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Original poster

oooh The SLap anyone watching?

122 replies

grumpypants · 27/10/2011 22:04

Bbc 4 - I'm already not liking it! And I did like the book

OP posts:

IndieSkies · 28/10/2011 17:14

I think it's better than the book. (didn't like the book much, although it was the later part of the book that made me not like it).
In the book isn't Aisha Asian / Indian? And a bit more 'proper' and formal than the TV Aisha?
Hector isn't meant to be 100% likable - and the (endless) sex in the book (ALWAYS called fucking) is very male skewed.

cyb · 28/10/2011 17:48

It looked more like a play than a telly piece I thought

I wont be bothering with it again

But then I ditched the book 2/3rds of the way through (after reading the dirty bits)

bigTillyMint · 28/10/2011 18:35

Yes, the sex scene - even DH noticed that it must have been an Australian male who wrote it! That and the scene where the wife of the cousin brings the ice-cold beers out to them in the pool.
It sums up most Australasian men

Orangina, where have you been? Come back to the moonlight!

feelingratheroverwhelmed · 28/10/2011 22:13

I only just got to this in time. I found the book a bit disappointing, do I'm hoping it comes across better on TV. But, I was really surprised that the scene where the boy got slapped actually made me cry! I blame it on the fact that I had a baby 12 days ago!

kitya · 29/10/2011 12:37

It never made me cry at all!! I must be hard, I thought it came and went. I loved it probably because I havent read the book.

Who is Hector? vile person but, hes very handsome.

choccyp1g · 29/10/2011 12:48

I've recently read the book, and was very disappointed.

The sex scenes are totally from a male viewpoint, I got the feeling the author fancied himself as god's gift, and projected his feelings into the male characters. I also found the racist language horrible, although half the time I couldn't make out which epithet referred to which nationality.
Also, the idea that "the slap" was pivotal to the story didn't fit that well with the individual characters lives.
Plus all the characters hated young people, hated each other, hated children, hated other races... etc. Either the author is a horrible person, or is a slightly better writer than I thought.

Mrsrobertduvall · 30/10/2011 07:55

I caught up with it last night and enjoyed it.
I read the book, and again enjoyed it.....Totally unlikeable characters all of them. Even the boy who is slapped.

Loved the actor who played Hector.

bigTillyMint · 30/10/2011 08:05

choccyp1g the author is Australian

mumblechum1 · 30/10/2011 08:07

Especially the boy who is slapped.

Agree with choccy. I read the book for book group, otherwise Iwould have ditched it after the first 15 pages. None of the main characters are particularly likeable in the book and Hugo's mum comes across as a loon, but in the series they've all been toned down a lot.

I may give it another go for episode 2, but it's awfully slow moving so far.

In the book, although it was narrated by about 8 different characters, each had very much the same "voice", it wasn't at all well written.

bigTillyMint · 30/10/2011 08:10

I don't think they have necessarily been toned down - each character is explored in more depth in their "own" chapter - presumably each episode.

I didn't think the book was all that, but there's not that much on TV if you're not into the XFactor / TOWIE, etc

hopefulgum · 30/10/2011 08:27

I'm in Australia and the series has been running for a while. I've also read the book, and happened to like it despite the fact that every character is totally unlikeable.

It isn't a "nice" story, but it really does explore the characters in depth.

The author is an Australian of Greek decent, but as for thinking the sex in the story must be a reflection of Aussie males - that's a a tad unfair, I'm married to an Aussie and have had several Aussie boyfriends, not all of them thought foreplay consisted of, "Do you wanna shag?". The author was interviewed on TV, I quite like him. Incidentally,he is gay (though that really doesn't make any difference).

The "slap" itself has been hotly debated at my dinner table. Would you ever slap someone else's child? A four or five year old? Under what circumstances, if any, is it okay to slap someone else's (or even your own) child? And would you press charges if a relative or friend did it to your child?

They are horrible characters, but the story really does get you thinking.

fivegomadindorset · 30/10/2011 14:19

Dull like the book.

juneybean · 30/10/2011 14:25

I only just read the book last week and was surprised to see it on the TV, would have preferred a film I think.

IndieSkies · 30/10/2011 18:59

Of course the slapped child is unlikeable - if he had been the innocent cherub child of reasonable parents with a sound sense of perspective, boundaries and disclipline there would be no dilemma at all!

diddl · 30/10/2011 20:24

It was quite tedious, wasn´t it?

The parents just absolutely ignoring even though others were asking to boy not to do stuff.

But I think it´s also that it was a slap across the face-that´s always aggressive imo.

If it had "just" been that the guy was rough when he picked the boy up it might have been easier to understand differing opinions.

But a slap across the face-how could anyone defend that?

Not sure I can tolerate another 7 eps!

thenightsky · 30/10/2011 23:00

seven more episodes??

juneybean · 31/10/2011 22:07

Think it's split like the book is.

diddl · 01/11/2011 11:50

Not sure if it´s worth waiting a week for each ep-might as well have done it over consecutive nights, I think.

clangermum · 01/11/2011 16:34

Loved it when the young girl said 'you're old and weird looking' when they decided not to get up to anything, as I'd been looking at Hector thinking great body but an arsehole therefore not attractive, but is he supposed to be good looking, oh hang on they're all a bit up themselves. Haven't read the book and find it quite confusing in things when there doesn't seem to be a sympathetic character. (Apart from Hector's kids that is - they seemed OK.) Quite uncomfortable to watch when there's nobody to root for.

Found the narrator weird - every time he spoke it made me want to laugh it seemed so unsuited to how the rest of the episode was shot. Wrong voice or something but just didn't seem to fit.

kitya · 01/11/2011 17:14

I cant beleive the breast feeder is Angel from Home and Away!!

juneybean · 01/11/2011 19:38

Melissa George isn't it? I remember her from one of the Friends episodes lol

CarrieInAnotherBabi · 02/11/2011 16:26

i thought it was quite good, a bit differnt.

bloody hell that boy was an annoying git!!

i warmed slightly to hectors wife, only slightly.

but more to hectors boy, i felt sorry for him

will watch the next episode

uniCorny · 02/11/2011 16:42

like your name carrie

kitya · 02/11/2011 18:23

i dont know why people arent enjoying it. Surely, if you read the book you would know how vile the people in it are? Im enjoying it, there is so much crap on the telly that this is a real change.

kitya · 02/11/2011 18:23

Although the Woody Alan affects are such a rip off, the endless jazz and voice over.

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