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Big Swiss by Jen Beagin Book Review

Reasons For Reading This Book:

Big Swiss by Jen Beagin was chosen as the April 2023 book for the Readhead podcast book club. This is a monthly podcast book club that I have participated in since it was created. My first impression of this book was oh no. Why? Because the library did not have a copy and it was so new there were not many reviews for it when I first started reading it. I try as hard as I can to not buy books in an effort to save money, but when it comes to my dedication to the Readheads I will buy the book. I started reading this book the day after it was announced so I sat with it for 3 weeks before the podcast episode dropped. I am writing this review after listening to the episode.
 

Content of This Book:

Greta is a single 45 year old who has just moved to a new Hudson, New York where she works as a transcriber for a sex therapist. She moved into a 300 year old house with her friend Sabine who is the town’s fly on the wall and weed supplier. Greta falls in love with a married-female client while transcribing her sessions. The two accidentally meet in real life and from there they begin a fiery affair.
 

What I Liked About This Book:

This book was out-of-the-box in all ways possible. It was refreshing to read something so different from what I normally read. An aspect of the book that I really enjoyed was the dramatic contrast between Greta and Big Swiss. One lived a very cookie-cutter, clean and traditional life, while the other lived a nontraditional, carefree, and sloppy life. I respected and appreciated that the author did not focus on the labeling and breaking down of the women’s sexuality. The author let their relationship speak for what it was without having to make a big deal about it being a homosexual relationship. There were side story lines that I enjoyed more than others. I see how some of them came intertwined into the present story line of Greta and Big Swiss, but others were purely there to provide background and character development.
 

What I Disliked About This Book:

 
I did not understand any of the references made it this book. Greta was constantly referencing authors, movie stars, and singers. I am guessing that I was not necessarily the targeted age demographic for this as I am 24. Not understanding the references put me at a disadvantage. I found that these characters are not very relatable. At least not to me. The whole time I was reading this book I had this feeling that I couldn’t describe. It wasn’t until the podcast episode that I knew what it was. That feeling was filth. I felt dirty reading it. It wasn’t because of the sexual scenes in the book, but because of the filth and unkempt way Greta lived. The descriptions are very vivid and detailed making the gross scenes that much more sickening to read. As I continued to read I was waiting for a breadcrumb for how the story would end. The story kept going without any real sign of concluding. This made for a rushed and frantic end to the story. I was not satisfied with the ending. Things happened that seemed out of place from the rest of the story. It also wrapped up at such a fast pace that it was hard to digest.
 

Would I Recommend This Book:

 
Without a doubt absolutely not! Sometimes I think I wasted my money on it because I didn’t love it, but it did result in an entertaining podcast episode that I really enjoyed listening to. I keep thinking that their might be someone in my life who I would recommend this book to but there really is not. With that being said 2 of the 4 Readhead’s loved it so there are readers who enjoy it, I was just not one of them. Read at your own risk!

Check out my book reviews for 2023!!

Horse by Geraldine Brooks  
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Friday Night Lights by H.G. Bissinger
Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll
Hester by Laurie Pico Albanese
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
Environmental and Sustainability Book Reviews 2022
Self-Improvement Book Reviews 2022
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
Know My Name by Chanel Miller
The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
Not All Diamonds and Rosé by Dave Quinn
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Golden Girl by Elin Hilderbrand
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton
A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham 
Girls With Bright Futures by Tracy Dobmeier and Wendy Katzman
Run, Rose, Run by James Patterson and Dolly Parton
The Summer Series by Jenny Han
A Stolen Life: A Memoir by Jaycee Dugard
The Housewives: The Real Story Behind the Real Housewives by Brian Moylan
Verity by Colleen Hoover
All Rhodes Lead Here by Mariana Zapata
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
Our Country Friends by Gary Shteyngart 
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
Majesty: American Royals 2 by Kathrine McGree
Every Last Secret by A.R. Torre

Check out my book reviews for 2021!!

2021 Book Rankings

Beach Read By Emily Henry
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
Maybe In Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Educated by Tara Westover
The Simple Wild by K.A. Tucker
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig 
The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan
Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins 
We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange
Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins 
We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Klara and the Sun 
The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner
American Duchess by Karen Harper 
Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters
Girl With No Job by Claudia Oshry
Down the Habit Hole by Holly Madison Book Review
My Story by Elizabeth Smart
Layla by Colleen Hoover

Check out my book reviews for 2020!!

Check out my book reviews for 2019!!

Check out my book reviews from 2018!!


Don't forget to stay up to date on my blog by following my social media accounts!
Instagram: @whenishouldbestudying


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