The Virgin Suicides

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Eugenides is a genius with words. The subtlety of this story is what makes “The Virgin Suicides” so moving.

This is the tale of 5 sisters whose presence causes silence, shock, longing and mystery. We are told the story through the hazy adolescent lens of sexually confused boys obsessed with the Lisbon sisters. There is Cecilia, the youngest, at 13 and the first to commit suicide. Then there is Lux, the sexual and enigmatic sister who brings boys to their knees at 14. Then Bonnie the bookish sister at 15. Mary at 16, and the last to die. And finally there is Terese the oldest with her protective goggles and baggy sweatshirts at 17. The girls act as a single organism and they protect each other against everyone it seems, especially their parents and ultimately assist each other in death.

I have not stopped thinking of this story since I finished the audio. It is beautiful and tragic AND I love how Jeffrey Eugenides spins a tale. Middlesex was my first read and I LOVED that book. Virgin Suicides is different. I think it highlights human events that are paramount and obvious but are still treated with indifference or with a languid understanding in order to move on to the next day’s event. This book highlights everything that is missed, which is so much more than is understood.

I think the 1970's suburban backdrop is the perfect setting for a book that explores adolescent angst, death and obsession.

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.

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

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