Super Short Summary

Slipping by John Toomey is a darkly comic reverse mystery in which middle-aged Dublin schoolteacher Albert Jackson reveals he murdered his wife and we spend the story piecing together his motives. The novella employs the Rashomon effect, presenting the event from multiple conflicting perspectives, including Al's own, as he tries to explain his actions to a writer for the sake of his children. The narrative explores Al's disillusioned life, his disdain for the mundane, and his delusional fantasies about a young colleague. The plot delves into themes of mental instability, violence, and death.