Big Little Lies

By: Liane Moriarty

Narrated by: Caroline Lee

Length: 15 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

DON’T MISS SEASON 2 OF THE GOLDEN GLOBE AND EMMY AWARD-WINNING HBO® SERIES STARRING REESE WITHERSPOON, NICOLE KIDMAN, SHAILENE WOODLEY, LAURA DERN, ZOË KRAVITZ, AND MERYL STREEP

From the author of Nine Perfect Strangers, Truly Madly Guilty, and The Husband’s Secret comes the number-one New York Times best-selling novel about the dangerous little lies we tell ourselves just to survive.

A murder.... A tragic accident.... Or just parents behaving badly? What’s indisputable is that someone is dead.

Madeline is a force to be reckoned with. She’s funny, biting, and passionate; she remembers everything and forgives no one. Celeste is the kind of beautiful woman who makes the world stop and stare, but she is paying a price for the illusion of perfection. New to town, single mom Jane is so young that another mother mistakes her for a nanny. She comes with a mysterious past and a sadness beyond her years. These three women are at different crossroads, but they will all wind up in the same shocking place.

Big Little Lies is a brilliant take on ex-husbands and second wives, mothers and daughters, schoolyard scandal, and the little lies that can turn lethal.

©2014 Liane Moriarty (P)2014 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Ms. Moriarty’s long-parched fans have something new to dig into...Big Little Lies [may have] even more staying power than The Husband’s Secret.” (The New York Times)

“Funny and thrilling, page-turning but with emotional depth, Big Little Lies is a terrific follow-up to The Husband’s Secret.” (Booklist, starred review)

“Moriarty demonstrates an excellent talent for exposing the dark, seedy side of the otherwise “perfect” family unit... Highly recommended.” (Library Journal, starred review)

Yet another excellent depiction of human nature

I had just finished reading "The Last Anniversary" and at first thought "Big Little Lies" gave away too much, too early...Duped, of course, by Ms. Moriarty. There are twists and turns and surprises all the way along. At the bottom, of course, are the author's incredible character depictions. Her knowledge of the best and worst human nature has to offer. These people are REAL. You have met them (or perhaps you ARE them). And she will make you laugh and cry at the smallness (and largeness) of day-to-day life. Towards the end, you are glued to the story--told expertly, by the way, from many points of view in a way that is particularly suited for an audiobook in the hands (voice?) of Caroline Lee.

Engaging story set in affluent Australian suburb

Where does Big Little Lies rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is a very entertaining novel. The action takes place in Australian suburbia. There are several related story lines and three main characters, with additional, well developed secondary characters. The ending brings everything together. The author keeps the reader guessing about the end by hinting at it.....social issues such as bullying and domestic abuse figure prominently in the book.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Big Little Lies?

The Trivia Night fiasco with all the "Audries" and "Elvises" spands through several short chapters and certainly has some memorable moments....including the climatic scene in the balcony.

Which character – as performed by Caroline Lee – was your favorite?

I must admit that, in the beginning, I found her tone shrill and somewhat annoying but...as her narration went on she did a wonderful job of "acting" each different characters. Her efforts enhanced character development. My favorite character was Celeste. But I also loved Maddie and Jane . It is a tribute to the narrator and writer that I got to care about what happened to the characters in this book.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

This was definitely the type of book that the reader can't put down....it took me three sittings to finish it because life interfered.

Any additional comments?

I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. Although it took me a little bit to get used to the narrator, she definitely did a great job and contributed to bringing the characters and the story to life.

Surprising On Many Levels

If you had asked my opinion 1/2 way through this book, I would have said, "it's a solid 3.5 to 4 star book which I'm enjoying, slight chick lit tendencies, subtle humor with a touch of heavy handed narration."

If you had asked me at 3/4 through, I would have said, "I'm surprised at how invested I am in the main characters, hadn't thought that it would have prompted this much thinking about untested assumptions and the interplay of dual standards in everyday life. Definitely 4 to 4.5 stars."

Now that I've finished it: It's a solid 5 star listen on every front. The narration fit the characters and the setting perfectly. The Audible plot summary tells you that there is a murder at a school night event, so no spoilers here. You know that someone (one of the main characters??) dies. Periodically I wondered who and why, but the question wasn't a front and center focus for me -- more a background hum of "oh yeah, I do wonder about that." The ending includes this event and wraps everything up in a way that was very satisfying without being coy or absurdly neat.

