Customer Reviews

The Big Girls (Thorndike Reviewers' Choice)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Although the subject matters explored in this book are not ones I particularly wish to think about it, I found myself utterly engrossed. Set in a women's prison, this haunting story is told through the viewpoints of four very different people (yet all linked together in some way). I found the author's style of writing through short entries, jumping back in forth between each equally fascinating character to be clever and refreshing. That may sound confusing, but one could certainly follow the storyline and figure out what was going on in no time. What I couldn't figure out, was how it would end. Not for the faint of heart, this book was emotionally wrenching and equally shocking. I definitely recommend it, especially for a book discussion group.

This could have been another story on human error and redemption. It's not. Four people, warden, prisoner, doctor and guard, are caged together in their pain and neuroses. If you think you know prison life, and why people end up in prison, read 'Big Girls'. Moore writes with a clinical precision that evokes powerful emotion. I did not anticipate feeling sorry for the women at Sloatsburg; they are, after all, the detritus of our society. But 'Big Girls' is not about the politics of the criminal justice system or a commentary on social ills (though it could well be.) I chose to read it the way Moore wrote - as compact narrative and incisive dialog. Read this at least twice and then read it again.

Like so many novels I've read lately, this one just tries to cram too much into too small a space. What's wrong with telling one story? That of Helen would have been plenty---an abused woman and child who then kills her children and is in prison. Or the story of a woman haunted by her own demons who becomes a prison psychiatrist, or the story of a rising young star, or the story of a prison guard. But not all four. They do all tie together in a way, but much of this hinges on unlikely coincidences, which the author herself seems a little embarrassed about, as she has a character say that if she was making what happened fictional, she would leave out some of the coincidences as too unlikely! Good advice she didn't take! The characters all seem based on stories in the news, nothing has too much originality. I think the author has talent, and I would like to have read a novel about Helen alone. I did keep reading, and although all outcomes seemed a little pre-determined and expected, I did keep reading to see them. So a wishy-washy 3 for this one!

THE BIG GIRLS will remind you a whole lot of the Andrea Yates case. One of the main characters, Helen, is an inmate at Sloatsburg women's prison, imprisoned for murdering her children. Her husband, Jimmy, is also a religious fanatic, as was Yates's husband.

The other major character is Dr. Louise Forrest who forms an inappropriate attachment with Helen. Dr. Forrest has some issues of her own. Sometimes it's hard to tell the difference between the two.

Two other characters are given viewpoints in the novel: Angie, a Hollywood actress, and Ike Bradshaw, a prison guard who "romances" Dr. Forrest.

I had a little trouble with the structure of the novel. It's written in first person in kind of a journal style. All of the entries are rather short, so the story has trouble building any momentum.

Susanna Moore embraces the RUE mandate, resist the urge to explain. One is never quite sure who is doing the narrating without surfing for context clues. Moore is such a talented writer, however, that I eventually got used to it.

The prison scenes also sound more like a men's prison than a women's prison. There are gangs, rampant homosexuality, drug taking, and fights. The women even carry shanks. All of this is extremely depressing. But I have a feeling this novel will stay with me for a while, as did IN THE CUT the first novel by Moore that I read. It reminded me of LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR. Moore got a blurb from Joyce Carol Oates, so you know she's no light weight.

Moore has some scathing things to say about our celebrity-obsessed society. Angie, the Hollywood actress who has been writing to Helen takes advantage of her relationship with Helen, garnering a book offer and other money-making opportunities. That said, Angie is probably the most boisterous character, adding a bit of humor to an otherwise graphic novel.

The Big Girls is not easily read. It's a story that sears, discomfits, disturbs our complacency and, yes, sometimes amuses. We meet characters with psyches laid bare, stripped of any subterfuge or protective devices Susanna Moore is s a noted writer ( One Last Look, In The Cut, Sleeping Beauties ) with a penchant for the psychological and she explores, better said, skillfully dissects minds. Her setting is New York's Sloatsburg Correctional Institute and her narrative is related in four voices.

Dr. Louise Forrest has been the Chief Psychiatrist at Sloatsburg for some six months. At times, that feels more like a sentence to her than simply a period of time. She cannot adjust to the below standard conditions at the Institute nor to the incompetence of her fellow staff members, which is only compounded by their callousness. She's far too qualified for this position, leaving one to wonder what life experiences brought her there. A divorced mother, her one solace in life is a young son, Ransom.

For reasons the reader takes to be compassion Louise is drawn to Helen, a prisoner and her patient. Helen is seriously afflicted; she murdered her own children and hears voices. Further, her younger sister was given up for adoption yet Helen believes she has found her in the person of Angie Mills, a move star wannabe. One cannot help but feel pity for Helen as the details of her abusive childhood and adulthood are revealed. Especially poignant are her attempts to connect with Angie via mail.

Angie, the third member of the narrative quartet, has her own agenda and it's all about promoting Angie any way she can. She's also involved with Louise's ex husband, Rafael.

A fourth voice belongs to Ike Bradshaw, a former narcotics detective who is now a guard at Sloatsburg. He is attracted to Louise who reciprocates his feelings.

