The Virgin Suicides

By: Jeffrey Eugenides

Narrated by: Nick Landrum

Length: 8 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

This nationally best-selling novel from Pulitzer Prize-winner Jeffrey Eugenides was adapted into an acclaimed film by Academy Award-winner Sofia Coppola. A haunting yet wickedly funny tale, The Virgin Suicides has captivated countless readers with its intoxicating portrait of lost innocence. A brilliant fusion of dark humor and tragedy, it is an atmospheric, allegorical masterpiece about five oppressed, suicidal sisters and the boys who dream of rescuing them.

©1993 Jeffrey Eugenides (P)2006 Recorded Books, LLC.

Critic reviews

"Eugenides' voice is so fresh and compelling, his powers of observation so startling and acute, that most will be mesmerized....This is an auspicious debut from an imaginative and talented writer." ( Publishers Weekly)

"A finely crafted work of literary if slightly macabre imagination....A black, glittering novel that won't be to everyone's taste but must be tried by readers looking for something different." ( Library Journal)

"Mr. Eugenides is blessed with the storyteller's most magical gift, the ability to transform the mundane into the extraordinary." ( The New York Times Book Review)

Heartbreaking - but Wonderful!

Having first listened to the masterpiece, Middlesex, by Jeffrey Eugenides, I thought that I might be disappointed by the initial offering from this author. I needn’t have worried!. The Virgin Suicides is just a terrific novel. Although absolutely heartbreaking, the story provides the listener with hope and a sense of peace. Nick Landrum is superb in his reading of the story and I defy any listener to have dry eyes during the final 5 minutes of his narration. I can’t wait for the next offering from Mr. Eugenides, who is, in my view, the best author out there.

A diffrent kind of story

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this book because it is so well written. The story was out of my style of stories I gravitate too but this author is a great story teller. It took me along for the ride and I really liked the descriptions of the times the book was set in. The life of the character was sad but that made it more gut wrenching.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The oldest sister was my favorite characters because she was the craziest and most developed character.

Nostalgic Listen

The book left a lot of questions unanswered, but I guess that was the purpose all along. I prefer a story to end perfectly wrapped up where you're not left scratching your head. What I enjoyed about this book was that it brought me back to childhood. Hanging out with friends all day, riding bikes, toilet papering houses. The normal things we did as kids, but when you relive these events they're not always told completely with a "Once upon a time, to the "And they lived happily ever after". They are more told with smells or sounds that bring the memory back. The details we remember which may or may not be correct.

if you like to cuddle up with sorrow

The Virgin Suicides is a beautiful piece of word art. How Jeffrey Eugenides wrote the neighborhood boys narrative is haunting and poetic. The book reads like one of JD Salinger's proses where the meat of the body of work is in the characters and the illusions/feelings others build up around them. (Much to the heartbreak of everyone involved.) Sofia Coppola's film to me is Jeffrey Eugenides' vision. The only reason I rated this version so low is that Giovanni Ribisi's voice wasn't used. Please pay the artist for an unbridged version Audible pretty please with store credits (bought by the customers of course) sprinkled on top?!

I will not be okay.

Every moment in this book is gut-wrenching, wanted to cry by the second chapter. Really good book though.

Disappointed

I finally forced myself to listen to this book on the 4th try. I kept trying because I loved Jeffrey Eugenides previous book. It is hard to identify what I didn't like about it. I think it was the narrator. The book came across as somewhat slow, boring and depressing. The book was written by a man and was read by what sounded like a young man and yet the main story was about the 5 sisters. I think I took offense to the fact that the girl's feelings, thoughts and motivations were being told to me by men who would know nothing about their inner lives nor what happened inside their home. The writing was good, very good at times and I really enjoyed the last couple of hours of the book.
However I am not sure I would recommend the book.

Stunning

This story is bewitching, and filled me with love and real sorrow for some young women and the young men who love them, who are, after all, only the product of Jeffrey Eugenides' mind.

But what a mind that is. He always leaves me pondering, as the world he creates always enters my heart and stays.

Give this new classic a listen for its lingering beauty.

Jay

Wonderfully tragic

The story was hauntingly beautiful. Make sure and play at 1.25 speed for optimal performance

Not what I expected

After listening to Middlesex, I expected much more character detail and intricacy. This didn't deliver. It was more like a news report. Narration was just average.

Save Time: Watch The Movie

I don’t think I’ve ever said this about any book before but, I’d skip this and watch the movie.

It’s well-written and is an amazing plot idea. It’s just that I keep waiting for something to happen. It’s neither a character study nor a thriller. It just sort of meanders through. There’s this feeling that you’re waiting for it to get started.

The movie, on the other hand, is visually beautiful, well-acted, intriguing, suspenseful, funny, and is a true exercise in great indie filmmaking.