The Virgin Suicides - Jeffrey Eugenides

"On the morning the last Lisbon
daughter took her turn at suicide-
it was Mary this time, and sleeping
pills, like Therese- the two paramedics
arrived at the house knowing exactly
where the knife drawer was, and the
gas oven, and the beam in the
basement from which it was possible
to tie a rope."

Rated 10/10

The shocking thing about the five Lisbon sisters was how nearly normal they seemed when their mother let them out for the one and only date of their lives. Twenty years on, their enigmatic personalities are embalmed in the memories of the boys who worshipped them and who now recall their shared adolescence: the brassiere draped over a crucifix belonging to the promiscuous Lux; the sisters' breathtaking appearance on the night of the dance; and the sultry, sleepy street across which they watched a family disintegrate and fragile lives disappear.

My Thoughts: A stunning, dark novel that captured me from the first word. Although you are given the conclusion of the story from the outset, the book never fails to impress. 

Eugenides drew me in with his description of the girls, who were not perfect - but were perfectly elusive, mysterious and very real. Their lives seemed so vivid and so easy to picture as his language was exquisite. I actually found it touching that the boys were so obsessed with these girls, and it all seemed so innocent as they kept their distance, observing and wondering, wanting to connect with these girls and never managing it, reminiscing even into their later lives. Writing about teenage girls in such a convincing manner takes a lot of skill, but the pains of adolescence are clear both from the girls perspective and the boy's too.

I think that people taking the title 'Virgin' Suicides too literally need to think a little more into the deeper connotations connected to the word. The girls were young, had no life experience, and yet cut their own lives short for reasons that nobody could fathom.

A chilling and yet beautiful tale of tragedy that it is easy to lose yourself in, Eugenides style is perfect - and I want to read more from him.