How the lives of these four intersect, for good or ill, is the crux of the story. Susanna Moore has written a bold, powerful, sometimes violent novel not soon forgotten.

- Gail Cooke

I did like the fact that this book was written from 4 different points of view and that was what I liked most about this book. The storyline is solid enough, but it seems like there is too much content included and some doesn't really add to the story.

While, I didn't expect that this book would be fun and cheerful. I didn't expect that it would be quite so disturbing. In fact, there are a few parts that I found impossible to read because of the content.

I also found much of the content to be quite crude and offensive. I realize that this story is set in a prison and that's how it is, but didn't think some of the content I considered to be "crude" lined up with the story, especially considering which point of view was represented.

Not a horrible book, but a bit too disturbing for my taste.

It was only when I read this book the second time -- a week after I finished it the first time -- that the intricacies of Moore's narrative approach really registered on me and the larger philosophical issues inherent in this approach became fully visible.

An example: Is Dr. Forrest's standard treatment of Helen Nash responsible for Nash's suicide? Pursuing a therapeutic program of integrating Helen's second identity, Ellie, and Helen's avenging demons, The Horsemen, into Helen's emotional repertoire and self-understanding, Dr. Forrest succeeds in "blowing her mind." Without these coping mechanisms, Helen is unable to confront herself and her deeds, and so, confronting a terrifying reality, kills herself, performing the death penalty that the state did not choose to perform in her sentencing. Interestingly, because Helen kills herself while under Dr. Forrest's care, Dr. Forrest's employment is terminated, and so in a way, Helen works some small revenge on her counselor (Helen had originally planned to kill Dr. Forrest under the guidance of The Horsemen, but chose to kill herself instead).

Another example: Is Dr. Forrest's sympathy for Helen and other prisoners counterproductive and dangerous? Dr. Forrest stands between the state and its prisoners, a position she recognizes as the contradictory crossroad between the state's desire to at once punish and redeem its prisoners. Tending toward the redemptive side, she makes complaints against inhumane prison policies. Less idealistic prison employees, i.e., doctors and guards, warn her against following her sympathies. From experience they know it will "get her into trouble." Eventually they are proven right.

Another example: By seeking to do good, does Dr. Forrest do evil? Dr. Forrest takes the job at the prison to atone for the death of another patient she had who met with bad outcome for which she blames herself. In her atonement for this is she only seeking forgiveness for herself, or is she acting out of humility and idealism?

These are just some of the moral and philosophical questions the book raises. The narrative approach -- telling the story from four semi-interlocking viewpoints -- raises an interesting question, too: what narrative space do these narrators occupy? Are they knowingly addressing us as readers? Are they merely "speaking" their thoughts aloud? Why are the voices given so little distinction -- is this a way to suggest their commonalities?

An interesting book. A short read -- if you read it once -- it moves quickly and deftly across very disturbing territory.

Moore's new novel turned out to be an unexpected blow that a reader needs a while to recuperate from its disturbing effects. Still, the read is so rewarding that it is worth, hopefully, being studied in depth. The work remotely hints her previous work like "In the Cut" regarding its shared themes such as the thin border between sex and violence, the abusive nature of loving relationship, her female characters' tireless pursuit of 'wrong men' (the protagonist's lover, Captain Bradshaw, reads almost the same one as the Irish detective in "In the Cut", but it did not disappoint me for I liked this character as well as the unforgettable teacher figure) etc. although this time the text changed the set into a jail system and is engaged in the landscape of the criminal justice field, which hardly lives up to the concept of what 'justice'could be.

The protagonist, Dr. Forrest, gradually develops her dangerous sympathy towards her inmate patients, especially one who killed her children for her long nurtured psychosis and serves her time for a life sentence, and crosses the rigid boundary that is supposed to distinguish what is sane and what is not, and who is to be a criminal and who is not. This heartwrenching and heartfelt narrative questions and ultimately demythtifies motherhood, and explains the madness that always lies in it, in a marvelous manner as well as its close analysis on the oedipus and electra complex. The author's take on these often cliched subjects is so intelligent and unique that becomes such a treat. I gurantee that this brings a fresh air to even well-read readers for its sophisticated views and its application of femminist's idea to prison system and ethics there. MUST READ.

Wow. I don't even know where to start. Four different points of view and at times.. you don't know who's talking. How 'bout this: nutcase inmate writes to nutcase actress, who happens to be living with a nutcase man who coincidentally is the ex-husband of the nutcase psychiatrist who's treating the nutcase inmate.

Forget that you must suspend belief in the above paragraph but we're forced to agree that a psycho prisoner would write to a famous actress and GASP..... she writes back. Give me a break.

I forgot to mention I only read half the book. That's how bad it was. I can't even remember the last time I've done that.

The writing style reminded me of The Road by Carmac McCarthy. He pulled this off gracefully and I loved the book. Here you have confusing paragraphs, no chapters, and staccato sentences. Think: See spot. See spot run.

For those who get angry when a person only has read the book partially? I apologize but I felt the need to tell people: Bad book. Bad.

This story is good, but tends to get a bit confusing. The author uses the characters different points of view randomly and not always clearly. Its just "ok" to me.