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milliemarilyn's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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
5.0
This book is a piece of art. Absolutely devastating and a bit slow in the middle… but so glad I read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Stalking
gabrielles_library's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
i've seen some comments saying this novel is "a book written by a man, narrated by boys," but i think this was the perfect choice. If it had been through the girls' perspectives, the entire point of the story would have been missed.
a novel that follows the flawed understanding and projections that a group of boys have about the lisbon girls.
i don’t know if i would call the narrator unreliable, but one definitely unaware of anything beyond their own limited viewpoint. we are given pieces that we can decipher, that the narrator does not care to look into. this book is not a mystery, with us finding out why the Lisbon sisters died, their reasons were clear, with the girls practically screaming for help.
slight spoilers below.
the boys were no different than the lisbon parents, they saw the girls as an extension of themselves, as property, and i can see why the sisters included them in the discovery of their bodies, just as their parents would a few hours later.
the lisbon sisters were canvases for everyone to paint their own image onto. whether it was the tragic tale of the mad sisters who took their own lives and no one spoke of it, or the years that followed when they were seen as the smart girls with an oracle like quality, leaving this earth just before the neighborhood began to decline. their image was fluid, shaped by changing perspectives.
the boys believe their versions of the lisbon sisters to be solid, and true, because their perceptions never changed, and in a sense never grew up - but they know nothing - and maybe even less - about the sisters. out of everyone in town, they projected their ideas, love, and lust most onto them.
who are the lisbon sisters? we’ll never know.
a novel that follows the flawed understanding and projections that a group of boys have about the lisbon girls.
i don’t know if i would call the narrator unreliable, but one definitely unaware of anything beyond their own limited viewpoint. we are given pieces that we can decipher, that the narrator does not care to look into. this book is not a mystery, with us finding out why the Lisbon sisters died, their reasons were clear, with the girls practically screaming for help.
slight spoilers below.
the boys were no different than the lisbon parents, they saw the girls as an extension of themselves, as property, and i can see why the sisters included them in the discovery of their bodies, just as their parents would a few hours later.
the lisbon sisters were canvases for everyone to paint their own image onto. whether it was the tragic tale of the mad sisters who took their own lives and no one spoke of it, or the years that followed when they were seen as the smart girls with an oracle like quality, leaving this earth just before the neighborhood began to decline. their image was fluid, shaped by changing perspectives.
the boys believe their versions of the lisbon sisters to be solid, and true, because their perceptions never changed, and in a sense never grew up - but they know nothing - and maybe even less - about the sisters. out of everyone in town, they projected their ideas, love, and lust most onto them.
who are the lisbon sisters? we’ll never know.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
sophie_hawkey's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I really enjoyed how the book was written and appreciate the story told. I did feel like a voyeur reading this story and felt quite uncomfortable. While I’m glad I read it, I don’t think I will again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicide, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, and Suicide attempt
emilym99's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This was a slow read for me. Nice descriptive passages but not my cup of tea overall.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide and Suicide attempt
london_mara13's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Trip Fontaine is the true root of all the worlds issues
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide and Suicide attempt
7thirty8's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
2.5
pov ur a man
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Racial slurs
charlottereadsthings's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy
paulita44's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
smallpanini's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
"The Virgin Suicides" by Jeffrey Eugenides is a haunting exploration of adolescence, memory, and the enigma of the Lisbon sisters, five mysterious girls who captivate their suburban neighborhood. Eugenides masterfully captures the suffocating atmosphere of 1970s American suburbia, blending melancholy with moments of dark humor. The narrative, told from the collective perspective of the neighborhood boys, offers a unique and distant viewpoint that adds to the novel's eerie, dreamlike quality. However, the detachment of the narration and the ambiguity surrounding the girls' lives left me craving more depth and emotional connection. While the prose is undeniably beautiful and evocative, the novel's elusive nature made it challenging to immerse fully. Overall, it's a poignant, if somewhat distant, meditation on loss and longing, earning a solid 3.75 stars."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Mental illness, Racism, and Sexual content
Minor: Ableism, Racial slurs, and Alcohol
maximea's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book is beautifully written with an unique first person plural narrator. I enjoyed this book but would recommend you read the trigger warnings first because the topics are heavy. I read a review "when it comes to unreliable narrators this book has it all" and I couldn't not agree more. Read this when you want to read about obsession, exploration of adulthood and suicide.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide and Suicide attempt