The Virgin Suicides
11 journalers for this copy...
A haunting tale of innocence and loss set in a Detroit suburb during the 1970s. The unusual third person plural narration underscores a neighborhood's obsession with a family of beautiful but enigmatic young girls.
Picked this up at today's BC in DC meetup at Ballston Mall in Arlington, Virginia. This has been on my wish list ever since I read Middlesex. Thanks!
I picked this one up because I loved Eugenides's other book, Middlesex. It certainly doesn't have the scope of its successor, but it was a decent read nonetheless. The story takes place in 1970s Detroit. Though its focus is the five teenage Lisbon sisters who all commit suicide in the span of one year, the actual subjects are the teenage boys in the neighborhood who are obsessed with them. The narrative is in the unexpected first person plural, which actually works quite well in this instance. I'm having trouble summing up my thoughts; the story was interesting but didn't really go anywhere. You only get to know the characters - even the boys - on the surface, never delving more deeply into motivation or real emotion. It's a sad tale, and I enjoyed it on that level, but at the end I felt the same as at the beginning: a little puzzled, a little sad, a little apathetic.
I read this book a while back and really liked it. Here's my review from a previous copy of this book that I owned. (See post #3)
This international bookray will remain open to new participants at all times. The mailing order may change at any time due to geography, mailing preference or originator's whim!
Begin International BookCrossing Bookray (1/25/10):
SqueakyChu (Maryland, USA) done
dvg (New Jersey, USA) done
Timber77 (Canada) done
AceofHearts (Canada) done
notnot (Norway) done
Totje2 (Netherlands) done
DieHenkerin (Germany) done
MunchkinBox (UK--int'l) - 1 year of travel
End International BookCrossing Bookray: 12/30/11
This bookray was ended because there was no reponse x 2 fom the last Bookcrosser who received this book. Thanks to all who have participated. This bookray travelled for 1 year to 6 countries including 2 states within the USA.
By the way, this is the second bookray I've run for this book. Here is the first.
ETA: This book started out with some minor damage to the front cover. It looks as if a dog had bitten it or something! It's not a problem so don't worry about it.
Begin International BookCrossing Bookray (1/25/10):
SqueakyChu (Maryland, USA) done
dvg (New Jersey, USA) done
Timber77 (Canada) done
AceofHearts (Canada) done
notnot (Norway) done
Totje2 (Netherlands) done
DieHenkerin (Germany) done
MunchkinBox (UK--int'l) - 1 year of travel
End International BookCrossing Bookray: 12/30/11
This bookray was ended because there was no reponse x 2 fom the last Bookcrosser who received this book. Thanks to all who have participated. This bookray travelled for 1 year to 6 countries including 2 states within the USA.
By the way, this is the second bookray I've run for this book. Here is the first.
ETA: This book started out with some minor damage to the front cover. It looks as if a dog had bitten it or something! It's not a problem so don't worry about it.
Book arrived today and I have already read a few pages but stopped myself to rush to make the JE. Thank you SqueakyChu for including me in this Ray and it will be moving along quickly. I will be contacting Timber77 today. I love the bookmark that you enclosed for me...I will include one for Timber77!
Journal Entry 7 by dvg at Sent to the Next BCer, Bookray -- Controlled Releases on Monday, February 1, 2010
Released 14 yrs ago (2/1/2010 UTC) at Sent to the Next BCer, Bookray -- Controlled Releases
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Heading to Timber77 today!
I must agree with SqueakyChu's journal entry. While I thought Middlesex was a really great read with possibly too much information, this one had too little information. It was a sad tale and it did not have much depth. What I mean is simply, we did not know much about these characters so understand why they did what they did. Of course, I can come to conclusions like any observer from outside the situation might do. Perhaps that is the point? We will never know what goes on inside someone else's life or mind, to understand the choices they make in life. While this is true, I do expect to find some level of insight in a book.
That all said, I will pick up another book by this author to see if the next one should find the happy medium in this writting style. Thank you, SqueakyChu, for including me in your bookray.
I must agree with SqueakyChu's journal entry. While I thought Middlesex was a really great read with possibly too much information, this one had too little information. It was a sad tale and it did not have much depth. What I mean is simply, we did not know much about these characters so understand why they did what they did. Of course, I can come to conclusions like any observer from outside the situation might do. Perhaps that is the point? We will never know what goes on inside someone else's life or mind, to understand the choices they make in life. While this is true, I do expect to find some level of insight in a book.
