The Virgin Suicides: A Novel [B1958]

2009 PB reprint of the 1993 original - clean, with minor wear (see photo). First published in 1993, The Virgin Suicides announced the arrival of a major new American novelist. In a quiet suburb of Detroit, the five Lisbon sisters--beautiful, eccentric, and obsessively watched by the neighborhood boys--commit suicide one by one over the course of a single year. As the boys observe them from afar, transfixed, they piece together the mystery of the family's fatal melancholy, in this hypnotic and unforgettable novel of adolescent love, disquiet, and death. Jeffrey Eugenides evokes the emotions of youth with haunting sensitivity and dark humor and creates a coming-of-age story unlike any of our time. Adapted into a critically acclaimed film by Sofia Coppola, The Virgin Suicides is a modern classic, a lyrical and timeless tale of sex and suicide that transforms and mythologizes suburban middle-American life.

From mixed Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "I loved it because it did show how it is to be an observer of such horrible events, and most importantly, it showed how teen and suicide in general can feel. I might say it raises awareness, talks about the signs etc. I loved it for every tiny detail. Because the topic was not chosen for hype or just as a pretty trope. The author knows what he is talking about. I cannot explain everything, you must read through it, live through it."; "Beautiful and horrible all at once. Enjoyed but found incredibly hard to read. Not one for winter."; "great long amazing long amazing long long"; "I loved this book. It was an easy read, funny at times, but talks about so many topics, that in a way, are relatable to young adults or teenagers: wanting to find yourself, love, becoming your own person. Would definitely reread."; "The final 30 pages felt way too dragged on, but I can't not give this 5 stars, even compared to the somewhat better movie (one of my all time favs) This brought light to suicide in America and changed many lives..."