Title: Loaded (Goodreads)
Author: Christos Tsiolkas
Published: Vintage, 1995
Pages: 151
Genres: Contemporary
My Copy: Paperback
Buy: Amazon, Book Depository (or visit your local Indie bookstore)
Ari feels very much alone in the world, a Greek immigrant, unemployed and struggling with his sexuality. That is to say he has a same sex attraction but his friends and family would never approve of that. In Christos Tsiolkas’ normally overlooked Loaded we follow Ari through his struggles as an outsider in this autobiographical novel.
Christos Tsiolkas is a critically acclaimed author with books like Barracuda and my personal favourite The Slap. It is a shame that his debut novel Loaded just doesn’t get the attention it deserves. Was this published at the wrong time? I remember the nineties as a time where homosexuality was thought of as disgusting; granted I was still in high school in a small backwards country town but I couldn’t imagine what it would be like for someone that actually was struggling with their sexuality.
What little I know about Tsiolkas, I’ve come to the conclusion that Loaded was a reflection of his own struggles living in Melbourne with a traditional Greek family that expects so much from you. They went through all the effort to move to Australia in the hopes for a better life; the least you can do is make the most of it. Do well in school, get a good job, marry and have kids. What if this isn’t part of your plan? How would your parents react to this news?
I had to read this book for university, right after studying Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness so I’ve naturally made some connections between the two. Marlowe and Ari are very similar in the sense they both are outsiders, though one deals with this during colonial times and the other is a post-colonial take. Without going too much into the parody of Heart of Darkness, because my mind has really made some interesting connections (some are probably a stretch). The different ways the two protagonists (Heart of Darkness and Loaded) are portrayed as loners in a world that doesn’t feel like home were done in interesting ways.
The whole sense of belonging is a huge part in Loaded; even the way Christos Tsiolkas talks about Melbourne is done as a parody. In Tsiolkas’s Melbourne people are divided into different cliques, much like a diverse multi-cultural city, but there is also are separation into the north, south, east and west. This is interesting to see the separation of power, wealth, religion and culture; sure this normally happens in a normal city, each suburb seems to be stereotyped as a good or bad neighbourhood. In Loaded the division is more extreme, highlighting all these groups of people and showing the reader just how much Ari doesn’t fit in anywhere he goes.
I won’t go into any more of an analysis of this novel, I could have talked about masculinity, sexuality and so much more but I would rather leave it for others to discover. Tsiolkas continues to impress me, first with The Slap, then his most recent novel Barracuda and now Loaded. I’m interested to see how his other four novels compare but I’m a little worried about The Jesus Man, it just doesn’t sound like something I would want to read.
I reviewed this novel for the Australia Day blog hop; I want to give away a copy of this novel because it doesn’t get too much attention. If you have read Tsiolkas before you know he is confronting and controversial and Loaded delivers on both accounts. Check below for details on how to enter this giveaway, this is open to everyone as I will be sending the book via Book Depositary. Good luck and happy Australia Day.
[…] Literary Exploration […]
Thanks for hosting Michael!
I enjoyed being apart of this blog hop
I’m half/half on Tsiolkas…. I didn’t like The Slap but I really enjoyed Barracuda. I’d love to read this one and see which way the scales tip!
It is always the woman with kids that don’t like The Slap 😛
Hmm, not sure it has anything to do with that and actually I liked the guy that slapped the kid more than the kid’s mother, lol.
Hahaha, she was weird. I’m sure most people wouldn’t want their kids being slapped by others. I just feel like mothers seem to get more upset by the book that others, but it’s understandable. It’s been awhile since I’ve read this book and we are still talking about it 🙂
I wouldn’t like anyone else to slap my child but I also would never allow my child to behave the way that one did, lol. I read it years ago….2011 maybe? His books always generate a lot of discussion, whether you like them or not, which is good.
I love books that do this.
The title alone was intriguing and then I read a review and got really interested.
It’s a great title, does he mean Loaded, as in drunk/high or rich or even locked and loaded?
[…] Literary Exploration […]
Enjoyed the review. I’d been put off Tsiolkas by The Slap. It got a lot of promotion and good reviews here in the UK but I didn’t enjoy it. However this sounds good so maybe time to give Tsiolkas a second chance chez moi!
Hope you try Tsiolkas again, he is controversial but he’s books are very interesting
I loved The Slap and I’m still talking about Barracuda. Fingers crossed I can tick Loaded off my Tsiolkas list!
I’m trying to tick all of Tsiolkas off my list
I haven’t read this one, but I would LOVE to!
hope you do check it out
I have never read this book but it is on my ‘to go buy’ list.
Have a wonderful weekend
Hope you get a copy of it
I haven’t read this yet (or Barracuda) but I read The Slap, and while I didn’t enjoy it much, it was certainly a good conversation starter!
They are all conversation starters
It sounds interesting
It is 🙂
I’ve not read anything by the author but you’ve not steered me wrong so far. Just finished The Explorer and loved it so yes my thoughts are that I would love to try it as its recommended by you I’m sure I’ll enjoy 🙂 Happy Australia Day
Not sure if I would recommend this one, it is pretty full on. I’m glad you enjoyed The Explorer, not you need to read more books by James Smythe
I’ve got the follow up of it from the library so after my current read more James
He certainly chooses controversial subject matter. Sounds worth a read to me.
That’s what I like about his books
I haven’t read it, but I listened to Tsiolkas discuss it on John Safran’s podcast and I was intrigued.
I will have to check that interview out
I just finished reading Barracuda and thought it was brilliant. It’s the first Tsiolkas i’ve read. I know you like The Slap but the subject matter just doesn’t appeal to me, so maybe this would be a good one to read. Happy Australia day!
I’m a little sad you are not going to try The Slap
I haven’t read this as yet but would love to. I have read The Slap and am currently in the queue at the library to read Barracuda. Many thanks for the opportunity to win!
Hope you get Barracuda soon
I haven’t read this book, but it looks like a great read!
Hope you get a chance to read it
I think this book was made into a film, but I never got to see it or read the book.
Happy Australia Day holiday!
It was call Head On and it was released in 1998
Ah, that’s it. Thanks! I’ll have to remember to keep an eye out for it.
I’d never even heard of this book – it certainly didn’t get much attention.
It is an older book, most people only know The Slap and Barracuda