Reviews with content warning for Physical abuse - Big Swiss

Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Big Swiss by Jen Beagin

212 reviews

loquaciousleon's review against another edition

challenging reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Personally did not find this book to be funny. Yes, there were maybe two times I genuinely laughed, but I found it to be much more raw.

This book is a slow plunge into a clear lake that appears refreshingly cold, before you dive in and your breath hitches at the discomfort.

To be succinct: this book takes the course between precontemplation and preparation. The way Jen Beagin curated these characters with such genuine humanity that I forgot I was reading fiction, and honestly divulges into those difficult stages, is art.

I personally found my perspective focusing on the truth of how trauma and unhealthy behaviors snow-ball.

I think it made me uncomfortable because, from an objective/reader's point of view, I was experiencing second-hand ""embarassment"" for lack of better words.
The awareness of how such trauma operates on internal and external levels, from a healed place, was uncomfortable in the way working out or stretching is.

Utterly: this book was human and I found it to be more compelling to think than to laugh.

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lgiery's review against another edition

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dark hopeful reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I'm borrowing this from a reviewer: Made me laugh and think abour sex and death and honesty

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rahthesungod's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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aheinicke27's review

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dark emotional funny sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was a really interesting book. Initially, the hilarious commentary of Greta the main character, drew me in. As the plot unfolded into a somewhat chaotic and disastrous love affair however, I found myself unable to look away. Greta seems to be a fairly unreliable narrator, and as the book progresses, it’s difficult to tell what is real, what is her perception, and whether those two truths overlap if at all. I also felt like the ending of this book was fairly interesting too. It felt like a lot was building only to end on a fairly anticlimactic note. When the book ended, I didn’t believe it at first because it didn’t feel “done” necessarily. I’m still undecided if that is a good thing or a bad thing. This book definitely has a little more of a literary feel to it, which is a lot different from what I’ve been reading lately. Overall I enjoyed it, but I also wouldn’t say it kept me totally enthralled.

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lo_ferrara's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

So dark, weird, strange, enjoyable!

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elinorrae's review against another edition

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4.5

Loved this book!!!!!! I LOVE DAMAGED WOMEN DOING UNETHICAL THINGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Give me moreeeeeee
Is the 4.5 a bit pedantic ye maybe but I wasn’t sure about the 2nd last chapter (written as a transcript) which seemed to just kind of base cover her traumas ? I do get the purpose but I felt it was a little lacking

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amessina3399's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book is pure weird, poetic beauty. The narrator's voice is perfection, and the underlying darkness of the main character is so beautifully present throughout. Definitely one of my new favs!

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jam_03's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

The themes of this book are so fun to read and very unique. I did enjoy reading the transcripts that Greta was writing.

I didn't feel very connected to any of the characters, except Piñon, which made it harder for me to want to keep reading. Maybe it just went over my head but I think it's overhyped.

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brewingdaisies's review against another edition

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challenging emotional lighthearted relaxing slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

—a good read for psychology students/enthusiasts. I enjoyed reading the transcripts, being in people's minds (especially greta's) and seeing how fucking unhinged everybody is. LMAO. not your average small town story, that's for

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glitterdeww's review against another edition

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challenging dark funny tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Just about everything in this book is an A+, and I need to give it all that credit up front. The plot setup of Big Swiss is brilliant. An emotionally immature woman in her 40s has on a whim, uprooted her life, moved in to a friend's 300 year old dilapidated farm house in a small New York town, started a job as a transcriptionist to a sex therapist, and became infatuated with a client that she hears through the recordings. I see why this is supposed to be an HBO series (if they just get a move on, already). You look at that cover, and you know this is going to be an unhinged, horny, and hilarious novel, and it sure holds up on each of those aspects.

Pairing with the "bigness" of the title, there is certainly a BIG messy energy all throughout this book. Each one of these characters put out an intense but yet imaginable chaos. I feel like I have seen versions of these people in the wild. They are exceptionally written.

Speaking of messy, Big Swiss is also a great depiction of unreliable narrators. Jen Beagin uses transcripts from those aforementioned therapy sessions AND the POV's unhinged internal monologue to show how memories and storytelling aren't dependable from person to person.

Now all that said, are there things in this book that simply aren't for me? Yes, 100%, and that will bring down my rating a smidge. Because reviewing IS a subjective activity, no matter how you come at it. The POV character of Greta... I wanted to. Throw. Her. Off. A. Bridge. 🤣. Goddamnit lol I ended up pushing through some parts quickly because I just couldn't personally stand her actions anymore. I could never be her friend, Sabine is a saint, and Big Swiss needs even more therapy. So again, the characters in this book DO get 5 stars, because she's supposed to be the pitiful, gross, traumatized, selfish mess that she is. I believe that is entirely on purpose, so well done... But I still didn't *enjoy* wanting to smack her so much.

Plot: 5

Characters: 5

Craft: 4.5

Engagement: 4

SPARK: 3

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