Scan barcode
lambsears's review against another edition
3.0
I do struggle with Lionel - she's a very, very good writer, but one who always provokes quite a bit of thought for me.
I think We Need to Talk About Kevin was one of the best books I've ever read in my life, but I'm still not recovered from the experience and I'll never read it again. In that book I was frequently frustrated by the failure of the mother to see what she was doing and what was happening in her family.
I felt the same frustration with the protagonist all through this book. She seemed to be willfully blind to the character of her brother, the nature of their relationship and the damage that she was doing to her own family so, without giving anything away, the ending came as something of a surprise.
Once again, Shriver has shown herself to be a remarkable writer who writes thought provoking books and doesn't mind making her reader feel uncomfortable.
I think We Need to Talk About Kevin was one of the best books I've ever read in my life, but I'm still not recovered from the experience and I'll never read it again. In that book I was frequently frustrated by the failure of the mother to see what she was doing and what was happening in her family.
I felt the same frustration with the protagonist all through this book. She seemed to be willfully blind to the character of her brother, the nature of their relationship and the damage that she was doing to her own family so, without giving anything away, the ending came as something of a surprise.
Once again, Shriver has shown herself to be a remarkable writer who writes thought provoking books and doesn't mind making her reader feel uncomfortable.
cornmaven's review against another edition
4.0
A very complex novel about many complex human issues - familial relationships, addictive personalities, guilt, love, honor,self-delusion, and hunger for things not necessarily food related. Shriver's writing style in this one takes some getting used to: she is a fan of multi-clause sentencing, requiring the reader to go slowly, go back and forth, wait for the punch line.
While at first it appears to be a story about a woman's plan to help her morbidly obese brother lose weight and regain his life, it is so much more than that, as Pandora's family life implodes and the plan moves into the realm of becoming just another form of addiction. Her growing up was unusual, in the shadow of a father with a short lived popular TV show. Their family names are very different, and each sibling decides whether to use/exploit the stage surname or hide from it. And for those type A personalities among us, Shriver offers an exquisite explanation: "Maybe it is impossible to inhabit your own achievements, because you get attached to the quest itself, its drive, its addictive amphetamine buzz and powering sense of purpose, so that any mission's fulfillment feels like a loss, all that energy and direction replaced with a stillness within whose halo strivers rapidly grow restless."
It's a cautionary tale with a twist at the end that I did not anticipate, and which leaves the reader thinking and thinking long after the cover is closed.
While at first it appears to be a story about a woman's plan to help her morbidly obese brother lose weight and regain his life, it is so much more than that, as Pandora's family life implodes and the plan moves into the realm of becoming just another form of addiction. Her growing up was unusual, in the shadow of a father with a short lived popular TV show. Their family names are very different, and each sibling decides whether to use/exploit the stage surname or hide from it. And for those type A personalities among us, Shriver offers an exquisite explanation: "Maybe it is impossible to inhabit your own achievements, because you get attached to the quest itself, its drive, its addictive amphetamine buzz and powering sense of purpose, so that any mission's fulfillment feels like a loss, all that energy and direction replaced with a stillness within whose halo strivers rapidly grow restless."
It's a cautionary tale with a twist at the end that I did not anticipate, and which leaves the reader thinking and thinking long after the cover is closed.
rsinclair6536's review against another edition
3.0
Good writing, but I wish she'd used her grasp of the complexities and tragedies of life that she reveals in Part 3 to construct richer, more nuanced plot and characters in Parts 1 & 2.
insertsthwitty's review against another edition
2.0
While Lionel Shriver is a talented writer whose intelligence always shines through her works, this one was a gruelling read.
Much like her depiction of the tiring dieting, I was reading the book by counting down the pages of the chapter / section / book; just so I could see the end of it. It seemed like Shriver was really eager to be the wordsmith - so that the first person portrayal of the quiet, mousy Iowan entrepreneur ended up flat and inauthentic. All in all, too long a read for such a short book.
Much like her depiction of the tiring dieting, I was reading the book by counting down the pages of the chapter / section / book; just so I could see the end of it. It seemed like Shriver was really eager to be the wordsmith - so that the first person portrayal of the quiet, mousy Iowan entrepreneur ended up flat and inauthentic. All in all, too long a read for such a short book.
chrisam's review against another edition
3.0
This book is too fat. I am a third of the way in and so far all we know is that protag's brother is a jazz nut and has put on a lot of weight.
I get that it's a family saga but sagas have things happening in them like adventures and seafaring and daring acts.
