Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Big Swiss by Jen Beagin

61 reviews

cspa's review against another edition

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slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I had heard great things about this book and have recently been drawn to complex female characters, particularly of the unhinged variety. I thought it would be a perfect match, but unfortunately, it fell short for me. The passion seemed lacking, and the character dynamics felt flat. Despite the characters expressing desire, as a reader, I struggled to sense it. The cozy moments felt more awkward than a cat trying to swim, and the intimate scenes were anything but, which made it challenging to believe the characters genuinely cared for each other even a little bit. The narrative leaned heavily on telling rather than showing, leaving interactions unexplored and reactions unexpressed. Though I would actively avoid these characters in real life - finding them quite irritating - I’ve managed to love books with unlikeable characters in the past, this one, however, will not be added to that list.

When I initially grabbed this book, the summary on the back cover intrigued me: a sex therapist's transcriptionist crosses ethical boundaries by engaging in an affair with a client... talk about drama! While there were some amusing moments, they weren't sufficient for me to classify it as a humorous read. I was looking forward to seeing therapeutic interactions that could offer a deeper understanding of the characters' challenges. However, it did not meet my expectations in that regard either...

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historicalmaterialgirl's review against another edition

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

2.5

this book is like that episode of The L Word where Jenny Scheter becomes a vet tech and kills her own dog all to get close to a woman to get back at her ex..... insane, problematic, funny, unlikeable, occasionally good commentary, exceptional description, incohesive... tbh it feels like Jenny wrote this too! 

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oywiththepoodles's review against another edition

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dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5


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alyssav20's review against another edition

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

5.0


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mstrouse's review against another edition

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

4.0


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indiahaze's review against another edition

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

4.25

Pleasantly queer, unapologetically weird, and deeply human.

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julessssss's review against another edition

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challenging dark medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

this is largely a small glimpse into the life of a mentally-ill woman, during which she falls in love. the absurdity of it all was my favorite part.

I enjoyed a lot of things about this book, and at times it was quite difficult to put down. On the other hand though, there was a good amount of things that did not hit too hard, like a lot of the comedy wasn't necessarily funny to me.

overall, I would not recommend this generally, but it is an interesting read. 

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sjxa's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny inspiring tense 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

4.75

Big Swiss is a riot.

It handles its difficult themes, well, I wouldn’t say ‘delicately’ so much as thoroughly. It spanks them and sends them home to their mamas. Which I appreciate.

People keep saying that this book is gross, often in good reviews, and I guess it is, but I think really it’s SEXY. It’s ‘gross’ parts are bodily, obsessive, and cosmically kinky

Greta is completely lovable in her obvious flaws and bad behaviour, and I quickly bacame just as obsessed with Big Swiss as she is. So much so that I was pining for more of her tall blonde coldness in the last act, and as the book ended I didn’t know if I found the ending itself dissapointing for a lack of her, or wether I was just dissapointed that the book was over. 

I did actually take a quater of a point off for this. I’m sure something else could’ve been done with that very last leg, but not all books can be perfect.

It’s a completley addicting read with vibrant characters that makes you believe in a more interesting world. 
 
PS: I accidentally fancast La Grande Dame from RPDR France and then UK vs The World as Big Swiss, Kimiko Glenn (who I aged 10 years with the power of my mind) as Greta, and Harriet Walter (-10 years) as Sabine (who I LOVED and kind of want to be when i grow up). These castings would be impossible for obvious reasons but are somehow the only right answer.

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gmariecosta's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny 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

3.5

Weird as shit— and not in a good way. “Big Swiss” is reduced to a manic pixie dream girl and the therapy is written like the author doesn’t know what therapy is. Definitely has some racist and biphobic moments too. Funny sometimes.

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maxenporter's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25


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