That all said, I will pick up another book by this author to see if the next one should find the happy medium in this writting style. Thank you, SqueakyChu, for including me in your bookray.
Received in the mail and looking forward to reading it after knowing the movie and soundtrack well. How did you know I love Earl Grey, and thanks for the pretty bookmark dvg?!! Nearly done my current book so should get onto this one soon.
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UPDATED 29 March: Finished reading the book and PM`d next in the line so it can continue its journey. It was very much like watching the movie (I guess that can be expected especially when it was a `narrated` type of movie!). It is well written - found it different to Middlesex which got a lot more into details. As mentioned the reader keeps the boys` perspective and we never really find out what was going on with the girls...very sad.
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UPDATED 29 March: Finished reading the book and PM`d next in the line so it can continue its journey. It was very much like watching the movie (I guess that can be expected especially when it was a `narrated` type of movie!). It is well written - found it different to Middlesex which got a lot more into details. As mentioned the reader keeps the boys` perspective and we never really find out what was going on with the girls...very sad.
Journal Entry 9 by Timber77 at Exchange/Trade, A Bookcrossing member -- Controlled Releases on Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Released 14 yrs ago (4/6/2010 UTC) at Exchange/Trade, A Bookcrossing member -- Controlled Releases
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CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Sent to next in the list, including a bookmark since this seems to be a good theme so far!
Sent to next in the list, including a bookmark since this seems to be a good theme so far!
received in the mail today along with a beautiful bookmark. Thanks!
The five Lisbon girls live in suburbia Detroit in the seventies. The book is narrated by the group of boys interested in these girls and what occurred. What occurred is that each of the girls committed suicide. The boys go back and try to discover what happened to allow such a tragedy.
The author writes only little snippets of what happened. The boys seem more like stalkers than in sleuths trying to find out why. The parents while portrayed as being very strict don't seem strict at all but just cautious.
I found this read very unsatisfying as nothing is resolved. It is left to the reader and personally was 'beyond' me. It appears to me that the author was very interested in writing the first part of the book and then lost his way or couldn't really figure out the ending either.
The author writes only little snippets of what happened. The boys seem more like stalkers than in sleuths trying to find out why. The parents while portrayed as being very strict don't seem strict at all but just cautious.
I found this read very unsatisfying as nothing is resolved. It is left to the reader and personally was 'beyond' me. It appears to me that the author was very interested in writing the first part of the book and then lost his way or couldn't really figure out the ending either.
mailed today
The book arrived today. Looking forward to reading.
#143 of '1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die'.
#143 of '1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die'.
Previous readers have written a lot about this book, so I don't think it is necessary for me to repeat too much. I do agree, though, that the book just scratches the surface of both the Lisbon girls and the bystanders; it doesn't go in deep to find the reason why things happen.
Apart from this I really like the style of Eugenides' writing. To me it doesn't really matter that much that we don't get many answers; it may be the point of this book that we should try figuring out the solution for ourselves.
I am glad to having read this book, and I'm looking forward to reading Middlesex which is waiting in my bookshelf.
Apart from this I really like the style of Eugenides' writing. To me it doesn't really matter that much that we don't get many answers; it may be the point of this book that we should try figuring out the solution for ourselves.
I am glad to having read this book, and I'm looking forward to reading Middlesex which is waiting in my bookshelf.
Released 13 yrs ago (6/12/2010 UTC) at By Mail, Book Ring -- Controlled Releases
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On its way to the next reader!
Journal Entry 16 by Boekentrol at Leeuwarden, Fryslân (Friesland) Netherlands on Thursday, June 17, 2010
Arrived safely today :-) Thank you for sending on, notnot! I have 2 more rings before I get to it.
Journal Entry 17 by Boekentrol at Leeuwarden, Fryslân (Friesland) Netherlands on Sunday, July 4, 2010
Released 13 yrs ago (7/5/2010 UTC) at Leeuwarden, Fryslân (Friesland) Netherlands
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This ringbook will travel on to the next reader on the list, DieHenkerin. Happy reading!
This book arrived here some time last week. It looks like its journey wasn't easy so it might me glad that it will have to wait till I finish one other ring. ;)
Sorry, I wasn't logged in... *blush*
Journal Entry 20 by MunchkinBox at Hartwell, Northamptonshire United Kingdom on Monday, September 20, 2010
Book arrived today - looking forward to starting it this afternoon!
