I already know that this book is going to sit with me, and I can't wait to revisit it.If you buy books linked on our site, The Times may earn a commission from, whose fees support independent bookstores.Īt the center of the house where Greta, the 40-something narrator of Jen Beagin’s eccentric and wise new novel, “ Big Swiss,” lives with her longtime friend and flaky landlady Sabine, is a beehive. There is truly a bit of everything here, and it was refreshing to read a book that felt so new. Although I would cringe and feel uncomfortable at the manipulation between Greta and Flavia, I also found myself rooting for both women because hello sapphic storyline!! All the secondary characters are so interesting as well, and I would happily read more books about any of them. The premise was unique, and I loved reading the transcript sections. The duality of the Beagin's writing style just worked so well in this book, and I was hooked from the start.
I haven't laughed in a book in a while, but this book was genuinely funny in parts while also being heartbreaking in others. I could relate to Greta and Flavia both so much in ways, and they felt authentic.
There is humor, heart, relatability, sadness, growth, life, and so much more. However, Big Swiss is the antithesis of that. I love an unreliable, unlikeable narrator, but sometimes, this subgenre of books just takes it TOO far to where I really hate the women or are bored by them and don't find anything redeeming about the reading experience. I have loved some (Writers and Lovers, Mostly Dead Things), liked others (Animal), and thought some were just okay/didn't live up to the hype (My Year of Rest and Relaxation). This book!!!!!! Big Swiss has been everywhere it seems, from BookTok to articles, about being one of the most anticipated books of February/2023, and I'm happy to report that IT LIVES UP!!! I have a confession to make- I'm pretty ambivalent about miserable women books. Thank you to NetGalley, author Jen Beagin, and publisher Scribner for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!
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