The Virgin Suicides

by Jeffrey Eugenides

The shocking thing about the girls was how nearly normal they seemed when their mother let them out for the one and only date of their lives. Twenty years on, their enigmatic personalities are embalmed in the memories of the boys who worshipped them and who now recall their shared adolescence: the brassiere draped over a crucifix belonging to the promiscuous Lux; the sisters' breathtaking appearance on the night of the dance; and the sultry, sleepy street across which they watched a family disintegrate and fragile lives disappear.

• ISBN10: 0747560595
• ISBN13: 9780747560593
• Publish Date: 7 October 2002 (first published 1 April 1993)
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 15 October 2011
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
• Edition: New edition
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 256
• Language: English
• URL: http://bloomsbury.com/Trade/

Reviews

[thepunktheory]

The story is told in great detail. The perspective is really interesting as the boys only watched the girls' life from afar and themselves try to understand the girls' lives. Throughout the first few pages it my be a bit difficult to realise who the narrator is but you get used to the style. The story itself is really credible. What makes the book so interesting is that it isn't simply told by one of the girls but by spectators. Therefore you get a completely different lookout on the story. The characterisation happens through the eyes of the boys, making the girls the way the guys see them, not how the really are.
The book is a rather fascinating read although it can get a bit boring from time to time as there are many details. Th novel may not be mind-blowing but it is a really decent read.

[Michael @ Knowledge Lost]

The town of Grosse Pointe, Michigan are fascinated by the death of 13-year-old Cecilia Lisbon and then eventually her four older sisters. All five suicides have been the subject of much confusion as everyone tries to piece together an explanation for these acts. The girls seemed so normal and twenty years later their enigmatic personalities are still the subject of much speculation as the boys recall their adolescence and infatuations with the Lisbon girls.

The Virgin Suicides is told by an anonymous narrator in the first person plural as he and a group of men recall their obsession over the Lisbon girls. This is an interesting way of showing the story because you never really find out their motivations and all you can really do is speculate based on the evidence these boys have collected. At times I think the girls suffered from depression, being in an overly protective home and being avoided at school. While their parents were overly protective, there is never really any signs of abuse and they are just trying to raise the girls up in a way they thing is right. Then at school it never seems like the girls have any friends and just stick together; there is no indication that any of the other girls in school talked to them and all the boys seemed too obsessed with them that they never really socialise with the girls either. Does this mean they suffer from depression? I don’t know but being treated like a prisoner at home and a leper at school would be difficult.

Cecilia (13), Lux (14), Bonnie (15), Mary (16), and Therese (17) all have their own personalities and this never comes through in this book. The idea of the boys worshipping them all without really knowing how to tell them apart is an interesting concept. High School infatuation really doesn’t give way to really understanding the girls and that was one of the major problems the girls had. As they reflect on what happened they refer to themselves as the “custodians of the girls’ lives” but none of them really took anytime to truly know them when they were alive; they just piece together based on their memories and the evidence they took from their house. To me this is the key to this whole book; they can never really know what the girls felt because they were too scared to find out and the parents kept them on a tight leash.

I love this book, it’s deliciously bleak and Jeffrey Eugenides is just a wonderful writer. I’m surprised how well thought out and polished this is for a debut novel; it outshines a lot of other books. Eugenides is fast becoming a favourite of mine; I adored The Marriage Plot and now only have his most talked about novel, Middlesex to read. I love the combination of darkness and elegance in this book, mix that with this thought provoking concept you really do get a sense of why Eugenides is such a great author.

While the subject matter of suicide is difficult to approach, I think Jeffrey Eugenides did a masterful job at showing just how devastating it is for everyone around. He adds that intrigue that never quite goes away and then he also questions the town’s people and even the reader into what we can do to recognise this pain and maybe help prevent it. No matter how many clues you search for in this book, can you really know the true motivation behind the girl’s suicides? This is what makes this book so great; it doesn’t give you the full answer but leaves you with some many options. I think this is the point, there normally isn’t one clear answer to why someone would take their own lives; it is collection of little things the build up until they can’t take it anymore.

I’ve not seen the movie adaptation of this book and quite frankly I’m a little scared. I don’t know how it would work as a film. I know it could probably convey the heartbreaking concept of this book but the beauty of this book would be almost impossible to translate onto the screen.

It is a weird concept to think of a book about suicide as beautiful or gorgeous but I can’t think of any other way to describe it. Sure the subject matter is dark (which I love anyway) but the way Jeffrey Eugenides approaches it is first class. There is no finger pointing and no reason to play the blame game, it focuses solely on the Lisbon Girls and just how much the town didn’t know about them. A haunting read but never really going too dark, the balance between tragedy and understanding is just perfect.

This review originally appeared on my blog; http://literary-exploration.com/2013/04/09/book-review-the-virgin-suicides/

[britmlewis]

The five Lisbon girls are beautiful but distant, unknown to the neighborhood boys that watch them and subsequently tell their story after they all commit suicide in the course of a year.

This book could have easily been incredibly depressing and painful but the perspective as well as the writing allows for the story to be told in a very real way that discusses something intensely profound and depressing without making you want to stop reading and go do it yourself. The viewpoint of the guys telling the story allows a distance to see the Lisbon girls but not know them - the same relationship the boys have. Eugenides is an incredible writer, and even in the midst of this awful story he manages to create a sense of hope and even allows for moments of humor and good-natured adolescent fun. His descriptions are powerful and it's really easy to see the girls, their parents, the community and even the boys - though they are more or less left to the imagination.

The Virgin Suicides is a social commentary on suburbia but also a story of adolescence and growing up. It's definitely a must-read for teens, although I probably wouldn't recommend it for anyone under 14. It poses a lot of questions about sexuality and parenting, the secrets behind all the closed doors in suburbia and the hidden problems that plague a lot of people - but especially many teens- today.