Lionel Shriver is a gifted author as evidenced by We Need To Talk About Kevin. Big Brother is the story of a morbidly obese man who visits his sister in Iowa after having worn out his welcome in New York with friends from his career as a jazz pianist. The first part is brilliant, the second part makes the characters less than likeable on many levels, and the third part is the abrupt reality. I am impressed with Shriver's skills as a writer, but this one cannot compare with We Need To Talk About Kevin in its plot and believability.
So what happens when you meet your brother after four years and he has gained hundreds of pounds? This is the dilemma of Pandora when she picks up her brother, Edison, at the airport in Iowa. Edison had gone to New York when he was a teen. And as far as Pandora knew, he was a successful jazz pianist, touring to different locations and playing with big-name musicians. But out of the blue, she gets a call from Edison's roommate telling her that he was down and wanted a break. So Pandora sends him an airline ticket to Iowa to spend some time with her and her family. But when she sees him, he is unrecognizable with his mounds of flesh! Pandora's husband, Fletcher, is on a healthy diet himself and when he sees Edison, he is less than optimistic about his stay in their household. Fletcher is also an accomplished furniture maker and when Edison breaks one of his favorite pieces, he delivers an ultimatum to Pandora: it's either him or me! So what can Pandora do to help Edison and appease Fletcher? She decides to help Edison lose weight but this is a very time-consuming process and her marriage is strained to the limits. She also has two step-children that are affected by Edison's stay plus her business is strained as well.
I really found this novel compelling reading. It really sheds some light on the issue of obesity and how it affects not only the obese person but those around him including friends and family. I have an older brother myself who has this problem and I can relate to some of the issues in the novel. This novel may be hard to read if the reader is overweight but overall it was full of emotions including humor, pathos, pain, anger, and ultimately love. The ending was a bit of a shock to me and was not what I was expecting but overall, I would give this a high recommendation.
I really found this novel compelling reading. It really sheds some light on the issue of obesity and how it affects not only the obese person but those around him including friends and family. I have an older brother myself who has this problem and I can relate to some of the issues in the novel. This novel may be hard to read if the reader is overweight but overall it was full of emotions including humor, pathos, pain, anger, and ultimately love. The ending was a bit of a shock to me and was not what I was expecting but overall, I would give this a high recommendation.
