Big Little Lies

By: Liane Moriarty

Narrated by: Caroline Lee

Length: 15 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

DON’T MISS SEASON 2 OF THE GOLDEN GLOBE AND EMMY AWARD-WINNING HBO® SERIES STARRING REESE WITHERSPOON, NICOLE KIDMAN, SHAILENE WOODLEY, LAURA DERN, ZOË KRAVITZ, AND MERYL STREEP

From the author of Nine Perfect Strangers, Truly Madly Guilty, and The Husband’s Secret comes the number-one New York Times best-selling novel about the dangerous little lies we tell ourselves just to survive.

A murder.... A tragic accident.... Or just parents behaving badly? What’s indisputable is that someone is dead.

Madeline is a force to be reckoned with. She’s funny, biting, and passionate; she remembers everything and forgives no one. Celeste is the kind of beautiful woman who makes the world stop and stare, but she is paying a price for the illusion of perfection. New to town, single mom Jane is so young that another mother mistakes her for a nanny. She comes with a mysterious past and a sadness beyond her years. These three women are at different crossroads, but they will all wind up in the same shocking place.

Big Little Lies is a brilliant take on ex-husbands and second wives, mothers and daughters, schoolyard scandal, and the little lies that can turn lethal.

©2014 Liane Moriarty (P)2014 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Ms. Moriarty’s long-parched fans have something new to dig into...Big Little Lies [may have] even more staying power than The Husband’s Secret.” (The New York Times)

“Funny and thrilling, page-turning but with emotional depth, Big Little Lies is a terrific follow-up to The Husband’s Secret.” (Booklist, starred review)

“Moriarty demonstrates an excellent talent for exposing the dark, seedy side of the otherwise “perfect” family unit... Highly recommended.” (Library Journal, starred review)

Finish what you start

I started reading the actual hard copy book first but got sucked in so quickly I rushed to just watch the show, which is AMAZING btw. after the show I had to finish the book so I decided to listen to it. oh man, this woman can write!! 2 down from this author. The reader was phenomenal as well.

Enjoyed the nuanced satire but some mild criticisms of story structure

A few months back someone told me I ought to read some fiction. I read The Martian, enjoyed it, but that's like... so on brand (for a thirty-something tech type). So I wanted to push my bounds a little and get a book that seemed most outside my demographic. I only mention this to give some background here... I figure 90% of the reviews here are either a. Chick lit fans or b. People coming from the HBO show.

Broadly I think it's a great book. The core story paralleling around Jane and Celeste is poignant and touching and handled well. In a way it's a simple story, the impacts of abuse and power and image are very... impactful? Not sure the right word. But it kind of stuck with me.

Otoh, I'm not quite sure what the point was of giving Madeline such a central role in the story. I guess functionally, to give Jane someone to bounce off of, but it's disappointing that she didn't have a more central story-arc (besides what was shoehorned in right at the end). Sort of feel the same way about the "blonde bobs" - I imagine there was a part in the development of the story where these were all more characters but eventually got reduced to a symbolic role. I suppose they're needed to make the school feel more filled out, fair enough, but their function is more of a story-beat than anything else.

There's a lot of... stuff... that happens, and I think a little more than necessary. I read the Wikipedia entry and was kind of surprised to see how short it was, considering how many damn chapters there were. I think the book could have been well served with a little more editing, if only to remove the repetitive bits. How many damn times does the author need to emphasize how high alcohol and how tasty the pink fizzy drinks were??

"A good satire must have a clear sense of purpose to distinguish itself from that which it satirizes". I couldn't help but think that over the tedium of the shallow gossip of the school parents. Ultimately, I can see what the author was going for, but I can't help but think the reader is supposed to be a little bit engaged with all the petty dramas going on, since it forms a lot of the fundamental basis for understanding the characters. Yet the reader is also supposed to understand it as cheap and nasty.

The last minor criticism was that the end came a little to cleanly. A weird subplot about sex exploitation just ends abruptly, there's an odd revelation about a character, a death, then everything a all better. It's not exactly unearned, since the whole book was leading up to it, but it feels too clean. There's a couple of "1 year later" type chapters that sort of address this, but in reality, I highly doubt any of these issues are resolved. Then again, I don't think the book is meant to end on a tragic note, so that's about the best way it could have ended.

A lot of complaining here so I should close by saying that these are mostly minor criticisms. The central themes of the book are very well explored and done in a mature way. It brings up a lot of issues in a nuanced, complex way, and it treats them seriously and respectfully. And it does so organically enough that you can always connect with the story, and ultimately feel empathy for those in similar situations.

Great!

Full of expression, I felt like I was there eavesdropping on the conversations. The narrator performed the children’s voices very well
The story kept me guessing the entire time

Still good.

I have read this book, then watched the show, and just finished listening in audible. I found the listening to be wonderful, which picturing the characters from the show. The narrator had a sweet voice, although it didn’t love the way certain characters sounded. It was nice to get a little surprise laugh from a book. Love it.

everything she writes!

Wow. Ehat a writer. how entertaining an thoughtful and funny and moving- as is ALL of her work. now I just have to wait for her to write more. ( I did not listenin chronological order .)

I really enjoyed this, did not expect to at all.

What did you love best about Big Little Lies?

I go through a lot of audiobooks and podcasts. I usually listen to them when i drive so will often make last minute purchases before i leave for a long journey, and don't always do a lot of research on a book before i purchase it.

I am so glad i did that with this book. I had it in my head when i started the book that it was a murder mystery, (i normally read SF so thought i could stretch to this genre), and in a way it kind of was, but mostly it was just about likeable characters going about their everyday lives. I am surprised at just how much i enjoyed the book and felt it was consistently strong throughout with a solid ending.

I really enjoyed the narrator, although others i have recommended the book to have said they found her to be annoying so i guess not for everyone,

Actually just wish the book was longer.

Any additional comments?

It is very good. considering I normally consume only scifi and fantasy I was surprised at how much i did enjoy this book. Get it, you will enjoy it.

Great narrator and fun plot

This is one of those books I couldn't wait to keep listening to. Unfortunately it often kept me up late at night! Once again Moriarty has written an enjoyable, plot-twisting, suspenseful story. And the narrator is super -- great voices/accents....expressive.

Moving from start to finish

I’ll amend my review title by saying the first 5 minutes were a bit slow to get started but once I realized that “slow start” is a theme throughout the book, I fully appreciated the way this book began. It’s relatable and charming. You’re enveloped into the characters sorry. inner thoughts, and friendship circle as though you yourself are one of the characters. The narrator paints a beautiful picture of each character, setting, and mood as she speaks. It kept me on my toes in a delightful way! I highly recommend this audiobook.

Wonderfully crafted and narrated

Where does Big Little Lies rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of the most enjoyable audiobooks I have read.

What about Caroline Lee’s performance did you like?

Caroline Lee delivered the lines perfectly for the characters. I'm not sure if I would have enjoyed this book to the same degree if anyone else had narrated. In fact, while I tend to gush about this book to friends, I'm a little concerned they will not like it to the extreme that I did if they read it instead of listening to Ms. Lee read it.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The book is very funny, but it manages to also cover some very serious issues.

Any additional comments?

Clearly, Big Little Lies is one of the very best books I read in 2014.

I loved this book!

I love this author and the Australian accent of the narrator. You won't be sorry!