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.
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Review
'One of the finest novels in many years - a Catcher in the Rye for our time' (Observer )
'Wonderfully original' (Independent )
'One of the finest novels - I have read in many years... a wonderful mixture of amusement, wistfulness and contained grief' (John Banville )
'Entire and unstoppable... a sparkling work' (The Times )
Choreographed with daunting measures of menace and grace, this elegiac celebration of beauty, philosophical acceptance, youthful longing and lasting regret remains one of the finest literary debuts of all (Eileen Battersby Irish Times 20111119)
'Wonderfully original' (Independent )
'One of the finest novels - I have read in many years... a wonderful mixture of amusement, wistfulness and contained grief' (John Banville )
'Entire and unstoppable... a sparkling work' (The Times )
Choreographed with daunting measures of menace and grace, this elegiac celebration of beauty, philosophical acceptance, youthful longing and lasting regret remains one of the finest literary debuts of all (Eileen Battersby Irish Times 20111119)
Book Description
The international bestseller, reissued to coincide with the publication of The Marriage Plot
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
44 of 48 people found the following review helpful
By imla
Format:Paperback
I wanted to love this book. I wanted to fall head over heels in love with it. I thought I would aswell. Books about teenagers are my thing, books about suburbia are my thing, books about suicide are my thing. This should have been my thing, but it wasn't.
This is the story about the Lisbon girls, five sisters who all killed themselves, told by the neighbourhood boys who were, and still are, infatuated with them. It is written beautifully and from the opening few pages I thought this was going to be the perfect book but I soon became disappointed.
For me there was no plot, it was just an account of people's responses to the suicides. I struggled to get a grip of the characters, there were too many names mentioned without personalities attached - this wasn't too much of a problem but my big problem came when I realised I only felt like I knew two of the five Lisbon sisters. If I felt like I knew them more then perhaps I would have cared about the book.
I recognised the ending was good but it could have been better. I got a sense of knowing what the author was trying to say but feeling he hadn't quite managed to say it.
After looking at the other reviews I realise I am in the minority - proving everyone has a different opinion. All I can guess is that I just didn't get it.
36 of 40 people found the following review helpful
By Jaybird
Format:Paperback
This is a really fantastic book, beautifully observed and and elegantly written. It tells the story of 5 teenage sisters who all commit suicide, one after the other.
The book is told from the perspective of the boys who fantasise about them. Although their voices merge, it is the insight into those teenage boys which is the most real and striking - their obsessive fascination and cataloguing, their curiosity about the girls and everything about them, at an age when most actual physical boy-girl contact was awkward fumbling and sweaty hand-holding.
The description of the decay of the family home as the family slowly sinks into despair is equally convincing.
You are totally swept up into Eugenides world, through his evocative descriptions of dust, smells, and tiny details of observation.
Coppola's film is good, but not as good as the book, because in the end the film is about the Lisbon sisters, who remain ultimately enigmatic in the book, whereas the book is about the boys who observe them.
The book is told from the perspective of the boys who fantasise about them. Although their voices merge, it is the insight into those teenage boys which is the most real and striking - their obsessive fascination and cataloguing, their curiosity about the girls and everything about them, at an age when most actual physical boy-girl contact was awkward fumbling and sweaty hand-holding.
The description of the decay of the family home as the family slowly sinks into despair is equally convincing.
You are totally swept up into Eugenides world, through his evocative descriptions of dust, smells, and tiny details of observation.
Coppola's film is good, but not as good as the book, because in the end the film is about the Lisbon sisters, who remain ultimately enigmatic in the book, whereas the book is about the boys who observe them.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Undoubtedly, one of the best American novels of the 90s - and later a very good movie too. The Virgin Suicides is moving and funny, and beautifully written. This is a book filled with a very tangible, almost nostalgic, longing. The longing of the narrators and the Lisbon sisters for each other is on the surface a critique of small-town (American) values, but it's also an instantly recognisable but terribly sad portrayal of people trying to communicate with each other - and being unable to do so.
This book hits home in a number of scenes. The first suicide is thoroughly shocking, and the sisters' only school dance is unforgettable. The Lisbons playing records down the phone to the narrator(s) was also a beautiful moment - but there are many others throughout the book.
Quite simply - it's a beautiful book. Read the book, then see the film . Or do it the other way around, if you prefer. But do both - soon.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Strangely gripping!
Have just finished this, was an unusual way of story telling, but none the less was quiet a thought provoking story.
Published 41 minutes ago by scrubs1
2.0 out of 5 stars
Boring!!!
I downloaded this after seeing it adverstised on one of the many emails you are sent when you're a Kindle owner. Read more
Published 7 days ago by Ann
2.0 out of 5 stars
Too heavy
Backwards and forwards. You never know where you are with this book. Virgin in title only for shock value. Give it a miss
Published 1 month ago by RJ Parker
3.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointing!
This is a very interesting story and it being told from the perspective of the boys generally worked well. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Orla Kelly
4.0 out of 5 stars
Haunting portrait of doomed daughters
The outcome of this book is no secret from the very start. Five daughters in an American family all take their own lives. Why they do so is not entirely clear. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Jonnyboy (Jonathan)
2.0 out of 5 stars
Hard going
Had wanted to read this for a long time but am quite disappointed, I found it very hard going with a plot that I can only really describe as pointless.
Published 1 month ago by Becc
4.0 out of 5 stars
Virgin suicides
Not at all what i thought it would be, slightly annoying ending too but nonetheless beautifully written. Dont buy this book based on the title thinking its a thriller.
Published 2 months ago by charlie kingston
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent
Bought this purely because it was cheap, couldn't put it down! Really sucks you into the story. A must read!!!
Published 2 months ago by Kirsty
3.0 out of 5 stars
Very odd book!
I am glad I finally read this book, however it was rather strange and sometimes sat a little funny with me. I liked the authors writing, it was a very easy read. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Miss T L COOKE
3.0 out of 5 stars
Emotionally weird
I thought this book was interesting but a bit weird.
Although it's a tragic story I didn't care much for any of the characters. Read more
Although it's a tragic story I didn't care much for any of the characters. Read more
Published 2 months ago by LynneF
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