Line #17 Literature/BigLittleLies


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/big_little_lies.png]]
2	''Big Little Lies'' is a comedy-drama story by Australian author Creator/LianeMoriarty, first published in 2014.
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4	The story centers around three mothers: Madeline, the spunky leader of the trio who is still coming to grips with the failure of her first marriage; Celeste, a woman who has a rich successful husband who treats her like a queen...or so it seems; and Jane, a woman who became a mother at a very young age and is struggling to fit in with all the other seemingly perfect mothers/wives.
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6	There are three main plot threads:
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8	1. Celeste's husband Perry has a violent temper that he takes out on her.
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10	2. Jane's son Ziggy has been accused of beating a girl named Amabella, but no-one is entirely sure if it's true.
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12	3. At the upcoming parents' and teachers' trivia night, someone will be killed.
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14	It was adapted into an MediaNotes/{{Emmy\|Award}}-winning Creator/{{HBO}} series (created by Creator/DavidEKelley and directed by Creator/JeanMarcVallee) starring Creator/NicoleKidman, Creator/ReeseWitherspoon, Creator/ShaileneWoodley, Creator/LauraDern, and Creator/ZoeKravitz. Despite being originally announced as a limited series, the show's success prompted a second season renewal, with Creator/MerylStreep joining the cast.
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16	Tropes specific to the series have been moved to [[Series/BigLittleLies its own page]].
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18	!!Contains the following tropes:
19	* AllAbusersAreMale: Though the story is clear that not all men are abusers and Perry, the abuser, turns out to be far more complicated and sympathetic than the usual examples. [[spoiler: Subverted in the end when Celeste meets a man who was abused by a woman]].
20	* AllOfTheOtherReindeer: Jane and Ziggy get this from the other parents, save for Madeline and Celeste.
21	* AlmightyMom: The wives and mothers have all the power. The only one who outranks them is Tom the café owner.
22	* ArtisticLicenseBiology: Might be InUniverse, but Ed and Madeline talk about [[spoiler: Perry's damaged urethra]] like it's a ''bone.''
23	* BewareTheNiceOnes:
24	** When her son is mistreated, Jane flips out and shows that she will not be a doormat.
25	** Ed gives Nathan a talking to, politely informing him that he will not tolerate any slights against Madeline. Nathan is thoroughly freaked out by it.
26	** [[spoiler: In the end it's Bonnie the GranolaGirl who kills Perry, rushing to the other women's defence]].
27	* BigBadEnsemble: Renata and Perry are portrayed as the biggest antagonists, though Renata is not so villainous.
28	* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Celeste's conclusion is portrayed the most tragically; with her husband dead she can no longer afford to live among her friends and moves to a cheaper part of Sydney. Her sons and in-laws are all grieving for a man that they dearly loved. But Celeste is ultimately shown to be doing much better]].
29	* BrokenBird: All three leads are this in some regard.
30	** Celeste is a victim of domestic violence but everyone else thinks of her as the perfect wife and mother.
31	** Madeline was a young mother who had one failed marriage, and the second one isn't faring much better.
32	** Jane was a victim of date rape, which produced Ziggy, and she's implied to have a difficult relationship with her own mother.
33	* BumblingDad: Madeline's two husbands are both this to some extent. The first was absent during their daughter's formative years and the second is friendly but awkward.
34	* TheClan: Perry has a large, close knit family (siblings, cousins, aunts etc.), which puts more pressure on Celeste when she considers leaving or denouncing her husband.
35	* ContrivedCoincidence: What are the odds that Jane would [[spoiler: move to where her rapist lives and become friends with his wife]]? [[SubvertedTrope However]], it's explained that [[spoiler: Perry told her he was going to be living there and that she moves there in hopes of finding closure]].
36	* DotingParent: Most of the drama comes from all the mothers being overprotective.
37	* DrowningMySorrows: Jane's reaction to her first boyfriend, Zach, breaking up with her. This ultimately leads to her being taken advantage of.
38	* EvenEvilHasStandards: Celeste affirms that Perry would never hurt the children, whom he genuinely loves. It should also be noted that Perry ''hates'' losing control on Celeste and looks sincerely horrified every time he hits her.
39	* EverybodyDidIt: [[spoiler: Perry started attacking Celeste which caused Jane, Madeline, and Renata to start attacking him in retaliation before Bonnie delivered the fatal push]].
40	* TheFriendsWhoNeverHang: Out of the three protagonists, Jane and Celeste are rarely alone together.
41	* FreudianTrio: Madeline is TheId, Jane is TheEgo and Celeste is TheSuperEgo.
42	* GoodParents: All the characters have this in common, bar Madeline's ex-husband Nathan who only recently decided to take some responsibility.
