The Slip

Franzen/Roth/Irving comparisons are earned and deserved… Not since Nathan Hill’s The Nix have we seen a debut as hugely ambitious as this one * Kirkus *
Wildly ambitious and immensely rewarding, a maximalist debut that brings to mind Zadie Smith’s White Teeth in its stylistic brio, vivid sociological detail and general air of chutzpah. You’re unlikely to read a more impressive first novel this year * New York Times Book Review *
Wildly, transgressively hilarious, reminiscent of Philip Roth’s early novels … This is a high-wire act, but the breadth of Schaefer’s affection feels as wide as the depth of his comedy * Washington Post, ‘10 Best Books of 2025’ *
This is a character-based pop novel done right: accessible, unpretentious, hard-hitting … It’s Rocky in the style of Rashomon with a heavy rewrite from Philip Roth … Much of Schaefer’s commentary on race is masked under cynical Jewish humor. But even when he’s joking, Schaefer is savvy and sober about how race penetrates different aspects of American life … The thing I admire most is that Schaefer set himself such a challenge for a debut novel and that he succeeded. I can’t overstate how immiscible the mix of ingredients is in The Slip … A tremendously strong novel * Village Voice *
Lucas Schaefer writes with a self-assurance that’s stylish but not showy. Fans of John Irving, Paul Murray and Nathan Hill will find a whole lot to love in this knockout of a novel * NPR *
A big, bold, brave, brilliant beast of a novel. Uproarious and tender, epic in scope and intimate in portraiture, crammed with so many outlandish incidents and exquisitely rendered characters you’ll wonder how one novel can possibly contain them all, but Schaefer pulls it off with aplomb. As fearless and enjoyable a debut as you’re likely to read this year * Lit Hub *
A sweaty masterpiece … Honestly, I haven’t felt quite like this about a book since I was dazzled by Jonathan Franzen’s The Corrections almost 25 years ago. But despite his equally capacious reach, Schaefer is no Franzen wannabe. If anything, he’s looser, confident enough to be sweet, and despite his richly comic voice, this satiric tongue never develops fangs … I spent most of the week not just reading this story but cheering it on in a state of unhinged excitement * Washington Post *
Bursting, messy, flamboyant… Its footwork is fleet and its energy is unflagging * Wall Street Journal *

Lucas Schaefer lives in Austin, Texas. His first novel, The Slip, was published in the US in June 2025 and went on to become a national bestseller and to win the Kirkus Prize for Fiction. It was also shortlisted for the National Book Critics Circle John Leonard Prize and was selected as a book of the year by the Washington Post and the New York Times Book Review. Lucas’s writing has appeared in the Paris Review, One Story, Baffler, and other publications.

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