Big Swiss is a woman. She goes to a sex therapist. Namely, to Om—who seems spectacularly unqualified for the job. Greta is also a woman. She transcribes the therapy session recordings. Greta is completely fascinated by Big Swiss. (Can’t blame her—everyone is.) And once they run into each other while walking their dogs, it’s clear that things are about to get complicated.
Big Swiss is Irresistible
In 2023, Big Swiss was ranked the 11th best novel by Goodreads readers. Normally, that kind of thing doesn’t mean squat. But in this case, it actually kind of does.
Jen Beagin’s third novel was named Book of the Year by Cosmopolitan, Vogue, Elle, and The New Yorker. So basically, every girly mag out there. Which, let’s be honest, might immediately scare off a very specific chunk of the reading population. But if you’re bold enough to crack it open out of sheer curiosity, you may find yourself reading a lot further than you expected. Possibly all the way to the end.
Why? Because of the instantly likeable characters, the wry yet warm humor, and the unmistakably unique, sharp narration.
Big Swiss is Irresistible—Did I Already Say That?
Yeah, I did. But so is Greta Work, our main character. Those sweet, scatterbrained, endearingly nutty girls usually are. Greta’s technically 45, but you’d swear she’s only 30. Or maybe she just slept through the last decade and a half.
She’s a bit of a mess, doesn’t really have a handle on herself, and is lugging around some deeply buried emotional baggage. Which, among other more serious consequences, turns her into an immature, quirky outsider. Fortunately, that’s the perfect recipe for the heroine of a light-hearted yet intelligent novel.
Orgasm. That’s the Point
Flavia—the so-called Big Swiss—is your classic ice queen. The sexy-secretary archetype—preserved in just the right amount of indifference. She’s sleek, fit, smart. Like Sharon Stone and Charlize Theron blended into one. Sans underwear… and slightly spread-legged… She’s the stuff of fantasies—and one hell of a challenge.
Greta Work, however, has the upper hand. Or maybe a disadvantage. Depends how you look at it. She’s got full access to the recordings of Flavia’s therapy sessions—so she knows exactly what Big Swiss is missing most in her life. Among other things? Yeah. Orgasms.
Right, let’s get to the point. Big Swiss is a love story between two women. It doesn’t shy away from depicting sexuality, but the real focus is on the process of both of them stepping out of their comfort zones: Greta from her self-imposed isolation, and Flavia from the kind of state you’d expect from a rich, emotionally detached Swiss snob who couldn’t care less about the rest of the world.
All of this, naturally, is accompanied by Greta’s trademark chaos and impulsiveness.
At this point, you might be thinking: “Okay, so it’s a regular chick-lit novel.” Well… yes and no.
Big Swiss Will Genuinely Surprise You
Jen Beagin writes like a virtuoso. You’ll find yourself reading with a mix of envy and awe. That style—light and funny, but still meaningful and not shallow—is hard to pull off. But Beagin nails it effortlessly. (Okay, the book dips a tiny bit during a single chapter when Greta reminisces about her horseback camp adventures toward the end. But I’m only mentioning this so there’s at least one negative point for balance.)
The book’s playful sense of surrealism deserves a special shoutout. Alongside its oddball characters, it features some equally oddball pets who are more or less supporting cast members in their own right. Dogs, donkeys, bees. Oh, and a few other creepy crawlies show up too.
The narration is packed with offbeat associations. Greta Work’s mind never stops whirring. Her strange and imaginative observations will keep a smile on your face.
And while the breezy tone keeps it solidly in “written-for-women” territory, Beagin’s writing offers so much more than the genre usually does, it might even hold the attention of more refined readers—and, believe it or not, men too. Well… assuming they’d ever pick up a book like this in the first place.
No Ordinary Love (Story)
Big Swiss doesn’t follow the usual romance novel playbook: meet-cute, fall in love, fight over something dumb, make up. Nope. This book opts for realism. The keyword? Chaos.
Despite the light tone, Beagin’s novel places heavy emphasis on her characters’ journeys through trauma and healing. Is it possible that this book is actually about that? About recovery and finding your way out?
Hell if I know. Still, what really pulls you into Big Swiss is the love story — one that’s bound to be rocky from the start, thanks to Greta’s emotional immaturity, Flavia’s psychological makeup, and, well… her husband. The risk of it falling apart is always there, simmering under the surface.
Jen Beagin’s Big Swiss is the story of two odd and unusual women. Told with dazzling wit and a wildly imaginative flair. Greta Work and Flavia are an utterly charming duo, and it’s impossible not to fall for them—no matter your gender or your literary preferences.
Rating: 8.3/10
Big Swiss by Jen Beagin
336 pages, Hardcover
Published in 2023 by Scribner
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