The new novel from the Orange Prize-winning author of We Need to Talk About Kevin. When Pandora picks up her older brother Edison at her local Iowa airport, she literally doesn’t recognize him. The once slim, hip New York jazz pianist has gained hundreds of pounds. What happened? Soon Edison’s slovenly habits, appalling diet, and know-it-all monologues are driving Pandora and her fitness-freak husband Fletcher insane. After the brother-in-law 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: why we overeat and whether extreme diets ever really work. 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.
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[I have to wonder whether any of the true highlights of my fortysome years have had to do with all food]
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(@HarperCollinsUK, 4 June 2013, 417 pages, ebook, borrowed from @GlasgowLib via @OverDriveLibs)
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I’ve read a few of Shriver’s books now and I’m a fan of her work. Her best is We Need to Talk about Kevin but this is my second favourite. Shriver deals with the very relevant issue of modern life – obesity which is often overlooked, seen as an embarrassment or a sign of laziness. Edison and Pandora are brother and sister and I really enjoyed the way Shriver explores the dynamics of their relationship. Pandora gives up everything to help her brother lose weight and loses herself in her obsessive quest. I really wanted to hit Edison at times but hug him as well for his how lost he was. This is a terrific read.
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