Big Little Lies, Liane Moriarty

I still remember the excitement and impatience of waiting for a new episode of Big Little Lies, the series based on Liane Moriarty’s novel of the same name. Back then, it never even occurred to me to pick up the book. With a cast like that and such a strong script, I was convinced the novel could hardly offer me anything more.

Then the series, at least for me, was artificially extended and became increasingly diluted. I assumed that had come from the novel as well. Well, not exactly. The novel begins at the end.

We first learn that during a school fundraiser, one of the parents has been found dead. A police investigation begins to determine whether it was an accident or murder, while Moriarty takes us several months back, before the tragic event. At the center of the story are three mothers: Jane, Madeline, and Celeste.

Jane arrives in the picturesque town of Pirriwee with her five-year-old son and almost immediately triggers a wave of hostility. She is young and insecure, and Madeline and Celeste decide to take her under their wing. And this is where the novel turned out to be very different from what I expected.

I had assumed Big Little Lies would be a relatively light story about the relationships between a group of privileged mothers. In reality, it is much closer to a psychological thriller, exploring domestic violence, sexual assault, and the mechanisms of self-deception. To do that, Moriarty builds three very different women.

Madeline, for example, is energetic, witty, and funny. But underneath that, she is trying to come to terms with the fact that her ex-husband – who left her and their daughter Abigail years ago, has now moved to Pirriwee with his seemingly perfect new wife and daughter. At the same time, Madeline is struggling to maintain a close relationship with Abigail, who quite openly seems to prefer her stepmother.

Celeste is the embodiment of perfection. She and her husband Perry are enormously wealthy, both are exceptionally attractive, and from the outside they appear to have the perfect marriage. But appearances are exactly that. And then there is Jane. The young, inexperienced single mother struggling financially, whose son is accused of bullying one of his classmates. And who has a very personal reason for moving to Pirriwee.

The perfect imperfection. The big little lies we tell to protect ourselves and the people we love. The image we construct without even realizing who might be hurt in the process. Yes, it is difficult not to empathize with these women or even recognize something of yourself in their stories. There is also the conflict between working mothers and stay-at-home mothers, the double standard surrounding fathers who care for their children compared with mothers who do exactly the same thing, and the endless judgments women make about one another and themselves.

But above all, this is a story about female friendship. About how two women can appear completely opposite in personality, background, and social status, and still find something powerful enough to connect them. These are universal and often very heavy themes, yet Moriarty frequently delivers them with carefully measured humor. I think it is exactly this balance that makes Big Little Lies stand out from similar novels.

I have to admit that throughout the entire book I heard Madeline in Reese Witherspoon’s voice and pictured Celeste as Nicole Kidman. And then there is Renata – given a relatively modest role in the novel compared with the extraordinary character Laura Dern builds on screen… Yes. I am officially drifting away from the book review.

BOOKLOVERS Rating: 4/5

A few overly sentimental moments genuinely undermine the realism of the story, but overall, Big Little Lies surprised me with how much more it had to offer beyond the version I already knew from television. And the reason I finally decided to read it is actually quite simple. After a break of almost ten years, Liane Moriarty is writing a sequel titled Big Little Truths. And, of course, you can expect our review of that novel soon.