.................The Virgin Suicides

.......................................by Jeffrey Eugenides / Review by Dan O'Connor

. . . . . I found this novel entertaining, but I didn't feel that I learned anything about life in general or suicides in particular. I doubted and continue to doubt the scenario. I'm one who believes that there is more truth in fiction than nonfiction, if the art form is done well. Some of the book rang true in terms of teen angst and the glorious ineptitudes of youth. I felt that character and scene descriptions were exaggerated to the point where the book seemed cartoonish at times, not to mention ghoulish.

. . . . . What I did like very much was the attention to scene detail, as well as provocative and convincing dialogue. The internal dialogue was at times spectacular. The scene with the class cutting pot smoker toking out in his car between periods comes to mind as particularly accurate in a sensory way and dramatic. I could smell the grass burning. I could feel myself inside the skin of the truant druggie. Very few writers can put you inside a scene, let alone inside the skin of a character. I found this aspect of the writing commendable.

. . . . . The book was definitely depressing, but that doesn't rule it out as a great book. It was also a tragedy, to which I say ditto. What was missing for me was a sense of authenticity of deviant psychosis on the part of the victims and any semblance of inspiration or growth on the part of a key character. Negative growth, i.e., character regression, which may have been present, is growth in a sense, but it is not inspiring. Nor do I think there are sufficient parents who would see themselves in a similar role to the villains to cause much difference in human behavior among the universe of readers. If there had been any of these factors, I might have rated this higher.

. . . . . As it was, I was entertained, marveled at the writing skill demonstrated in individual scenes and disappointed that there wasn't more appealing fabric within the storyline. While I may not forget this story, due to the grotesque and thoroughly depressing aspects, it was--in terms of my literary feasts of a lifetime--a forgettable adjunct, a side dish, or an hors d'oevre, rather than a main course.

Dan's		Book Review Report Card

Major Character Development
		Narrator	Limited portrayal; must not have been the hero
		The five Lisbon sisters	Seemed cartoonish and incredible at times
		The dad , Mr. Lisbon	Sketchy
		The mom , Mrs. Lisbon	Vaguely defined, but clearly villainous

Dialogue		Authentic and flowing	No complaints here

Narration / Prose		First Person / Lead character only	B

Pacing		No complaints, but this length novel, as well as the portrayal, seem more like a long magazine article than a short novel.	A

Storyline Issues
	Continuity	Storyline outline clear and concise?	A
	Drama	I felt tension most times, even though the predominant emotion was depression.	B+
	Character arc	Was classic protagonist character arc present and compelling?	No, one of my biggest complaints about the novel
	Conclusion (AKA The Ending )	Poetic, appropriate, plausible and compelling ?	Yes, I read the last few pages with enthusiasm to see how it would end

	Social value	Did I learn anything of value, either in terms of knowledge or insight into life?	No

	Author rating	Would I rush out and buy another novel written by this author? (I already know this author is capable of more. Review of a finer work (Middlesex) is just around the corner.)	Yes

Overall rating		Thumbs up. Three and one-half stars.	B-

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