Big Brother Blog Tour: Review

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Big Brother by Lionel Shriver! Today I'll be reviewing the book and don't forget to check out the rest of the tour stops, which are listed at the bottom of this post!

Big Brother

Author: Lionel Shriver

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Release Date: June 4, 2013

Publisher: Harper Collins

Description:

For Pandora, cooking is a form of love. Alas, her husband, Fletcher, a self-employed high-end cabinetmaker, now spurns the “toxic” dishes that he’d savored through their courtship, and devotes hours each day to manic cycling. Then, when Pandora picks up her older brother Edison at the airport, she doesn’t recognize him. In the years since they’ve seen one another, the once slim, hip New York jazz pianist has gained hundreds of pounds. What happened? After Edison has more than overstayed his welcome, Fletcher delivers his wife an ultimatum: It’s him or me.

Rich with Shriver’s distinctive wit and ferocious energy, Big Brother is about fat: an issue both social and excruciatingly personal. It asks just how much sacrifice we'll make to save single members of our families, and whether it's ever possible to save loved ones from themselves. 

Big Brother is a poignant and witty novel that looks at the bonds of family and how far a person will go to protect and save those we love. The story follows main character Pandora as she deals with the daily monotony of her both her home life and her flourishing company. Pandora receives a phone call one day informing her that her dear older brother, Edison, has been crashing at a friend's house and has worn out his welcome there. With nowhere else to go, Pandora invites Edison to come and stay with her and her family in their small Iowan town. Pandora and her family receive a shocking surprise when Edison arrives - he is hundreds of pounds heavier than the last time they saw each other. Pandora is determined to get Edison back to what he was, all while putting a strain on her marriage - until her husband finally demands that she must choose between him or her brother.

This was an intriguing story that delves into deep topics in our society. It speaks of family, devotion, loyalty, love, and the more hushed topics of obesity and dieting that ravishes our culture. The author takes all of these important topics and mingles them with witty dialogue and compelling narrative that draws the reader in from the very first line of the novel and promises to stay with you long after you finish the last word. The characters were all impeccably written - each with their own flaws, strengths, and personalities. I loved Pandora as the lead character - she is a common woman in America, both devoted to her family and to her work, but ultimately she needs to discover herself in order to save those she loves. The writing itself was a prime example of the immense talent of the writer. The book clips along at a fast pace and had me totally engrossed in the pages within moments of starting it. The narrative is eloquently written and seamlessly flows together to weave a beautiful story that deals with important topics that rarely are given the light they need. Highly recommended for fans of contemporary fiction as well as well as those simply looking for a wonderful story that is fantastically written.

Lionel Shriver's novels include the New York Times bestseller The Post-Birthday World and the international bestseller We Need to Talk About Kevin, which won the 2005 Orange Prize and has now sold over a million copies worldwide. Earlier books include Double Fault, A Perfectly Good Family, and Checker and the Derailleurs. Her novels have been translated into twenty-five languages. Her journalism has appeared in the Guardian, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and many other publications. She lives in London and Brooklyn, New York. 

Author Link: Facebook

Follow the rest of the tour!

Tuesday, June 4th: The Blog of Lit Wits

Thursday, June 6th: she treads softly

Monday, June 10th: Bibliophilia

Tuesday, June 11th: The Well-Read Redhead

Wednesday, June 12th: Man of La Book

Thursday, June 13th: Book Hooked Blog

Monday, June 17th: BookNAround

Wednesday, June 19th: nomadreader

Thursday, June 20th:  Books in the City

Monday, June 24th: Tiffany’s Bookshelf

Tuesday, June 25th: A Dream Within A Dream

Wednesday, June 26th: Bloggin’ ‘Bout Books

Thursday, June 27th: 5 Minutes For Books

Friday, June 28th: The Book Chick

Monday, July 1st: A Reader of Fictions

Tuesday, July 2nd: Olduvai Reads