The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides

Author : Jeffrey Eugenides
Title : The Virgin Suicides
Published : 20/06/13
Pages : 260
Genre : Contemporary Literature
Publisher : Fourth Estate

     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.

     This is a book that I had heard so much about before I eventually came to buying my self a copy. Every time someone mentioned it, it was always to say something positive about. From the story, it's self to the style in which it was written sound like it would be an amazing book to read. So last time I was at the bookstore I was having difficulty trying to find new books to buy ( I know shocking as this might sound) And this way on a table mark classic to read, so I figured it must be time to pick it up and see if everything I had been told was true.

     Told from the perspective of the boys who lived in the same neighborhood as the Lisbon sister we get a glimpse into the lives of these girls who chose to take their lives before they had really begun. As the story unfolds it feels like the girls our the neighbors who live across the street from you, The ones you say hello to in the morning on the way to work. You smile when you see them at the supermarket and make small talk, but you never really get to know them entirely. The boys create this fantasy around the girls, an idealized version to some extent. I suppose part of this comes from them looking back on the events that took place, Most of us look back on our childhoods with rose tinted glass, we do our best to skip over the troubles and bad times in favor of something better. However for these boys to have lived through the suicides of all the Lisbon sister stops such vision from becoming whole. In the beginning, they seem like every other all American family, happy and with nothing untoward.  As time pass and the girl start to grow up, they have a thirst for the things all teenagers want, a life away from there parents and the all that it brings. 

     I can see why many time the writing style of the book has been described as hypnotic. It pulls you into this dreamlike world of adolescents and a picture book world. From the first few pages I was captivated by this story and the characters the author had created. Throughout the course of the book he deals with subjects, we would all feel familiar with. It is only as things start to go bad that much like the boys we have to question why someone comes to that point to end it all. Like the boys, I was left with many question and little answer and to me, this gives it some grounding in the real world. I have spoken on the subject when reviewing other books and am still none the wiser, and probably never will be. It not only pulls apart the family's of those it happens to but in small towns reeks havoc on its inhabitants. Between the obvious questions that get asked about what could have driven them to such lengths, but also the rumors that spread like Chinese whispers.  As I experienced the mystery of these girls it filled me with a great mixture of emotions. It is a sad and haunting tale that can probably never be truly explained, and a book that will divide those who have come to read it.

     For me this was a step away from the sort of books I usually tend to read, it is, however, one that I will not forget any time soon. Both magical and tragic I hope that should you give it a chance you will have the same experience as me.