Diksia.com - The Virgin Suicides is a 1993 novel by Jeffrey Eugenides. The novel tells the story of five teenage sisters, the Lisbons, who commit suicide over the course of five years.
The novel is narrated by a group of boys who grew up in the same neighborhood as the Lisbons, and who were obsessed with them.
Introduction
The Virgin Suicides is a dark and haunting novel that explores the themes of adolescent isolation, sexual awakening, and death.
The novel is written in a lyrical and dreamlike style, and it is full of memorable imagery. The Lisbon sisters are complex and sympathetic characters, and their suicides are both tragic and inevitable.
Book Details
- Title: The Virgin Suicides
- Author: Jeffrey Eugenides
- Genres: Young adult fiction, coming-of-age, psychological fiction
- Chapters: Divided into sections rather than traditional chapters
- Language: English
- Publisher: Picador, Farrar, Straus, and Giroux
- Publication date: 1993
- Rating: 4.1 out of 5 stars on Goodreads
- Awards: The Guardian First Book Award, The Whitbread First Novel Award
Recommended Audience
The Virgin Suicides is a mature novel that deals with some difficult subject matter. It is best suited for readers who are 16 years old and up.
Overview
The Virgin Suicides tells the story of the Lisbon sisters, five beautiful and mysterious teenage girls who live in a suburban neighborhood.
The sisters are all withdrawn and isolated, and they are rarely seen outside of their home. The boys in the neighborhood are fascinated by the Lisbon sisters, and they begin to watch them from afar.
As the sisters grow older, they begin to blossom into young women, but their beauty only seems to make them more isolated.
One day, the youngest Lisbon sister, Cecilia, commits suicide. Her death is a shock to the neighborhood, and the other sisters are devastated. In the months that follow, the remaining four sisters also commit suicide.
The reasons for their suicides are never fully explained, but they are likely due to a combination of factors, including their isolation, their sexual awakening, and their parents’ strict and controlling behavior.
Plot Summary
The novel is divided into three parts. The first part, “The Suicides,” tells the story of the Lisbon sisters’ lives leading up to their suicides.
The second part, “The Virgins,” focuses on the boys in the neighborhood and their obsession with the Lisbon sisters. The third part, “The Suicides,” tells the story of the aftermath of the suicides.
Characters and Character Development
The main characters in The Virgin Suicides are the five Lisbon sisters: Cecilia, Therese, Lux, Bonnie, and Mary. The sisters are all complex and sympathetic characters, and they are each struggling with their own personal demons.
Cecilia is the youngest sister, and she is the first to commit suicide. Therese is the most intelligent of the sisters, and she is the one who is most aware of the problems in her family.
Lux is the most beautiful of the sisters, and she is the most outgoing. Bonnie is the most shy of the sisters, and she is the one who is most affected by her parents’ controlling behavior.
Mary is the middle sister, and she is the one who is most trying to hold the family together.
Theme and Message
The Virgin Suicides explores a number of themes, including adolescent isolation, sexual awakening, death, and the nature of family.
The novel suggests that the Lisbon sisters’ suicides were a result of a combination of factors, including their isolation, their sexual awakening, and their parents’ strict and controlling behavior.
The novel also suggests that the Lisbon sisters’ suicides were a way for them to escape from the pain and confusion of their lives.
Writing Style
The Virgin Suicides is written in a lyrical and dreamlike style. The novel is full of memorable imagery, and it has a haunting and atmospheric quality.
Eugenides’s writing is both beautiful and disturbing, and it perfectly captures the dark and mysterious world of the Lisbon sisters.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Beautiful and dreamlike writing style
- Memorable imagery
- Haunting and atmospheric quality
- Complex and sympathetic characters
- Thought-provoking themes
Cons:
- Slow-paced at times
- Some readers may find the subject matter disturbing
Comparison to Other Works
The Virgin Suicides has been compared to a number of other works, including The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, and The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides.
Where to Read The Virgin Suicides
The Virgin Suicides is available in a number of formats, including hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook. It can be purchased from a variety of retailers, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.org.
Conclusion
The Virgin Suicides is a dark and haunting novel that explores the themes of adolescent isolation, sexual awakening, and death.
The novel is written in a lyrical and dreamlike style, and it is full of memorable imagery. The Lisbon sisters are complex and sympathetic characters, and their suicides are both tragic and inevitable.
