Enjoyed the book a lot at the beginning, but then grew tired of it. The premise and idea were interesting (although the majority of the book really does not focus on the slap incident) but I didn't think the author distinguished each character's voice properly: it read very much like one person narrating 8 different perspectives. I think a greater understanding of context on the reader's part is also helpful in understanding the social, cultural, and political climates in Australia, a lot was lost on me.

Quirky. At the start of it, I thought I would need a translator. But I slogged away and shortly thereafter found that I was really into it.

I read this book after I watched the series recently aired on ABC. A brutally honest, well written book, the characters were displayed in a somewhat negative light, and therefore not very likeable at all. I like his writing, off to look at his other work.

This was a well-written novel and offered some insights into various social groups and lifestyles in Australia. I enjoyed reading it.

I LOVED this book! I thought it was so brutally honest. The stories intertwine with each other perfectly. Yes, the author uses the same phrases for each character, but this is because they are all from the same community, circle, etc. So of course they would all sound similar. This book is in the dark category, I really don't think the sex scenes are all that shocking, as one reviewer said, the author is just being honest as to how it is these days. I think this was a great book. The author did an amazing character study in my opinion. A must read for sure. I mean, hey, even though not everyone will like it, it won awards for a reason!

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. The premise really drew me in ... "At a suburban barbecue, a man slaps a child who is not his own..." The characters were not compelling or even likable (with one exception). And I found the swearing to be unbelievable given that they all swore in the same way and in any circumstance. I hope this isn't a fair portrayal of Australians. If it is, they're not very likable people.

Set in Australia. Greek family. Unexpectedly excellent. Premise of an adult slapping a child has surprisingly far-reaching themes and depth.

This book was such a waste of my time. I hated it. The characters were al so dysfunctional and not likeable at all. I did not find it a "riveting page-turner and a powerful, haunting rumination on contemporary middle-class family."

Controversial, offensive and confronting this is not a book for everyone! Filled with racism, violence, sex and ignorant characters it is easy to dislike this book. However, I borrowed this as an audio book and loved it. I liked the way the book was set out (a chapter per character), the story line and the way it was narrated by Alex Dimitriadis. I hated the constant swearing and shocking sex scenes. It's not one that I would recommend to all.

book club 2010-2011