It’s taken me quite a while to sit down and put my thoughts to electrons on this one. Yeah, I liked it a lot, but Big Swiss is a very very heavy book to digest.
Greta, I guess we will call her the protagonist of this novel, is a quintessential fuckup living with her similarly odd friend, Sabine, in an ancient Dutch farmhouse in Hudson, New York.
Because she hasn’t really done anything with her life, Greta lied her way into a job transcribing sessions for Om, another odd character who is a sex coach in Hudson.
Through these transcriptions, Greta becomes infatuated with one of Om’s clients who Greta nicknames “Big Swiss.” For the first part of the book, we learn that Big Swiss is married, a gynecologist, and has never had an orgasm.
Quite on accident, Greta discovers who Big Swiss actually is after recognizing her voice on a chance encounter. Definitely throwing all semblance of ethics aside, Greta then uses the confidential knowledge she has of Big Swiss to formulate a relationship with her that, eventually, turns sexual.
Yeah, like I said, it’s a lot.
Ms. Beagin really nails this one. It’s dark, it’s very mysterious, and there is a lot of tension and conflict that is scandalously entertaining to read. There are not really any likable characters in this novel, and that is what makes it amazing. The dynamic between Greta and just about everyone is absolutely ridiculous. This is a middle-aged woman who probably has never really been herself, and seems to be a wrecking ball through the lives of those around her.
One of the things about Big Swiss that I enjoy very much is how Ms. Beagin approaches language and phrasing. It can be odd, and awkward, but perfectly on point.
Needless to say, I think there are two camps of folks who have read Big Swiss: those, like me, who love the uncomfortableness of it, and those who absolutely hate it.
I say give it a go and see which camp you fall into. Oh, and I’m not even going to go into the insect themes this novel seems to lean on heavily.
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