A review by alexandriaslibrary
Big Swiss by Jen Beagin

dark funny fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A messy, sapphic romp! Greta is a 40-something yr old with some major mommy and abandonment issues). After a breakup she impulsively moves cross country to upstate New York where the people are more woo-woo hipsters than those in LA. She gets hired by the town's sex therapist to transcribe his sessions and becomes obsessed with the voice and sessions of Big Swiss (a local married Swedish woman who was brutally attacked a decade prior and has never felt a big O) who she then meets in town and begins an affair with.

I found the transcription writing super interesting. The dialogue is so sharp, witty, and insightful and it helps move the plot. There were some subplots that felt a little distracting/heightened for the sake of heightening. Also the sexual dynamic between Greta and Big Swiss was a bit peculiar and robotic, but I think the bright point of their relationship was more about the sneaking/trauma/reveals/and the chance to hear the uncensored inner thoughts of your partner.