The Slap/Christos Tsiolkas 482 pg.
This book is a collection of chapters from the perspective of many different characters. The central "event" is when a man slaps a child of some acquaintances at a BBQ. In the end, the book seems to be more about the fact that each person in this book is AMAZING LOOKING, really sexy, one just more beautiful than the next...except, of course, the goofy alcoholic and the gay teenager. The author seems to tell us that men have violence and rage just under the surface and barely keep it in check. All they really want is to beat their wives, force themselves on young girls or berate their employees. The women have at least a little more variety but the one who is the most successful and together seems to be staying with her husband only because they are so good looking and look so good together. There are several sexual encounters, most of which are rendered in a very unattractive way.
The book ends with one teen betraying the confidence of another which results in a bizarre confrontation. The teen promptly heads home and tried to kill himself by swallowing everything in the medicine cabinet. A day after getting his stomach pumped and 15 minutes with a psychologist, he is out and prepping for a party with his friends. They go the party, ingest a load of recreational drugs and he has the best time of his life.
Everyone comes across as shallow and sad but the part about being so good looking...now that is something I can really relate to. - Christa
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