The thing about this book that really struck me was the many levels of hypocrisy that exist in what might be everyday life in our social circles. It wasn't heavy handed, in fact some of this was dished out with wry humor. But it was thought provoking on many levels. Three days after finishing the book, I'm still thinking about it. Major kudos to Liane Moriarty. Well done!!

Great BOOK!

I love Moriarty's book. They are so close to things that could actually happen. This book just makes me think how adults never really grow up from being little kids. Our drama is just packaged differently.

This was a good book, hooks you right from the start and rolls out the story to you slowly, giving you clues you think you can guess but never seeing the ending.

This is my second book by Moriarty, the narrator was perfect for both, couldn't stop listening.

Definitely worth a credit

What made the experience of listening to Big Little Lies the most enjoyable?

The story is very good and the narrator made it so enjoyable! I could not stop listening.

What did you like best about this story?

You don't know how it all ties together until the end of the book. This author is excellent and although toward the end, I was able to put together two and two, there were still aspects that I did not know until the very end.

Which scene was your favorite?

I can't possibly name a favorite. The author does an exceptional job with description and I can see the scenes in my mind with no problem. I am hooked on this writer.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Intriguing!

Any additional comments?

I have listened to two of the books by this author. The Husband's Secret was a little better than this one, but completely different. The narrator bought both of these books to life. I'm going to try another one by this author, but the narrator is different ... I hope it is as good!

Great listen. Great narrator.

This one had me from the beginning. Good story, holds your interest, and tugs at lots of different emotions. Great narration! The narrator really grabs the personalities of each person. High recommend if you are not looking for anything "deep". Worth the time.

A really Loved This Book!

What did you love best about Big Little Lies?

Entertaining all of the way through!

Who was your favorite character and why?

I cannot pick a favorite, because they were all wonderfully complex and interesting.

What about Caroline Lee’s performance did you like?

She is so passionate with each character depiction. An A++ Narrator!

Any additional comments?

This book had me hooked from the beginning. Insight into different characters, ability to empathize with each character, just a really good listen!!

almost as good as "The Husband's Secret"

Liane Moriarty has written another fun and dramatic book following "The Husband’s Secret" that is easy to get sucked into. The thing I have found about Moriarty is that she can write chick-lit that isn’t too light or cheesy and still has thrills in the drama that keeps the reader guessing. She also is really good at creating believable, flawed characters that are endearing. This book reminded me of “The Husband’s Secret” in the sense that their are 3 main characters who are women and big secrets that slowly unfold. The story is told through each of the 3 women’s narratives who are all kindergarten mothers. This book contains mystery as well as secrets because the reader learns in the beginning that the Pirriwee’s school trivia night has ended with one parent dead. (And that’s what I like about these books… is that even though the characters seem believable, something over the top and sometimes ridiculous happens to keep the plot juicy and entertaining.) I was second guessing myself on who I thought was murdered the whole way throughout the story. The murder is a big part of the story, but the secrets and details of the character’s lives also play a huge role in the book. At the end of each chapter there are gossipy tidbits and opinions from the police investigation that come from lesser known characters adding some humor to the book. The narrator, Caroline Lee, is awesome in this book, her accent is great and so is her ability to switch characters voices. I feel like the story combined with the narration drew a variety of emotions from me.

I hope there is another Liane Moriarty book in the works because she is fast becoming one of my favorite authors.

NOT a lie: I loved this book!

Would you consider the audio edition of Big Little Lies to be better than the print version?

Yes! The narrator has a fabulous accent! If I read this book, I couldn't have created these voices in my head. :-)

Have you listened to any of Caroline Lee’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I'm fairly certain that she read another of Moriarty's books, and they are both fabulous! Whether she's voicing a little boy, a burly man, a flighty young woman or a neurotic middle aged woman, they are all completely believable.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Every little secret counts

Any additional comments?

NONE of these characters are anything like me, yet, with Moriarty's skillful writing, I find myself relating to every single one of them. The way their lives are woven together in this story is so compelling and entertaining!

Got a little of everything

Where does Big Little Lies rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Its a really good read. I usually don't like modern settings but this was very enjoyable.

What did you like best about this story?

The revolving of the story around the school. Having taught primary for 40 years I had to laugh and nod many times..

Which character – as performed by Caroline Lee – was your favorite?

I think she did Ziggy wonderfully.

If you could take any character from Big Little Lies out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Madeline, what a hoot.

Any additional comments?

This would have been a great summer read for teachers on summer break. Too many are already back in school and won't have time to read or listen for a while.