Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
The Virgin Suicides  By  cover art

The Virgin Suicides

By: Jeffrey Eugenides
Narrated by: Nick Landrum
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $17.19

Buy for $17.19

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

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)

What listeners say about The Virgin Suicides

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    631
  • 4 Stars
    536
  • 3 Stars
    416
  • 2 Stars
    170
  • 1 Stars
    93
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    620
  • 4 Stars
    444
  • 3 Stars
    230
  • 2 Stars
    92
  • 1 Stars
    52
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    550
  • 4 Stars
    373
  • 3 Stars
    298
  • 2 Stars
    141
  • 1 Stars
    95

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Read this if you want to enjoy this audiobook

What did you love best about The Virgin Suicides?

I purchased this audiobook and was so disappointed when I found I could not tolerate listening to it. The problem was the slow, monotone voice of the narrator. I couldn't take it anymore, as listening became painful and I could not follow the story as my mind wandered. I read many similar complaints in the reviews.
I came back to the book a couple months later and tried it again. This time, I set audible.com's listening app to play it at 1.25 speed instead of the default 1. I was amazed. The audible experience became perfect, as it was meant to be. I do not believe the problem was with the narrator in the first place. I believe the track was slowed down for some reason in post production the the chagrin of may listeners.
If you tried listening to this book and simply could not get past the first chapter without wanting to tear your hair out, do yourself a favor and increase the speed of playback one notch. You will be surprised how wonderful this book, and it's narrator truly are.

Any additional comments?

Must be played at 1.25 speed to hear original recording.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

129 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

SAMPLE BEFORE BUYING

The direction and/or narration of this audiobook is so slow that it makes the book almost incomprehensible. Each comma is a paragraph, each period a chapter. What remains is an exercise in focused concentration, for holding onto the subject of a sentence from start to finish is truely a task.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

37 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Heartbreaking - but Wonderful!

Having first listened to the masterpiece, Middlesex, by Jeffrey Eugenides, I thought that I might be disappointed by the initial offering from this author. I needn’t have worried!. The Virgin Suicides is just a terrific novel. Although absolutely heartbreaking, the story provides the listener with hope and a sense of peace. Nick Landrum is superb in his reading of the story and I defy any listener to have dry eyes during the final 5 minutes of his narration. I can’t wait for the next offering from Mr. Eugenides, who is, in my view, the best author out there.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

22 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Interesting but plotless

This book was interesting, but really didn't go anywhere. I too loved Middlesex and while this book has an interesting premise, it doesn't go much beyond that. You know the ending by the title, and I kept waiting for a surprise. The surprise is, there is no surprise. Didn't hate it, and don't consider it a waste of time, but I was disappointed.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

20 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

good listen.

This book kept me engaged. While others noted somewhat negatively about the simplicity of the story telling and odd perspective (as told by the neighborhood boys), I thought that hearing about the fascinating albeit tragic story from an outside view added to it's intrigue. I have not seen the movie and I think this added to my ability to let the vague storytelling encourage my imagination.
Beauty, youth, family issues, crime, sex, and mystery... this story has it all and is told in a way that is thought provoking. I look forward to listening to other books from this author.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

17 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

narrator fine

I am writing mostly to voice disagreement with previous reviewers regarding the narrator. I enjoyed the book and thought the narration was fine. The pace was possibly a bit slow, but overall I thought it was a good reading and certainly did not detract from my enjoyment in a significant way.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Tedious

I tried to like it. I really did. I LOVED Middlesex but I found my mind wandering while I was listening to this book and never developed any feeling for the characters.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Annoying narrator

The narrator ruins this story. He is too dramatic and has no variation to his storytelling. Too bad because the story is good, but I can't get past the dry narration

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

Review

I had high expectations for the book but I was a little bored with it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Liked the narrative style, but parts lagged

I saw one description of The Virgin Suicides as a “haunting yet wickedly funny tale.” Hmmm, not so much on the funny part. The novel revolves around five suicidal teenage sisters and their rather strange parents. It was pretty good early, but then really lagged after that.

I like the narrative style, which was from the point of view of a group of neighborhood boys who were so obsessed with the sisters that they conducted interviews and collected memorabilia in the years after in an attempt to piece together what may have been going through the girls’ minds.

Great narration from Nick Landrum. Recommended for Eugenides fans, though I liked Middlesex much more.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful