Thursday, June 20, 2013

Review: Big Brother by Lionel Shriver

Big Brother by Lionel Shriver is the story of Pandora Halfdonarson who is trapped between her recently obese brother and her aggressively fit, restrictive husband. Through Pandora and her navigation of these two diametrically opposed loved ones in her life, Shriver tackles the loaded and controversial topics of fat, diets, control and shame. Layered on top of obesity and its consequences, Shriver also explores the sibling relationship and attempts to answer the questions of whether someone can really be saved by another, how far the responsibility of siblings to take care of each other extends and whether blood really is thicker than water. This ambitious book constantly prompts you to think.

 Pandora Halfdonarson lives in Iowa with her husband, Fletcher, and his two teenage children from a previous marriage. Pandora had been a caterer when they met and prepared lavish meals for her then fiance. But Fletcher has taken on an almost religious discipline about eating and exercise; his meals are sparse and nutrient dense and he cycles for hours each day. Concurrent with, but ostensibly not because of, Fletcher's move towards the healthiest lifestyle, Pandora shutters her catering business and falls into a career creating custom made talking dolls for her business "Baby Monotony". Pandora's brother, Edison, is a jazz musician living in New York City but she receives a call from his friend asking Pandora if she can help out her brother by letting him come to visit. Concerned as to what may be going on, Pandora sends Edison money and tells him to book a flight. She is stunned when she meets him at the airport and sees that her brother has gained 200 pounds and is morbidly obese.

 The tension on their arrival home is almost immediate and Pandora worries about Fletcher or the children insulting her brother or reacting to his size without thinking. Everyone is repulsed by his size but he is Pandora's brother and her revulsion is tinged with sympathy and a desire to protect her brother. Pandora and Fletcher's relationship had cracks prior to Edison's arrival but having this literally larger than life character in their home coupled with all he brings along with him strain things even further. Edison cooks up large batches of chocolate chip pancakes for this household that eschews white flour; in addition to pushing food on them, his presence forces a confrontation of their feelings about excess, lack of control and indulgence. As things escalate at home, Pandora is forced to choose between her brother and husband.

My Thoughts
Fat is an important but loaded topic in society today and it is an important but loaded topic in my own life - I have struggled with weight and an eating disorder for most of my life. Having grown up in a, at times, obsessively health conscious home and even holding many of those beliefs myself despite my size, I am well-acquainted with the battle between self-loathing and indulgence that accompanies obesity.  Even during the times in my life when I have been thin, I have been obsessed with trying to maintain that and to neutralize food to a mere source of nourishment and not to imbue it with all this other meaning. Shriver expertly navigates this battle in Big Brother by placing Pandora between Edison and Fletcher. Fletcher represents the militant, "food only as fuel" camp while Edison represents the indulgent, "food as comfort" camp.  Pandora's own approach to food lies somewhere in between.  For example, here she describes her philosophy on food:
I propose: food is by nature elusive. More concept than substance, food is the idea of satisfaction, far more powerful than satisfaction itself, which is why diet can exert the sway of religion or political zealotry. Not irresistible tastiness but the very failure of food to reward if what drives us to eat more of it. The most sumptuous experience of ingestion is in-between: remembering the last bite and looking forward to the next one. The actual eating part almost doesn't happen. This near-total inability to deliver is what makes the pleasures of the table so tantalizing, and also so dangerous.
Pandora always represents the more balanced and, at times, conflicted point of view.

The relationship between Pandora and Edison is also central to this novel and, although complicated and brought to the fore by Edison's descent into "slow-motion suicide by pie", exists outside of Edison's obesity. Throughout their difficult childhood, Pandora and Edison relied on each to get through with a "ferocity of mutual clinging".
Often ashamed of tugging the children's loyalties in opposite directions, the parents fail to grasp their kids' salvation: the children's uppermost loyalty is to each other. . . . Edison and I did rat each other out from time to time, but they were isolated strategic sorties in the complex politics of the playroom about which our parents knew nothing. We used our Mom and Dad as weapons in the far more central relationship to one another. Certainly with Tanner and Cody, I tried never to forget: children know your secrets. You do not know theirs.
Sharp, intelligent writing allows challenging topics to be explored and to resonate for the reader. This book challenges you to consider your own visceral reactions to topics such as obesity and accountability to family members. You are also never completely sure where Pandora stands - there is sympathy for her brother, a desire to protect him but also disgust and frustration with his lack of control.  Although uncomfortable at times with characters I didn't always like, Big Brother is definitely on my list for Best Reads of 2013.

You can read other reviews of the book from those on the tour .

Thank you to the publisher for providing an ARC for review as part of the tour. 

16 comments:

  1. What a fantastic review. Your added perspective on an issue we all have with food is enlightening. I heard Shriver speak at Bryant Park and she is such an intelligent woman, her ideas about siblings and obesity and loyalty were intriguing. I can't wait to read this book.

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  2. I suspect this book will resonate with many readers (myself included). Thanks for sharing your personal take!

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  3. Wow. Thank you so much for this review. I've been wondering about this book quite a bit. I read a Shriver a little while ago and I wasn't impressed but I've been wanting to give her another chance. This sounds like one that would really speak to me.

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  4. I agree with Diane - your review is fantastic! It sounds like this book would be great for a book club discussion.

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  5. Count me in on all the applause ... your review is wonderful ... as is your personal perspective!

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  6. Sounds like this one is quite the challenging read, on a number of levels.

    Thanks for being on the tour. I'm featuring your review on TLC's Facebook page today.

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  7. Great review! I had similar feelings about this book---I suspect many readers will have some kind of visceral reaction to Big Brother. It really resonated with me, and I have continued to think about this book long after finishing it. Thanks for sharing your personal perspective.

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  8. Colleen, Loved your thoughts, and although I meant to start it 2 weeks ago, that hasn't happened yet, but I will be reading this one very soon. It sound like a story that at least in part I might enjoy.

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  9. Great review. I saw her speak a few weeks ago and she was amazing. I think I am going to start this one today!

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  10. I haven't had much success with Lionel Shriver in the past, but will give this on a try. Excellent review, Colleen!

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  11. I started reading this for Bloggers Recommend but knew that someone else was already recommending it, so I put it down. I definitely want to get back to it because I was so impressed with what little I read!

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  12. Shriver writes such interesting stories! I'm glad this one really resonated with you; it sounds like a fantastic book.

    Thanks for being on the tour!

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  13. Colleen, this is definitely going on my tbr list. Thanks for linking it in. Cheers

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  14. Great review! I love Shriver's writing and was curious about this book. In an author interview, I learned that her brother died from (complications of?) obesity. I'm sorry to hear of your eating disorder; I know other girls and women who deal with that too. It's good to hear bloggers and authors making healthy vs unhealthy eating a topic of discourse.

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  15. I think it's a good one to start with. She really is a good writer in that she has the pulse of American consciousness and can really hit us below the belt - honesty can hurt. I love that, though.

    Maycee Greene (Dallas Local SEO)

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  16. We know that obesity is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, precipitating problems such as colon cancer, diabetes and strokes. And it already affects as much as 35.7% of the adult population in the United States at present, which equates to millions. It is hard to imagine how far society has allowed weight problems to go for the past thirty years it’s been apparent. But to prevent further aggravation in the future, every person is obliged to follow the given childhood obesity prevention measures and ensure that following generation is also made aware of them.

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