Book Review: The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides

If you like Jeffrey Eugenides’s books, then you’ll like this effort of his, too. I think he is a terrific writer with terrific ideas but I am constantly frustrated by his endings. He loves the story without reason but personally (as a Gemini) the why is important for me, otherwise I can end up thinking I’ve wasted my time on a book that doesn’t have any answers (and what do we read for if not to find the answers to some of life’s great questions?).

Part of the problem with this book – telling it through the eyes of teenage boys – is also part of the charm. They are inexplicably respectful of the mysterious Lisbon sisters, certainly not reflective of any teenage boys I know, but it is set in the 1970s.

This is a very literary piece but, as with all good literature, it’s easy to read because it’s written so well. I would recommend it but if you’re looking for something uplifting, this is not the book for you.

3 stars

*First published on 1 January 2014 on Goodreads