direction and production of the TV series. Will make for interesting viewing I think!