The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides – a Book Review

Posted in Book Reviews and tagged with , , , on 05/23/2010 10:39 am by ali_marea

First published in 1993,The Virgin Suicides announced the arrival of a major new American novelist. In a quiet suburb of Detroit, the five Lisbon sisters–beautiful, eccentric, and obsessively watched by the neighborhood boys–commit suicide one by one over the course of a single year. As the boys observe them from afar, transfixed, they piece together the mystery of the family’s fatal melancholy, in this hypnotic and unforgettable novel of adolescent love, disquiet, and death. Jeffrey Eugenides evokes the emotions of youth with haunting sensitivity and dark humor and creates a coming-of-age story unlike any of our time. Adapted into a critically acclaimed film by Sofia Coppola, The Virgin Suicides is a modern classic, a lyrical and timeless tale of sex and suicide that transforms and mythologizes suburban middle-American life.

I remember hearing about this book back when it came out in the late 90′s. I never paid much attention to it, and eventually it fell off my radar.

So now, years later, when my mom suggested that I give it a try, I figured it was about time. A movie has been made of the book, though I’ve never seen it, and it’s always on the ‘summer reads’ or ‘must read fiction’ tables in bookstores.

Thank you, Mom! I loved it! The Virgin Suicides was strange, compelling, and fun. Jeffrey Eugenides weaves these ordinary, young men and women into a story full of intrigue. Elevating the normal suburban life of these adolescents, Eugenides adds a bit of mystery to the Lisbon family by focusing on the girls and their strange behaviors.

I don’t feel I’m giving away too much at this point, with the book having been released over ten years ago. As the Lisbon girls die off, the boys on the street grow more and more obsessed. Their interest and affection become the central purpose of life on their otherwise boring street.

I’ll admit there were times when I felt I might just not ‘get it’ with this book. I’m still not entirely sure I ever did. At the end I was left with a lack of closure that was not altogether unpleasant, but had me wondering what I missed.

The book was odd and enjoyable and I absolutely recommend it. Though I don’t know that I can quite tell you why.

I give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars.

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