The Virgin Suicides (edit title)

• Rated 3 stars

“not necessarily a book to read when you are going through hard times anyways... a kind of depressing book about 5, then 4, young girls that everyone but nobody knows... interesting...”

• Rated 4 stars

“I've read the Dutch version: De zelfmoord van de meisjes”

• Rated 3 stars

“Bizzare story and pretty depressing, but certainly not a run-of-the-mill story. ”

• Rated 2 stars

“long and drawn out. Not a typical story - intro, plot, closing type book. I liked Middlesex better. ”

• Rated 4 stars

“Jeffrey Eugenides is probably my favorite writer. This coming of age story deals with depression and suicide without being extremely painful to read. The atmosphere of the book is lonely and somewhat mysterious, written in first person plural - "we." There was a film made of the book, but i DEFINITELY recommend reading the book first. I love how the book is set in the 1970s, there are some great pop cultural references for a girl like me - into nostalgia. This is a great book which will linger in the mind long after it is read. ”

• Rated 0 stars

“The Virgin Suicides is one of my favorite books. It was really well written and the movie made of it was not too bad. The book is a type of recollection of the lives of five sisters, admired from afar from a group of five friends. The boys kept records of the girls odd lives and ultimately never forgot them even after the girls all passed away. The group of sisters led a life that was different from people their age at that time. They were mostly kept inside and were never really allowed to have friends over. This was the believed cause of their suicides. The main reason I love this book so much is because the reason for the suicides is still unknown. It leaves a mystery to the book that I thought was well thought out. ”

• Rated 4 stars

“hard to believe a man wrote this”

• Rated 0 stars

“A lot of info on the caracters and even the plot is describet like very minute;It is strange and yet you seem to want to read more....Analying the American dream-the america subburb.For those interested there is a movie too by Sofia Coppola.”

• Rated 4 stars

“I think I will watch the movie now. ”

• Rated 0 stars

“Review by: Matea 6th hour
Attention grabbing titles can be an important factor in deciding whether a book draws you in or not. The Virgin Suicides is indeed an interesting title; but, was it an interesting read? It certainly was. The novel is set in suburbia during the seventies and is told from the collective point of view of a group of boys who intently observe five strange sisters. It starts out finding Cecelia Lisbon, the youngest of the five sisters, bleeding to death from her wrists in a tub of warm water, the wounds obviously self inflicted. The reason for her behavior is unknown and it arises much attention towards her sisters’ unusual behavior after she passes. The boys decipher what they can about the girls’ lives through the gatherings of stories from people who have had contact with them, which seems to be a rare occurrence. The mysterious plot undeniably catches your attention kicking off with the attempted suicide on the first page and the first sentence that seems to plunge you straight into the action; however, the point of view along with the symbolism left you confused and the ending was sad, confusing and generally inadequate.
There are many things to like about The Virgin Suicides. This is a book that captures your attention very early in the novel and leaves you guessing throughout the rest. The mysterious characters of the five Lisbon girls are what really keep you reading. The fact that as a group they are a unit and as individuals so different from each other makes you wonder about these girls as does the worship they arise in the group of young boys at their school and the secret torment they seem to be surround in. Juxtaposing the very serious, tragic tone of secret anguish and suicide is a subtly humorous undertone of high school immaturity which is also enjoyable. The boys’ fierce obsession, the small neighborhood the story takes place in, and the characters themselves open many opportunities for dark humor. However, there is deep emotion in the piece and the setting and situation are such that are fairly easy to relate to.
Although it was easy to relate to, it was a challenge to get out of the book what the author intended. For example, most of the important symbolism in the novel must have went over my head because I did not connect it with the story in any way. When Cecelia, the youngest sister, attempts suicide she is holding a picture of the Virgin Mary which undoubtedly has to be a central symbol to the novel considering the title; however, I did not understand what exactly the Virgin Mary represented which most likely contributed to other gaps in understanding that I experienced. Also, the point of view, while interesting and unique, seemed clueless when it came to details and reasons regarding the Lisbon girls’ actions. The narrative technique contributed to the mystery of the novel quite a bit but took it too far where the detail and reason have to be inferred most of the time. Similarly the ending left me with more questions and answers.
Over all this was an interesting book, the story line and characters were riveting but it could have used more description regarding both. This is a book that I could see being analyzed in school aside from its crude language and constant references to teenage desires. Anyone could really get into this book because it has many different good qualities, but I would mostly recommend it to those who are looking for something different and mysterious and who wouldn’t mind doing some thinking and inferring to get questions answered.
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