Reviews tagging 'Rape'

Big Swiss by Jen Beagin

29 reviews

applesodaperson's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I really liked this book, but I feel like it just didn’t quite live up to the hype. Still good, just not as good as I expected. Also, the characters did not feel like real people, more like exaggerated caricatures. This wasn’t necessarily a good or bad thing, just something I noticed. 
Read from the Provo library.

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owlish1's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75


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serena704's review against another edition

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emotional funny

2.0

Girl what did I listen to? 

Japanesy? 

Greta was a hot mess! I'll have to admit it was good to see a character of a certain age still doing dumb stuff but she took the cake. Big Swiss knew she was too good to even get involved with that one. Everyone in this was very very weird. 

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jgils90's review against another edition

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challenging emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25


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maryyyyyy's review against another edition

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dark funny reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Critics will call this an "irreverent romp" or "scandalously funny." Very unique, I couldn't put it down, but I'm undecided on the ending. LOTS of content warnings!

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laurenklevy's review against another edition

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dark funny medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0


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katrinkirjat's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny fast-paced
  • 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

Vaalea viileä on jotain, mitä en ole hetkeen lukenut. Kirja on kierolla tavalla koukuttava ja suorastaan ahmin sen outouksia itseeni. 

Greta litteroi työkseen erään terapeutin istuntoja. Terapeutti asiakkaineen asuu samassa kylässä kuin Greta ja heidän salaisuuksiaan hän kantaa mukanaan. Sitten Greta tutustuu yhteen naiseen koirapuistossa ja tunnistaa tämän äänestä yhdeksi terapeutin asiakkaista. Heille syntyy suhde ja Greta jatkaa hänen terapiaistuntojensa litteroimista. 

Miten kreiziä! Kirjan lukeminen tuntuu siltä, kuin tietäisi kahden junan kohta törmäävän, mutta ei voi kääntää katsessaan. Kirja on ei varsinaisesti pysy hyvän maun rajoissa, vaan menee koko ajan vähän liian pitkälle. Se on monella tavalla överi, hysteerisen hulvaton, täynnä synkkää mustaa huumoria, traaginen ja monitahoinen.

Kirjan aiheet eivät ole keveitä tai helppoja, vaan ihan päinvastoin, mutta kirjan tyyli ja päähenkilön yliampuvuus tekevät otteesta kevyemmän. Harvaan asiaan suhtaudutaan kovin vakavasti, tai vähintään ne vakavuudet on upotettu huumoriin. Jossain kontekstissa se varmaan ärsyttäisi eikä toimisi, mutta tässä toimii.

Pidin kirjasta paljon. Pidän miten tässä sotketaan elämän traagisuus, traumat elämän outouteen ja absurdiuteen. Kirja menee lopulta aika syvälle ihmismieleen, mutta siitä huolimatta osa jutuista tai käänteistä jäi hieman pintapuolisiksi, ja niihin jäin toivomaan jotain lisää. Analysoitavaa tässä kuitenkin riittää sitä kaipaavalle.

Suomennoksessa on käytetty jonkin verran vanhentuneita termejä. Se oli yllättävää, koska muuten suomennos oli todella hyvä ja sujuva. 




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katgallaugher's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


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maidinnah's review against another edition

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challenging dark funny reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A lustful, balls-to-the-wall, cheeky romp that explores the synergy between trauma and toxic relationships. It’s not a book for everyone; the main character is pathetic, inappropriate, but also hilarious. Some of the passages can be problematic (maybe for the sake of satire but it’s hard to say), while the plot is almost unbelievably absurd. Like the relationship at the center of this novel, I too have a love-hate regard for this novel and so I settled on 4/5 stars because I went along for this off-rails ride anyway. 

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sarahallwarden's review against another edition

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dark funny sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 A surprising read, with an absurdist quality. This book felt like medicine for the Silent Patient. It's not a thriller, but it has similar themes. Although I could see it being heavily controversial I think Beagin paints a picture of in depth characters from the point of view of someone vapid, confused, and unwell and still manages to make the side characters feel multi-dimensional. Although the third act was vaguely disappointing/lack luster the rest of this book makes it worth it.

HEAVY content warnings for: rape, physical assault, suicidal ideation, suicide description, suicide attempts. 

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