Big Swiss
Jen Beagin
Scribner, 2023, 352 pages
$18.00

Reviewed by Kelsey McGarry

Beagin’s novel centers on Greta, a middle-aged woman in Hudson, New York, whose life has quietly drifted into an unusual orbit. Once a pharmacy technician, she now earns a living transcribing audio recordings for a spiritual sex coach. Through this job, Greta witnesses the private confessions of strangers, including Flavia, a Swiss gynecologist whose voice and story capture her attention. When Greta later encounters Flavia at a local dog park, recognition sparks a connection that soon deepens into an intimate relationship—one complicated by the knowledge Greta carries but cannot reveal.

The story follows these two women as they navigate the shadows of formative experiences they have never fully processed. Their relationship unfolds alongside a chorus of eccentric secondary figures and a stream of therapy transcripts, which inject rhythm into the narrative. As Greta’s own history gradually comes into focus, the novel reveals subtle textures in its settings and character dynamics, beautifully showcasing how inner lives shape the spaces people inhabit. With its distinctive voice, unconventional structure, and memorable protagonists, this book offers a bold and darkly playful exploration of intimacy, secrecy, and connection.

Stylistically, the novel is reminiscent of the popular theme in contemporary fiction of flawed women making arguably unlikeable choices.The book wastes no time introducing several key figures in Greta’s life, introducing Greta’s eccentric roommate, Sabine, who she has lived with since seemingly abruptly leaving her husband. Greta is both alienating and oddly relatable. She is impulsive, lonely, and driven by immediate desire rather than reflection. The reader quickly sees many idiosyncrasies in Greta’s current way of relating to people through her relationships with Sabine, the dogs and animals that they cohabitate with, the old dilapidated farmhouse they share in Hudson Valley, and the new community Greta drops into upon her cross-country move. The exaggerated personalities and situations help contribute to the book’s surreal atmosphere. However, I was left wanting slightly more from ancillary character development, because Sabine and Greta’s ex-husband characterizations are slightly underbaked.

As someone familiar with the impulse to destabilize a perfectly functional life, I recognized the emotional fallout this novel captures. Beagin understands how the body can move without or ahead of the mind, pulling you into situations you don’t yet have language for. I was most impressed by how the book suggests that whether you drift through life or fixate so intensely on the present that you ignore the past, you can still end up in the same unhealthy dynamics when too much about the past goes unspoken. The fact that the novel manages to explore all of this while remaining genuinely funny is a large part of its appeal, and a reminder of why I love reading fiction.

Overall, Big Swiss balances emotional weight and wit, using sharp dialogue and unexpected situations to keep the tone lively and engaging—an unconventional, often funny exploration of obsession, desire, and loneliness. Readers who enjoy awkward, character-driven narratives and dark humor will likely find it engaging, even when it’s uncomfortable.

Kelsey McGarry (she/her/hers) lives in Los Angeles, CA and loves spending time outdoors with their queer community.