I get that it's a family saga but sagas have things happening in them like adventures and seafaring and daring acts.
edspillane's review against another edition
5.0
I finally finished Big Brother and am glad no one spoiled the twists in the end so I won't do so. It was a fantastic read even with the twists since the best part were those that meditated on food, eating, weight, body image and the importance of family both blood and through marriage. I haven't read her other works but clearly the author's biography powered her sensibility to all of these issues and explain the book in many ways. I wasn't so crazy over the jazz slang--seemed a little too over the top but the essential core of the story concerning weight and food seemed very very real.
suzzeb22's review against another edition
3.0
Big Brother by Lionel Shriver is a well crafted book with super believable characters. I love how she sneaks her "this is what happened/oops this isn't at all what happened" parts. This is the second of her books I've read where she does the bait and switch this way.
I grimaced a lot at her descriptions of her brother; I laughed quite a few times and I felt a personal connection when she described her characters moderate weight gain. This book would not have made the same impression on me at all had I read it 20 years ago.
Another good read by Shriver. I'd recommend her to almost anyone.
I grimaced a lot at her descriptions of her brother; I laughed quite a few times and I felt a personal connection when she described her characters moderate weight gain. This book would not have made the same impression on me at all had I read it 20 years ago.
Another good read by Shriver. I'd recommend her to almost anyone.
venusinfurs16's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
adenalf's review against another edition
2.0
I couldn't put it down, but I was so disappointed in the ending.
katykelly's review against another edition
5.0
I haven't been tempted by a Shriver since We Need to Talk about Kevin, but the premise of this intrigued me.
A woman in her forties has invited (reluctantly) her elder brother, a musician, to stay with her, her husband and her stepchildren while he's going through a rough patch in his career. When he gets off the plane, she fails to recognise him due to his huge weight gain.
It's a story about weight yes, but mostly it's a really poignant and insightful account of sibling affection and relationships. Pandora is now a successful (though slightly bored) businesswoman, who has always looked up to and admired Edison, her talented jazz musician brother, and to have their roles reversed is neither welcome nor comfortable. Her two step-children view their step-uncle very differently to each other, wannabe-screenwriter-and- school-dropout reacting with disgust and her younger empathic step-daughter more forgiving and accepting. I loved Pandora's husband as a character and foil to Edison. Health-conscious, obsessive, perfectionist Fletcher is everything Edison is not. He's also not afraid to 'tell it like it is' and resents his brother-in-law reigniting the pally relationship with Pandora in his house.
The development is wonderfully realistic - there are very harsh scenes to cope with that focus on the effects of Edison's weight, but the characters and story are quite intriguing and you just want to know what's going to happen. Is Edison going to eat himself to death? Will Fletcher kick him out? And is Pandora serious when she says she'll move in with Edison and help him lose the weight?
There's also an interesting back-story of how Pandora gained her small fortune with a talking doll business, which probably has something clever to say about fads and advertising, but I enjoyed the idea of her mocking/loving creations without thinking any more deeply about it.
The ending was a bit of a kick in the teeth for me. A surprise that made me look differently at what went before, but didn't spoil my overall enjoyment.
I'll still say that 'Kevin' trumps this, but it's a very well-written, funny and engaging story from a talented author.
A woman in her forties has invited (reluctantly) her elder brother, a musician, to stay with her, her husband and her stepchildren while he's going through a rough patch in his career. When he gets off the plane, she fails to recognise him due to his huge weight gain.
It's a story about weight yes, but mostly it's a really poignant and insightful account of sibling affection and relationships. Pandora is now a successful (though slightly bored) businesswoman, who has always looked up to and admired Edison, her talented jazz musician brother, and to have their roles reversed is neither welcome nor comfortable. Her two step-children view their step-uncle very differently to each other, wannabe-screenwriter-and- school-dropout reacting with disgust and her younger empathic step-daughter more forgiving and accepting. I loved Pandora's husband as a character and foil to Edison. Health-conscious, obsessive, perfectionist Fletcher is everything Edison is not. He's also not afraid to 'tell it like it is' and resents his brother-in-law reigniting the pally relationship with Pandora in his house.
The development is wonderfully realistic - there are very harsh scenes to cope with that focus on the effects of Edison's weight, but the characters and story are quite intriguing and you just want to know what's going to happen. Is Edison going to eat himself to death? Will Fletcher kick him out? And is Pandora serious when she says she'll move in with Edison and help him lose the weight?
There's also an interesting back-story of how Pandora gained her small fortune with a talking doll business, which probably has something clever to say about fads and advertising, but I enjoyed the idea of her mocking/loving creations without thinking any more deeply about it.
The ending was a bit of a kick in the teeth for me. A surprise that made me look differently at what went before, but didn't spoil my overall enjoyment.
I'll still say that 'Kevin' trumps this, but it's a very well-written, funny and engaging story from a talented author.