The sound of a small boy being slapped at a suburban Melbourne barbecue echoed round the world after Christos Tsiolkas's novel, The Slap, was published in Australia in 2008. Shortlisted for the Man Booker prize, it inspired fierce debate and continues to divide opinion.
One of the criticisms is that it has so few likable characters. As Tsiolkas told the Guardian book club, he didn't set out to create a cosy picture of family life, but to dramatise the tensions of modern Australian life. Multiculturalism, suburbanism and male aggression are all part of the mix, he explained, along with the excessive consumption of alcohol.
Reading list
The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas (Atlantic)