43	* HappyMarriageCharade: Celeste and Perry seem like the perfect couple, but [[spoiler:there's domestic abuse going on behind closed doors]].
44	* HeelRealization: [[spoiler: Renata realises how much she's screwing with Ziggy by allowing the mud slinging to go on, and makes peace with Jane]].
45	* HippieParents: Nathan and his much younger wife Bonnie.
46	* HonestCorporateExecutive: Jackie Montgomery, one of the mothers, is the CEO of a bank, and while a tertiary character and a bit snarky about the whole affair, is fairly down to earth when commenting on the situation at the school and is well-regarded by the locals.
47	* HouseHusband: Jackie's husband Jonathan is a stay-at-home, and described as a MrFanservice character who reminds several of the moms of ''Creator/GeorgeClooney''.
48	* HypocriticalHumor: Gabrielle, one of the mothers, gets in a lot of digs about the so-called "erotic book club" but at the end of the book admits that she's finally accepted that name was misleading, while she herself has joined an actual erotic book club.
49	* IntimateOpenShirt: Perry is like this whenever he wants to do it with Celeste.
50	* JerkJustifications: Madeline, Perry and Renata have these.
51	* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Madeline is pretty rude and snitty to a lot of people, but she is very loyal and cares deeply for her friends.
52	* LastMinuteHookup: [[spoiler: Jane and Tom]].
53	* LittleMissSnarker: Madeline's younger daughter Chloe, who borders on OnlySaneMan at times. She's [[WiseBeyondHerYears six]].
54	* ManlyGay: The Tom who is gay is the local mechanic, with Tom the barrista noting he's a more masculine type.
55	* MaybeEverAfter: The detective whose been investigating the case invites the reporter whose been interviewing everyone to have drinks with him at the end of the book, although its unclear if she accepts.
56	* MenDontCry: A noteworthy aversion coming from Perry, of all people. The floodgates burst open after the murder is committed.
57	* MistakenForGay: Madeline mistakenly thinks Tom is gay due to a OneSteveLimit aversion. This turns into a BrickJoke when he asks Jane out and she replies "you're straight?" - prompting a FlatWhat.
58	* MyBelovedSmother: Madeline smothers Abigail quite a bit, though it is more complicated; she wants her daughter to do well and learns to back off and stop helicoptering.
59	* MysteriousParent: The identity of Ziggy's father. [[spoiler: It's Perry]].
60	* NotSoSmallRole: Bonnie pops up to seemingly just be a {{Foil}} to Madeline and do very little else. [[spoiler: Until she's the one that delivers the killing blow against Perry]].
61	* OneSteveLimit: Subverted. Jane's rapist told her his name was Saxon. She looks up a man with that name and it's not him. [[spoiler: Since his name was actually Perry]], it's a DoubleSubversion.
62	* ParentalNeglect: Nathan used to be a negligent father before meeting Bonnie. It agitates Madeline that Abigail still favours him over her for this very reason.
63	* ProperlyParanoid: Susi, the counselor Celeste goes to, who [[GenreSavvy has seen enough of this to have a good idea that it will escalate)]] and persuades Celeste about the necessity for an escape route.
64	* TheProudElite: Celeste and Perry, though that's just on the surface.
65	* RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil:
66	** Madeline reacts this way when she finds out that Jane was sexually abused and impregnated, which derailed her future.
67	** Her 14-year-old daughter Abigail feels pretty strongly as well [[spoiler: to the point where she'd auction off her virginity for charity]].
68	* ReadTheFinePrint: Gabrielle admits that she accidentally signed a petition to get Ziggy expelled due to thinking it was a petition for a new street crossing.
69	* RichSiblingPoorSibling: Max and Josh grow up as two of the wealthiest kids in Monterey because of Perry's money. [[spoiler:Their half brother Ziggy, a ChildByRape to his mother Jane, grows up in considerable poverty due to Jane being a StrugglingSingleMother.]]
70	* RomanticRunnerUp: Ed repeatedly calls Madeline out for making him feel like he's this to her.
71	* TheShrink: Awesome variety. The therapist Celeste and Perry visit [[spoiler: realises that Perry is abusive and proceeds to do everything to help Celeste come to terms with it and leave.]]
72	* TheStarscream: Harper. Renata at least has the excuse that Ziggy allegedly choked her daughter to be wary of him, Harper is just a little sycophant bitch AND [[spoiler: the one who starts the petition to get Ziggy suspended]].
73	* ThereAreNoTherapists: Averted. Celeste goes to one when Perry's back is turned and gradually gains the confidence to stand up to him.
74	* TonightSomeoneDies: The murder victim is not revealed until the end.
75	* TwinDesynch: Celeste's twins are pretty much treated as one unit until [[spoiler: it's revealed that Max is Amabella's attacker]].

Context Literature / BigLittleLies