Big Swiss by Jen Beagin

29 May 2025

Big Swiss by Jen Beagin (A Review)

Jen Beagin is 54 years old, holds an MFA from UC Irvine, and lives in New York (city, presumably?). She has three smash-hit novels: Pretend I’m Dead, Vacuum in the Dark, and this one, Big Swiss. Well, I trust they’re smash-hits because they’ve won a handful of awards and, frankly, I have faith in her writing after reading Big Swiss, the most recent of the three.

Big Swiss is the story of a sex therapist’s transcriptionist who, via transcribing sessions, falls in love with one of her employer’s clients. The novel focuses on themes of love, loss, friendship, life, and the perimenopausal/menopausal body and brain. What I love most about Beagin’s story is the authenticity of it: characters (led by our protagonist, Greta) do and say things honestly, without much socio-cultural filter. I was raised by a mother whose parents did not say things out loud; members of the silent generation, they never spoke of love, sexuality, betrayal, addiction, or any of the other darker aspects of humanity. Most importantly, inner thoughts were always obscure. In Big Swiss, those inner thoughts, even sometimes intrusive thoughts, are placed on display, such that we, as readers, may recognize in our own interiors, we are much the same as Greta. Our thoughts are frequently wild, zany. Fantastical. Imaginative. Dark. Or, at least, I can speak for myself on this point.

What struck me most about Beagin’s writing is its seemingly limitless creativity. The situations in which Greta finds herself are so strange and unique while also vividly detailed that I was struck dumb by Beagin’s imagination. And humor. I laughed. While reading the book on a lounge chair by the pool at Epic Sana Resort in Algarve, Portual, I giggled, chortled, guffawed, even snorted. My poor sister, who lounged beside me, was kind enough to humor me as I reread out loud to her the most absurd passages.

As for craft, this novel is written in close third limited. The PoV follows Greta exclusively as she/her. We receive insights to other characters’ interiorities only through dialogue, body language, physical descriptions, and, most often, Greta’s imagination. For example, during her own therapy sessions, Greta imagines what her therapist is writing in his notes—but presents these speculations as truth. In fact, Greta’s habit of imagining others’ thoughts often gets her in trouble, because rarely is she correct in what she assumes others are thinking (as evidenced by her scuffle with Keith at the bar). And while Greta’s interiority is generally despicable, we cannot help but love her for her transparency, humility, and humanity.

How does one conclude a book review? Go read it, I guess. But only if you’re open-minded enough to appreciate the open-minded and open-hearted.