I purchased Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty in 2017, I believe, after being intrigued by ads for the HBO miniseries based on the book. (I’m the type of reader who prefers to read the book before viewing any adaptations.) It’s been sitting on my shelf ever since, but with the premiere of season 2 on HBO this month, I decided that it was time to read the book so I could finally start watching.
Big Little Lies defies categorization, with attributes of dark comedy, mystery, and family drama woven into an exciting page-turner. Ms. Moriarty’s novel follows three Australian mothers as their children begin kindergarten together. Each woman faces her own personal demons, including domestic violence and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) stemming from rape. The women support one another over the course of the school year as all three endeavor to meet societal expectations as wives, mothers, and daughters. The work also plays out as a murder-mystery in reverse, with the opening chapters revealing that someone has died at the school’s trivia-themed fundraising event, but failing to disclose who or how until the book’s climax.
Although Ms. Moriarty’s work is certainly hard to put down, I will confess that I was able to guess a few of the “plot twists” revealed in the last third or so of the novel. The book proved to be slightly predictable in this regard, but this criticism is largely overcome by the insightful narration and dialogue found throughout. Big Little Lies employs “unreliable narrator”-style storytelling to showcase each character’s insecurities and personality flaws; while Madeline sees Jane as “pretty” and “slim,” Jane sees herself as “ugly” and “fat.” The narrative technique accurately captures the way that many women in our society critique themselves harshly while reserving judgment of others.
I cannot compare Big Little Lies the novel to its TV adaptation as I have not yet watched it. I can, however, recommend the book to avid readers of mysteries and family dramas. I plan to watch the TV show soon enough and will most likely add further works by Ms. Moriarty to my “to-read” list moving forward.
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