Book Review: Big Swiss

Big Swiss
by Jen Beagin
Review by Rosa

Big Swiss is an amalgamation of pure chaos: none of the characters are particularly likeable (except the dog, piñon), very, very few of their decisions are good ones, and their humour verges on cringey at times. However, thanks to the introduction of two donkeys, 60,000 honeybees who Greta now lives with, and a crumbling Dutch farmhouse.

Beagin successfully entices the reader into Greta and Flavia’s bizarre world and delivers a creative and confronting account of people coping with unexpected life transitions. Relying on wit and tragic upbringings to deflect true feeling, while also trying their best to heal their wounds and figure out why they do the messy things they do.