savvylit's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
First of all, sorry to the Big Swiss fans out here but this book was just okay for me. Let me talk about what I liked: this book is often quite funny. I really appreciated each absurd detail - especially those about Greta & Sabine and their crumbling house full of bees. Additionally, everything about Om and his clientele is also incredibly funny. The fire breathing, the gong... Beagin has created an excellent satire of a specific brand of neohippy and the people that they attract.
What I didn't like is a little more complex. So: Greta is an unreliable and unlikeable messy narrator. Historically, I've been a fan of books with messy female protagonists. However, some of the language that Greta uses is pointlessly offensive. Within the first twenty pages, Greta makes an offhand comment where she says that the bees are "Japanesey." Later in the book, she says the r-slur as an insult. Even later, she refers to her face while crying as Chinese. All offhanded. Bi-erasure is also threaded throughout Big Swiss, unexamined. The central relationship in this book is wlw. Greta has recently broken up with a man and Flavia is currently married to a man. And yet, when Greta realizes how attached she is to Flavia and their relationship, she is determined to label herself and Flavia as gay. Even as Flavia disagrees with that choice.
Ultimately, I generally enjoy books with messy and complicated characters. However, I take issue with the use of hateful language to frame the unlikeability of a narrator. It was jarring to encounter in the text, especially when written in such a casual way. I believe that Greta could have been just as unlikeable without any of the offensive statements. @janandthings has a recent post on her profile where she puts it even better than I could: "when hateful commentary or behavior goes unchecked, that is not satire, that's hate speech."
What I didn't like is a little more complex. So: Greta is an unreliable and unlikeable messy narrator. Historically, I've been a fan of books with messy female protagonists. However, some of the language that Greta uses is pointlessly offensive. Within the first twenty pages, Greta makes an offhand comment where she says that the bees are "Japanesey." Later in the book, she says the r-slur as an insult. Even later, she refers to her face while crying as Chinese. All offhanded. Bi-erasure is also threaded throughout Big Swiss, unexamined. The central relationship in this book is wlw. Greta has recently broken up with a man and Flavia is currently married to a man. And yet, when Greta realizes how attached she is to Flavia and their relationship, she is determined to label herself and Flavia as gay. Even as Flavia disagrees with that choice.
Ultimately, I generally enjoy books with messy and complicated characters. However, I take issue with the use of hateful language to frame the unlikeability of a narrator. It was jarring to encounter in the text, especially when written in such a casual way. I believe that Greta could have been just as unlikeable without any of the offensive statements. @janandthings has a recent post on her profile where she puts it even better than I could: "when hateful commentary or behavior goes unchecked, that is not satire, that's hate speech."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Biphobia, Violence, Suicide, Fatphobia, and Racism
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Drug use, and Stalking
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