The Virgin Suicides

Books | Fiction / Coming of Age

3.7

(2.9K)

Jeffrey Eugenides

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.

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Author

Jeffrey Eugenides

Pages

256

Publisher

Knopf Canada

Published Date

2011-09-20

ISBN

0307401936 9780307401939

Ratings

Google: 4

Community ReviewsSee all

"A very sad, beautifully written book about the breakdown of a suburban family as viewed by nearly strangers. It's one of those books where you're left to determine for yourself why the events unfolded the way they did. It does leave you feeling hopeless at the end."

Darya 🖤

"I’m not sure how to describe this book. Years ago I would have DNF’d this book, but I stuck with it until the ending. I’m trying to add classics to my pleasure reading, but it seems every time I do, I’m more confused about the benefits of reading classics. The relationship of these sisters with their parents, and the neighborhood/school boys was somewhat unusual which lead to my thoughts of confusion at the end of reading. "

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Marie J Ervin

"Not much happened in this book, not even dialogue. It was a lot of description and tangents. Almost like vignettes. Also some creepy and borderline offensive bits - not sure what to make of that…"

Ruth S.

"A sad and beautiful book. The boys in this book really just manic pixie dream girled the Lisbon sisters. It really just shows how some men put some idea in their head of a girl and fall in love with this fake image. The girls in this book obviously have such deep intricate personalities and the boys somehow try to put them into a little box. The movie is a great adaption of the book, as well, with Kristen dunst doing a killer job as Lux. "

Jill

"Boring, plot was everywhere. "

Katherine

"Beautiful and captivating! I felt like I was really living in the mystery of these sisters. Even though it was clear from the beginning what their fate would be, it was chilling when it unfolded. "

Mackenzie

"an outsiders look at the trauma of enduring teenage girlhood. obviously the Lisbon’s situation is uniquely horrible, but the stories about them reveal a universal feeling of hopelessness, indescribable pain, and brief glimpses of freedom experienced by most teen girls. a new favorite of mine. 🤍"

sydney

"This book was as prosaic as The Secret History, and that’s the highest praise I can give to a fictional book. Aesthetic and haunting, a story that makes you question the nature of girlhood and what caring about someone means."

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Allie Payne

"It was quite sad, i wanted answers just like all the boys who loved them from afar."

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Whitney Wyant

"If you like slightly disturbing and dark stories, this is a good pick. It’s a coming of age story and hat evokes curiosity and an unsettling feel. "

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Grace Young

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