Reviews tagging 'Ableism'

Las Virgenes Suicidas by Jeffrey Eugenides

78 reviews

applesodaperson's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This one was an interesting one for sure. A good thing I liked was how atmospheric it was, and how vivid the descriptions of the Lisbon’s house were. But, this book also showed its age with how problematic some of it was. It definitely romanticizes suicide a lot, without a real understanding of the mental illness that causes it. I also would have vastly preferred that it be from the point of view of the sisters, instead of a bunch of pervy men. 
Read from the Provo library.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide

Moderate: Racism, Ableism, and Homophobia

songmingi's review against another edition

slow-paced

2.5

The title of the virgin suicides made me curious hence I decided to read it. 

While I enjoyed various aspects of the book such as the portrayal of the male gaze through the boys that narrate the story or the impact of growing up in a religious house as a young girl, I ultimately did not enjoy reading this book. 

The writing was slow paced, it felt like nothing at all was happening, even events which should have an impact just felt flat to me. The book constantly goes on tangents speaking about random things in unessacary detail. 

Also while I understand this book came out in the nineties the ableism and racism in this book is so off putting. The description of a character named Joe in chapter one was so horrid I nearly stopped reading then. I only continued because online readers insisted it was just one weird passage. 


In summary the virgin suicides reads like your weird cousin telling you a story from years ago. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism

Minor: Racial slurs

ppp's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective relaxing sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Child death, Stalking, Grief, Self harm, Confinement, and Death

Moderate: Self harm, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Blood, Adult/minor relationship, War, Ableism, and Alcoholism

bibyabs's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Child death, Death, Sexual content, Stalking, Grief, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Ableism and Racism

lucycjgray's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Death, Mental illness, Suicide, and Child death

Minor: Ableism, Alcohol, Grief, Racial slurs, Racism, and Drug use

charlies_shelf's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

1.5

So; The Virgin Suicides by Jeffery Eugenides is a book. That's one thing that is certain, and while opinions differ on if it's good or bad there's a few things that are again, certain.

This book includes sexism, hypersexuality of minors, racism and Ableism. Some mentioned less than others. 

Now as to my personal opinion, keep in mind there will be spoilers from here on out. 

I liked page 190 and 191 simply because of the music. But that's honestly where it stops. 

The person who's telling us the story seems to end off with anger. Anger because "he was wronged". An example of this is the sentence; "they made us participate in their own madness,...". 

Not only that but there's barely to no build up to the end, which just like everything else has good and bad sections.

Would I call this a bad book? No. 
Would I call this a good book? No.
Because nothing is ever good or bad. 

That's why I rate this book a 1.5/5. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Body shaming, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Child abuse and Child death

Minor: Racial slurs, Ableism, and Racism

caseyreadslol's review against another edition

dark reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

And people say Holden Caulfield is a grating narrator... 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Child death, Racial slurs, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Misogyny, and Pedophilia

elysianbud's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Very odd book, but I very much enjoyed the writing style - the descriptions were really well done. Felt quite slow to read yet I still managed to finish it in about six hours. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Grief, Misogyny, Confinement, Blood, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Medical content, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Drug use, and Suicide

Moderate: Alcoholism

Minor: Ableism and Racial slurs

elisaslibrary's review against another edition

mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide

Minor: Ableism

luccamaria's review against another edition

dark sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

to me, this book is mainly about the male gaze. this whole time the boys were obsessed only with the idea of being with the girls, never once did they actually care about what they might have felt. they were infatuated with them, analysed their behaviour - but always with the intention of one day being able to have them. they viewed them as possessions.
what really confirms this is the quote at the end:

"It didn't matter in the end how old they have been, or that they were girls, but only that we had loved them, and that they hadn't heard us calling [...]" (p. 243).

they blame the girls for their own suicides - they blame them for never turning to them, the boys - not once thinking of the possibility that the girls might not have loved them. that the reason they killed themselves is something they can't understand, simply because they were looking in all the wrong places with all the wrong intentions.

the boys kept inserting themselves in this situation, so much that in the end, they convinced themselves that truly they were the ones that had suffered, turning the attention completely away from the actual suffering of the lisbon girls. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt and Suicide

Minor: Ableism