Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Big Swiss by Jen Beagin

122 reviews

amessina3399's review against another edition

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!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Infidelity, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Sexual content, Drug use, Physical abuse, and Violence

glitterdeww's review against another edition

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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Suicide

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Kidnapping, Gore, and Stalking

cspa's review against another edition

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...

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Torture

Moderate: Fatphobia, Gun violence, and Animal cruelty

readingbrb's review against another edition

dark funny tense medium-paced

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Violence, Stalking, and Sexual content

Moderate: Infidelity, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, and Blood

casey_ziemer's review against another edition

emotional funny sad medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Toxic relationship, and Domestic abuse

jourdanicus's review against another edition

funny sad medium-paced

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

3.75

Funny. Beyond me in some ways but then maybe not so much if I don't overthink it. I almost didn't like this one because Greta is written so well as an unlikeable character... But there's still a lot about her with which to sympathize.

In hindsight the characters and writing style remind me of Ottessa Moshfegh's novels.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Infidelity, Sexual content, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Abandonment, Death of parent, and Drug use

Minor: Lesbophobia, Addiction, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, and Pregnancy

katerina_l's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Blood, Excrement, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Violence, Abandonment, Addiction, Infidelity, Misogyny, Drug use, Body shaming, Classism, Death of parent, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Grief, Gore, Kidnapping, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Sexual content, Stalking, Medical content, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Body horror, and Sexual harassment

ccmarie_'s review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective medium-paced

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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Grief, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Abandonment, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Addiction, and Death of parent

alyssav20's review against another edition

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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Suicide, and Physical abuse

queenbookbuff's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

1.0

I read this book for my bookclub. I finished it because I am bothered when people show up to bookclubs unprepared. If not for that, I would have never finished this book. I am appalled by the behavior of the main character, and the woman she was obsessed with. I feel like the author was deliberately being provocative, and it felt overdone and trite. If you have trauma with suicide, assault, depression, sex, drugs, and stalking don't read this book.  

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Violence, Addiction, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, and Medical trauma