“Big Little Lies” is an exciting book about what’s really happening behind closed doors in a perfect-looking beach town in Australia. The author mixes funny moments with mystery and digs deep into the characters’ minds. As you read, you’ll discover lots of secrets and surprises that keep you hooked until the end.
Big Little Lies Book Review: Plot Summary
The story follows three women – Madeline, Celeste, and Jane – who all have kids in the same kindergarten class. While they try to look like they have perfect lives, each is dealing with their own problems. The book starts with a school event that ends badly, and we learn about it through police talking to people in the town.
The story jumps between two times – what’s happening now, and what led up to that bad night at school. Right from the start, we know something awful happened, but we don’t know who died or who did it. The author keeps us guessing until the end, dropping clues along the way.
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Themes
- The Façade of Perfection:
- The women in Big Little Lies live in a world where appearance matters above all. From picture-perfect family life to the pressure to be the ideal mother, the novel peels back the layers of superficiality to expose the darker truths lurking underneath. Madeline, Celeste, and Jane each have secrets that contradict the image they present to the world.
- Domestic Violence and Abuse:
- One of the most poignant themes Moriarty explores is domestic violence, particularly in Celeste’s relationship with her husband Perry. Despite outward appearances of a glamorous life, her marriage is riddled with manipulation and abuse. Through Celeste’s journey, Moriarty shines a light on the complexities of domestic violence, especially the difficulty victims face in leaving such relationships.
- Friendship and Female Solidarity:
- At its core, the novel is a celebration of the power of female friendships. Madeline, Celeste, and Jane’s bond grows throughout the novel as they navigate personal crises, and their strength ultimately comes from the support they provide each other. This sisterhood becomes the foundation of resilience for all three women.
- Parenting and Bullying:
- The challenges of parenting—especially as mothers—are central to the narrative. The kindergarten setting highlights issues of bullying and how parents handle (or mishandle) it. Jane’s son Ziggy is accused of hurting other children, but the accusations unravel into a larger story of trauma and justice.
Big Little Lies: Character Analysis
Madeline: She’s a bold woman who speaks her mind and fights for what she thinks is right. She’s dealing with drama from her ex-husband’s new family. While she makes people laugh a lot, she’s also going through some tough personal stuff that many people can relate to.
Celeste: From the outside, Celeste seems to have a perfect life – she’s pretty, rich, and has everything anyone could want. But behind closed doors, her husband hurts her. She struggles because she loves him but also fears him. We see her slowly find the strength to face her situation.
Jane: She’s the youngest of the three friends and new in town. As a young single mom, other people judge her before getting to know her. She’s keeping a painful secret from her past, which turns out to be connected to both Madeline and Celeste in ways nobody expected.
Writing Style
The author writes in a way that keeps you wanting to read more. Even when dealing with serious topics, she adds funny moments that make the story easier to digest. The way she tells the story is clever – mixing in bits of police interviews and town gossip – which keeps you wondering what really happened.
The people in the book feel like real people you might know. They’re not perfect – they make mistakes and have problems just like everyone else. When the story switches between different characters telling their side of things, each person has their own unique way of thinking and talking.
The Big Reveal
The ending of the book is really well-written. The author builds up the mystery slowly, making readers eager to find out who the victim and criminal are. Even if you guess parts of it, the ending is still surprising and feels right. The story isn’t just about solving a crime – it also helps us understand why the characters did what they did and what was really going on in their minds.