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Reviewed by: Kim
Rating: 5/10
Genre: Fiction
249 pages/1993
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The Virgin Suicides
by
Jeffrey Eugenides
In the very first pages of this book, and perhaps even in the title, you are told how this book will end, so when it finally happens it's not a surprise but more of a relief. This is the story of five teenage sisters raised in a neighborhood in the suburbs of Detroit in the 70's. And in the end they all kill themselves.
I have to say that I enjoyed the author's writing style--he provides little details that made me feel like I was actually there or at least being taken into the confidence of someone who was. And I actually thought it was very interesting that we never really know who the narrators are or even how many narrators there are and that they always referred to themselves as 'we' never 'I.'
My problem with this book, though, was that I didn't care for the subject matter. I mean, I guess I thought it could've been dealt with better. OK, so the first suicide might've been quite a surprise to the other characters, but after that? It just bothered me that in such a tight-knit neighborhood there could've been a family who was obviously in so much trouble and so much pain and yet nobody ever helped them. I wasn't bothered so much by the actions of the boys narrating the story who were, after all, just being boys, but more by the actions of the adults in the community. I had trouble getting past this. And as far as I could tell, nobody learned any lessons from any of this tragedy. What was the point of the story? I guess I just want a story that lifts my spirits a bit--yes, I think even a story about five sisters killing themselves could've incorporated something uplifting--but this story had nothing positive to give. This book is depressing through and through.
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