The Slap cover art

The Slap

A Novel

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The Slap

By: Christos Tsiolkas
Narrated by: Alex Dimitriades
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About this listen

The best-selling cult author of Loaded and Dead Europe here turns his blowtorch onto the belly of middle-class suburban Australia and its notions of child-rearing and acceptable behavior.

At a suburban barbecue, a man slaps a child who is not his own. This event has a shocking ricochet effect on a group of people, mostly friends, who are directly or indirectly influenced by the incident. In this remarkable novel, Christos Tsiolkas turns his unflinching and all-seeing eye onto that which connects us all: the modern family and domestic life in the 21st century. The Slap is told from the points of view of eight people who were present at the barbecue. The slap and its consequences force them all to question their own families and the way they live, their expectations, beliefs and desires. What unfolds is a powerful, haunting novel about love, sex and marriage, parenting and children, and the fury and intensity - all the passions and conflicting beliefs - that family can arouse.

In its clear-eyed and forensic dissection of the ever-growing middle class and its aspirations and fears, The Slap is also a poignant, provocative novel about the nature of loyalty and happiness, compromise and truth.

©2008 Christos Tsiolkas. (P)2009 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd Crime Fiction Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Psychological Crime

Critic Reviews

"With The Slap, Tsiolkas secures his place as one of Australia's most important novelists." ( The Age)
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I really enjoyed The Slap. It was thought provoking, challenging and heart breaking. Beware the C word!

A thought provoking tale.

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Since I experienced the works of Tsiolkas I have been searching for his essence in every other book I approach. He is remarkable.

Also Alex Dimitriades was the perfect voice for this.

A must!

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One of the best narrators I have listened to ... brilliant across the board - his ability to do kids, males and female voices is incredible. The author and narrator make every day life come alive. Tsiolkas' ability to convey what characters are thinking (but not saying aloud) is phenomenal 👏.

Brilliant narration

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Really enjoyed this book but found the descriptions of sex unnecessary & pornographic. The story itself was great.

Good but racy

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This great story is read so well, in a perfect narration by Alex Dimitriades, who brings the subtleties of the depicted cultures to life.

Obsessed

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the story takes you through the lives of a few families, their worries, troubles, views - all entangled into captivating plot. really enjoyed

very good!

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Once I got past the very raw and excessive language and explicit drug use it was a very interesting story. A whole group of people behaving very badly. It made for a good story.

Crass and authentic

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no good, no morals no consequences. every character is unlikable. Unnecessary smutty, don't know why it got turned a series

writer seems to like every character to be awful

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This is a great story. Christos has delved into the minds of so many different characters here in such an interesting way.
Alex was the perfect choice to read this in my opinion, he does all the characters so well!
I thoroughly enjoyed this!

The reader of this is so perfect!

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I loved this novel. It made me laugh and cry. The author has captured the characters beautifully and Alex Dimitriades was amazing at bringing them to life. His voices and accents and expression in the characters is excellent, I felt like I was there with them. I've never felt so lost in an audio book before. The chapter on Manolis - so poignant and beautiful. I loved it.

Gripping, gritty and realistic novel

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