Big Swiss

A Novel

By: Jen Beagin

Narrated by: Rebecca Lowman, Carlotta Brentan, Stephen Graybill, Joy Osmanski, Matt Pittenger

NATIONAL BESTSELLER AND CULT FAVORITE

Named a Best Book of the Year by the New Yorker, Time, NPR, Vogue, Elle, Cosmopolitan, Huffington Post, NBC News, Lit Hub, theSkimm, Condé Nast Traveler, Town & Country, and more!

“One of the funniest books of the last few years” (Los Angeles Times) about a sex therapist’s transcriptionist and her affair with one of the patients.

Greta lives with her friend Sabine in an ancient Dutch farmhouse in Hudson, New York. The house is unrenovated, uninsulated, and full of bees. Greta spends her days transcribing therapy sessions for a sex coach who calls himself Om. She becomes infatuated with his newest client, a repressed married woman she affectionately refers to as Big Swiss.

One day, Greta recognizes Big Swiss’s voice in town and they quickly become enmeshed. While Big Swiss is unaware Greta has eavesdropped on her most intimate exchanges, Greta has never been more herself with anyone. Her attraction to Big Swiss overrides her guilt, and she’ll do anything to sustain the relationship…

“A fantastic, weird-as-hell, super funny novel” (Bustle), Big Swiss is both a love story and a deft examination of infidelity, mental health, sexual stereotypes, and more—from an amazingly talented, singular voice in contemporary fiction.

Critic reviews

"Rebecca Lowman captures Greta’s sardonic personality. Carlotta Brentan and Stephen Graybill skillfully deliver Flavia’s frank expressions and Om’s slightly pretentious demeanor. Scattered throughout are snippets of therapy sessions with other patients, who are superbly performed by Joy Osmanski and Matt Pittenger."

All over the place and going nowhere

Performers did a great job. Story-wise I was excited for the premise here, it sounded like a rom-com setup but darker and more twisted. Post-listen, if you asked me what this book was about, I couldn’t tell you. Felt like the author changed their mind once or twice about what they were writing while they were writing it. An author can make up for this with great prose that is rewarding regardless of the story…this one doesn’t.

Such a unique story and characters

The plot was interesting and unexpected, I loved Greta and big Swiss, it was all weird and very real to me

Absolutely intoxicating

It’s been quite some time since a book drew me in like this. It’s beautifully written and is somehow epic and strangely ordinary at once… this book is a very beautiful piece and I will buy the physical book and read it again. I didn’t find it “funny” in terms of laughing out loud but rather funny in the way it illustrates human absurdities, which did make me smile. I couldn’t stop listening. It won’t be everyone’s cup of tea but it was most certainly mine.

Weirdly good

I enjoyed the uniqueness of the characters, and the crossing of lines. We all have issues, and sharing in each others lives helps us make it through.

This was an odd one

I really liked how strange this book was. There was nothing predictable about it. I’ll explore more from the author.