Book Club - 03/01/13

First book club of the new year, and an interesting one it was too! We met to talk about 'The Slap' by Christos Tsiolkas.  I have to be honest this is the first book that I have really struggled to read within the month and this is mainly due to the fact that I just wasn't enjoying it.  I pretty much forced myself to finish it, if it hadn't been for book club I would have abandoned this by chapter 2.  But even though it wasn't overly popular, it sparked a lengthy discussion longer than many of the others we have talked about.  As always there was a mixed reaction to the book I'd say we were split down the middle with some sharing similar views to myself and others having a completely different stance on it which made for an interesting discussion!

From my perspective the main turn off for me was that I could not engage with any of the characters, in fact I disliked them, particularly in the first half of the book.  I felt the language and sex scenes were ugly and harsh, alot of it just seemed unnecessary to me.  I wouldn't consider myself a prude and certainly not averse to swearing but the coarseness only helped in disengaging me.  Others completely disagreed with me on this one but it was just not my cup of tea.

Each chapter was from a different person's point of view, their thoughts not just on what happened at the incident where the child was slapped but about their own lives and history.  I had expected the book to be written as each persons view of what happened at the same point in time however instead you heard from a different person as the story progressed through to court case and after its conclusion.  This was interesting because in certain chapters you formed strong opinions which you later began to question when characters are seen from another persons point of view.

Although the underlying story centres around a child being slapped at a family barbecue  by delving into the different peoples lives it becomes just as much about suburban Australia and society than it does about the event and its consequences.  I was surprised by not only the language and sexual content but by the open use of drugs (seemingly all characters of varying ages) and also race issues throughout the book but others were not surprised by this.  I think each person draws their own opinions based on their knowledge and life experiences.  As someone else stated 'I think I need to read some more history books' and I agree there's certainly alot to learn about the world! Perhaps my eyes need opening.

So there you have it a somewhat jumbled account of The Slap, but I never like to dissuade others from reading something because everyone has a different take.  Some will love, some will hate some will be undecided :) that's what book club is all about!

We added a few more titles today, here is our current compiled list of future reads:

Childhoods End (Arthur.C.Clarke) Science Fiction

The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins) Young Adult Science Fiction

Me Before You (Jojo Moyes) Modern Romance

Of Human Bondage (Somerset Maugham) Autobiographical

Tess of the Durbervilles (Thomas Hardy) Classic

Bleak House (Charles Dickens) Mystery

The Woman in Black (Susan Hill) Horror

White Teeth (Zadie Smith) Literary Fiction

Tiny Sunbirds Fly Away (Christie Watson) African Literary Fiction

The Plague (Albert Camus) Philosophical

Life of Pi (Yann martel) Fantasy Adventure

The Great Gatsby (F.Scott.Fitzgerald) Modernist, Jazz Age Novel

The Colour Purple (Alice Walker) Epistolary Novel

The Book chosen for this month is...

'The Old Man and the Sea' by Ernest Hemingway

'The Old Man and the Sea was the last major work of fiction to be produced by Hemingway and published in his lifetime. One of his most famous works, it centres upon Santiago, an ageing fisherman who struggles with a giant marlin far out in the Gulf Stream'

I have never read a Hemingway book so I am looking forward to this one and again something completely different.  I shall be running out to buy my copy tomorrow :)

Next Book Club Meet

Date: Wednesday 30th January 2013

Time: 7.30pm

Location: The Dog & Bull Pub Croydon