The Virgin Suicides

By: Jeffrey Eugenides

Narrated by: Nick Landrum

Length: 8 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

This nationally best-selling novel from Pulitzer Prize-winner Jeffrey Eugenides was adapted into an acclaimed film by Academy Award-winner Sofia Coppola. A haunting yet wickedly funny tale, The Virgin Suicides has captivated countless readers with its intoxicating portrait of lost innocence. A brilliant fusion of dark humor and tragedy, it is an atmospheric, allegorical masterpiece about five oppressed, suicidal sisters and the boys who dream of rescuing them.

©1993 Jeffrey Eugenides (P)2006 Recorded Books, LLC.

Critic reviews

"Eugenides' voice is so fresh and compelling, his powers of observation so startling and acute, that most will be mesmerized....This is an auspicious debut from an imaginative and talented writer." ( Publishers Weekly)

"A finely crafted work of literary if slightly macabre imagination....A black, glittering novel that won't be to everyone's taste but must be tried by readers looking for something different." ( Library Journal)

"Mr. Eugenides is blessed with the storyteller's most magical gift, the ability to transform the mundane into the extraordinary." ( The New York Times Book Review)

Disappointed

I finally forced myself to listen to this book on the 4th try. I kept trying because I loved Jeffrey Eugenides previous book. It is hard to identify what I didn't like about it. I think it was the narrator. The book came across as somewhat slow, boring and depressing. The book was written by a man and was read by what sounded like a young man and yet the main story was about the 5 sisters. I think I took offense to the fact that the girl's feelings, thoughts and motivations were being told to me by men who would know nothing about their inner lives nor what happened inside their home. The writing was good, very good at times and I really enjoyed the last couple of hours of the book.
However I am not sure I would recommend the book.

Stunning

This story is bewitching, and filled me with love and real sorrow for some young women and the young men who love them, who are, after all, only the product of Jeffrey Eugenides' mind.

But what a mind that is. He always leaves me pondering, as the world he creates always enters my heart and stays.

Give this new classic a listen for its lingering beauty.

Jay

Wonderfully tragic

The story was hauntingly beautiful. Make sure and play at 1.25 speed for optimal performance

Not what I expected

After listening to Middlesex, I expected much more character detail and intricacy. This didn't deliver. It was more like a news report. Narration was just average.

Save Time: Watch The Movie

I don’t think I’ve ever said this about any book before but, I’d skip this and watch the movie.

It’s well-written and is an amazing plot idea. It’s just that I keep waiting for something to happen. It’s neither a character study nor a thriller. It just sort of meanders through. There’s this feeling that you’re waiting for it to get started.

The movie, on the other hand, is visually beautiful, well-acted, intriguing, suspenseful, funny, and is a true exercise in great indie filmmaking.

I enjoyed the movie, however not a fan of the book

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

No it never pulled me in. I felt like i lost interested in the narration within the first hour.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Ready for it to end.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

Hard to tell, the story wasn't appealing. Maybe the movie was just casted well.

Did The Virgin Suicides inspire you to do anything?

Kill myself

Raw and unequivocal

Jeffrey Eugenides has a way with words that draws you in and holds you under water. You know what is going to happen in this story from the beginning, making this tale less about what happens and more about who it happens to.

mixed feelings

It's anti-climatic but it has good insights. The story definitely gives the reader a sense of time and place. The narrator saying "Lived" wrong is also mind boggling.

The virgin suicides

I love this book it has a lot of imagery and explains everything so the movie makes more sense and also tells us more of the back story I love it so much 1000/10

Excellent Author

I took one star off "performance" because the author does get a little frustrating with his weird pauses from time to time. It is not annoying enough to miss out on a very well-written book, though! I'd recommend this- especially if you enjoyed the movie.