I found it hard to put down, yet I can't say I particularly liked it. As others said I thought the structure was great and thought Tsiolkas did a good job creating different voices for the characters and making them memorably distinct from one another. And I did want to know what was going to happen.
I'm not particularly squeamish about bodily functions or prudish about sex but I thought that the "triumphant" farting and constant jerking off seemed forced and distracting; I didn't like it.
Given that the entire work was structured on Gary's action, I agree that there really should have been a chapter from Gary's perspective. Maybe the author would say that excluding Gary's voice serves a purpose of some kind (in that none of the other characters have the benefit of reading Gary's mind as they make their judgments about the slap, so the reader shouldn't have that advantage either?), but it seemed like a cop-out to me.
I thought it was hilariously stupid that, as someone else noted, everyone in it (except maybe Richie and Gary) was supposed to be so gorgeous and talented. The long, exhaustive descriptions of all those perfect bodies seemed more befitting cheap romance novels or adolescent literature.
I've never been to Australia but thought it painted a very unflattering picture. I did like Richie and he's the only character that stayed with me awhile after I put the book down. Not just because his was the voice of the last chapter!