The Slap

A long time ago, I was a fast reader – the days when my undergraduate studies had me double-majoring in Law and English. Back then, reading fast was a matter of academic survival. But those days are long gone and now I am most definitely a SLOW reader. AND, I take big breaks in between books! Nothing like the me of yesteryear.

As it happens, I have no less than six of the fast reader types amongst my close circle of friends. It disappoints me that I’m not one of them. I envy their ability to polish off a book on a holiday or a weekend. But I know myself and unless that book is under 100 pages, that’ll never be me. Still, after a childish fit of frustration at not being able to keep up with the fast readers and a cycle of merely adequate book choices, I just gave up reading for a while. Not good. Not good at all.

Luckily, when life slowed down a bit I decided to stop caring and start enjoying reading again. I dragged one of my poor fast reader friends around a bookstore and demanded she find me a couple of “so good I can’t put it down” / “make me love reading again” books to recharge my reading battery. Had to be contemporary, no war, no tearjerkers, no chicklit. No pressure... Well, success quickly came in the form of “The Slap” by Christos Tsiolkas. Strong, intense, delicious reading. The kind that elicits long audible gasps of disbelief. Exactly what I needed. A big toast to Josey for responding to the high stakes with this pick. Next up a little CanCon with “Barney’s Version”. Wish me luck… and if you have any recommendations of the “so good I can’t put it down” / “make me love reading again” variety, feel free to send them my way.