Big Swiss
Greta liked knowing people's secrets. That wasn't a problem. Until she met Big Swiss. Big Swiss. That's Greta's nickname for her - she is tall, and she is from Switzerland. Greta can see her now: dressed top to toe in white, that adorable gap between her two front teeth, her penetrating blue eyes. She's a head-turner: including the heads of infants and dogs. Well that's how Greta imagines seeing her; they haven't actually ever met in person. Nor has Greta actually ever been to Switzerland. Greta and Big Swiss are not in the same room, or even the same building. Greta is miles away, sitting at a desk in her own house, wearing only headphones, fingerless gloves, a kimono, and legwarmers, transcribing this disembodied voice. What Greta doesn't know is that she's about to bump into Big Swiss in the local dog park. A new - and not entirely honest - relationship is going to be born. A relationship that will transform both of their lives. . .
Themes & atmosphere
Where Big Swiss keeps showing up
One of our editors' lists features this novel.
What you might want to know about Big Swiss
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
In Hudson, New York, a divorcee transcribing for a local sex therapist becomes obsessed with one client's voice on the tapes. When she meets the woman in person, she does not tell her how she knows her.
Yes. HBO ordered a Big Swiss adaptation in 2023 with Jodie Comer attached to star and produce. The dark comedy series remains in development as of 2025.
Big Swiss was written by Jen Beagin, published in 2023 by Scribner.
Big Swiss is 1 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, Big Swiss takes most readers under an hour to finish.
Big Swiss is a standalone novel by Jen Beagin, not part of a series.
Big Swiss is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.