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katerina_l's review against another edition
- 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
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
leafyjosie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Toxic friendship and Toxic relationship
mstrouse's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Sexual violence, Mental illness, Grief, Death of parent, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Infidelity, Suicide, Physical abuse, Violence, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Stalking
sjxa's review against another edition
- 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
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.
Graphic: Physical abuse, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Toxic friendship, Blood, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Stalking, Death, Animal cruelty, Alcohol, and Alcoholism
Minor: Rape
princesstiramisu's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Rape, Violence, Stalking, Animal cruelty, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Suicide, and Death of parent
Minor: Eating disorder and Mental illness
spectre_warden's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
People who may like this book:
hate Japanese people,
have only seen male gaze lesbian porn,
have never had a healthy relationship with anyone,
hate character development,
still use the 'R' word in 2024,
and know they need therapy but refuse to go.
Graphic: Infidelity, Homophobia, Xenophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Biphobia, Suicide, Stalking, Animal cruelty, Rape, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Racism, Sexual assault, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Ableism
silver_lining_in_a_book's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Greta considered her own behaviour around red flags. Her habit was not to ignore them so much as to ingest them, a somewhat laborious mental production that involved placing them in a stockpot with butter, herbs, and mirepoix; cooking over low heat without browning; adding red meat, additional red flags, a jug of red wine; and voilà, four hours at a lazy simmer later, an extremely rich red-flag stew that she forked into her mouth every day like a fucking moron, sometimes for years on end.
Oh no... I hate to do this but I should have seen the signs when in the first few pages we were making horribly racist comments (particularly about Japanese and Chinese people), making fun of anorexics (trigger warnings would have been appreciated) and strangely glamorising suicide.
I had such high expectations for this book! It had so much potential when it came to humorously discussing some very morbid and taboo topics but instead, it turned into a very uncomfortable semi-erotic, semi-thriller novel. It failed at the thrill, it failed at the romance, it failed at the eroticism and it did not even begin the discussion of important topics like relationships, infidelity, suicide, depression, therapy and trauma.
I am not sure I have ever given a book 1 star, but there is a first time for everything and I believe it is well deserved in this case. The 1 star is being awarded solely to the beautiful US cover and its designer; it's the only thing Big Swiss has going for it. I am so incredibly thankful I decided to check this out of the library because I would have probably torn the sex-scene pages out if it were my own copy... they were so unpleasant to read. Not to mention that I am generally fine with erotic scenes! I will never be able to get the image of a slightly moist origami rose between a woman's peach-fuzz-covered legs out of my head. Thank you, Jen Beagin, for making me hate both origami and peaches now (though the latter was ruined by Call Me By Your Name a while ago).
Anyway, I somewhat regret pushing through this sorry excuse for literature, but at least I can confidently say that it sucked and I truly truly TRULY do not understand the hype here... how many trees have been sacrificed for this exactly? I would like to petition for their restoration; they didn't deserve this.
Graphic: Vomit, Toxic friendship, Infidelity, Excrement, Sexual violence, Drug abuse, Suicide attempt, Animal cruelty, Racism, Blood, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Sexism, Physical abuse, Eating disorder, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Addiction, Suicide, Stalking, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Mental illness, Death, Cursing, Violence, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship
junglejelly's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Firstly, what a beautifully odd book. I don't think any blurb could do it justice of how eccentric the whole thing is. And how wonderful the results are.
While the characters might not be likeable, they're memorable and incredibly funny.
The pace and writing are great, too. I've never felt the pace of the book be so perfect.
This would be 5 stars but there's just something niggling at me saying it's not quite perfect. Maybe that's the point of the book...
Graphic: Mental illness, Sexual assault, Suicide, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Violence, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Drug use and Drug abuse
disguisedposer's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Sexual violence, Stalking, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Grief
sestout's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Blood, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Gore, Alcohol, Suicide, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Violence, Cursing, Sexual content, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Stalking, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Gun violence, and Mental illness
Moderate: Drug abuse, Sexual violence, Addiction, Gaslighting, Rape, and Sexual assault
Minor: Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Bullying, Dysphoria, Panic attacks/disorders, Cancer, Eating disorder, Ableism, and Abandonment