Reviews with content warning for Blood - Big Swiss

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Reviews tagging 'Blood'

Big Swiss by Jen Beagin

146 reviews

simrun__'s review against another edition

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adventurous funny sad fast-paced

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

3.75

Lot of storylines weren't resolved, no real closure. A very simple ending for a book that delved into a lot of tough topics in the middle and nearing the end of the book.

That being said, it was a fun, fast read, I found the characters loveable and the setting enticing.

Edited rating from 3.25 to 3.75. Actually, this was a gripping, funny, chaotic, lesbian tale and I enjoyed it a lot, I just wouldn’t put a lot of weight and expectations for the treatment and resolution of the serious and heavy topics in here. It’s just a book about two fucked up lesbians!

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noveltay's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny fast-paced

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

4.5

3rd book Ive read by this author and they are all so weird and uncomfortable but they read so well. A lighthearted and dark at the same time story. A tad unrealistic at times, but it’s fiction so who cares.

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chirpyfrenchreader's review against another edition

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dark funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

2.75

Mmmh. Could’ve been a yes but it’s a no.

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maidinnah's review against another edition

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challenging dark funny reflective tense 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

4.0

A lustful, balls-to-the-wall, cheeky romp that explores the synergy between trauma and toxic relationships. It’s not a book for everyone; the main character is pathetic, inappropriate, but also hilarious. Some of the passages can be problematic (maybe for the sake of satire but it’s hard to say), while the plot is almost unbelievably absurd. Like the relationship at the center of this novel, I too have a love-hate regard for this novel and so I settled on 4/5 stars because I went along for this off-rails ride anyway.

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alpaca1230's review against another edition

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2.5

Not the most enjoyable read although I did finish in 3 days. Really conflicted about this one. The book had a lot of elements I like but something feels off. Maybe the author tried too many things at once here? Not sure yet. Definitely check trigger warnings.

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mariecarmina's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny reflective tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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just_one_more_paige's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny reflective medium-paced

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

3.0

I can't say I would have read this if it wasn't offered as an ALC from Libro.fm. Honestly, this is one of the most visually off-putting covers I have ever seen (personally...I know it's all a matter of opinion). And it does really match the off-putting-ness of the topics, so there's that. But as I was carrying my physical copy out of the library (you know I like having both), I got three separate comments from people either wanting to read it or having really enjoyed her prior books or being struck by the cover. So maybe this book is a bigger deal than I thought! Haha.

Greta has just moved in with her friend, Sabine, who owns a decrepit old farmhouse in rural New York. There's no heat, and there's a beehive in the house with them, but Greta is having enough of a struggle with her life that really, she's making it work. Her days are spent transcribing the sessions of a local sex therapist and with her dog. She's mostly just coasting, until she first hears the voice of a new patient she nicknames Big Swiss, and her obsession with this stoic and sexually repressed married woman begins to form. Both Big Swiss and Greta have some truly dark and traumatic events in their pasts, but while Big Swiss holds everything at arms length to cope, Greta sort of enjoys dwelling and holding on to her own. When they meet in real life (and Greta lies about her identity), they quickly become deeply intertwined, emotionally and physically. But the unreality of the situation has to break, at some point, and with a complicated situation like this one, it's unlikely to go easily.

What a weird freaking story. Like, not weird in the fantasy/sci-fi tentacles and what-happens-in-the-dark sort of way, but weird in the profoundly uncomfortable and ridiculous sort of way. One of the first little notes I made was actually "what a strange book." There is some really unique and insightful human observational content mixed with myriad uncomfortable topics within a deeply discomfiting framework. The dark quotidian humor, delivered with incredibly precise language, feels like it can only have come from someone who has direct knowledge of this specific lifestyle. So, whether Hudson, NY or old farmhouses or "retired to the country to pursue off the wall hobbies" is something Beagin has been around a lot or not, the writing makes it seem that she has, and that's impressive. It felt super tangible and with a well-appointed eye for the absurd.

The whole “I know all your secrets and hidden truths, but you don’t know me at all nor know that I know” that Greta has going on was itchy-in-my-skin levels of uncomfortable for me. Side note here: I did love the nicknames Greta gave people she doesn’t know personally to delineate them. Anyways, I was essentially dread-anticipating what would happen when she’s found out until it happened, so that honestly it did feel a bit anticlimactic at that point (but I know for sure that's a "me" issue). While I found Greta’s voyeurism of Big Swiss’ therapy sessions so fascinating conceptually - to be able to hear someone’s unfettered thoughts about you, confession style, but also without shame because of the confidentiality of the setting...it mesmerized me - I was also terrified by the thought of being on either end of that in real life. The way it’s written, with Greta’s own interjections, made for a really nice structure and reading experience that toned down the discomfort marginally. And it added in some of the dark humor that every other review I've seen has centrally mentioned. The entirety of the affair between Greta and Big Swiss (their interactions both in solitude and in public), as well as Greta's living situation, had the exact same mix of discomfort and dark humor. Overall, Beagin nailed the literary vibes she was going for. They were consistent and strong and (imo) took what My Year of Rest and Relaxation did to a whole new level.

Quick content warning for violence/physical assault, suicide and suicidal indeation and attempts, and animal injury.

The story itself wrapped up about as well as it could have, considering the relational and personal issues central to the plot and the characterizations. I honestly don’t mind an open ended finish, since that’s pretty realistic here, but just, I’m not sure how I feel about this closing, when all is said and done. And in general, although I think I have used all these words enough times already that my opinion about this book has been quite established, this was a ridiculous, uncomfortable, anxiety-ridden reading experience, with really meticulous, high quality writing. It absolutely will not be for everyone, may not actually have been for me, but I really respect what Beagin created here.

“Because, well, the pain is rarely in the actual words, which nine times out of ten are imprecise, or the wrong words altogether. People are almost never articulate about their pain, as I'm sure you've noticed. Their pain can only really be felt in the pauses…”

“…but maybe one was never too old for a little behavioral modification.”

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