"Eugenides's tantalizing, macabre first novel begins with a suicide, the first of the five bizarre deaths of the teenage daughters in the Lisbon family; the rest of the work, set in the author's native Michigan in the early 1970s, is a backward-looking quest as the male narrator and his nosy, horny pals describe how they strove to understand the odd clan of this first chapter, which appeared in the Paris Review, where it won the 1991 Aga Khan Prize for fiction. The sensationalism of the subject matter (based loosely on a factual account) may be off-putting to some readers, but Eugenides's voice is so fresh and compelling, his powers of observation so startling and acute, that most will be mesmerized. The title derives from a song by the fictional rock band Cruel Crux, a favorite of the Lisbon daughter Lux--who, unlike her sisters Therese, Mary, Bonnie and Cecilia, is anything but a virgin by the tale's end. Her mother forces Lux to burn the album along with others she considers dangerously provocative. Mr. Lisbon, a mild-mannered high school math teacher, is driven to resign by parents who believe his control of their children may be as deficient as his control of his own brood. Eugenides risks sounding sophomoric in his attempt to convey the immaturity of high-school boys; while initially somewhat discomfiting, the narrator's voice (representing the collective memories of the group) acquires the ring of authenticity. The author is equally convincing when he describes the older locals' reactions to the suicide attempts. Under the narrator's goofy, posturing banter are some hard truths: mortality is a fact of life; teenage girls are more attracted to brawn than to brains (contrary to the testimony of the narrator's male relatives). This is an auspicious debut from an imaginative and talented writer."

Mailed to Helly77 as part of a BookRelay.

Received safe and well, just in time for Christmas! Thanks *<:O)

As this is so wanted on Cliff1976's wish list site, I am going to set up a bookring for it :o)

Bookring
* I will make a list below of members in the order the book will circulate (this may be amended later)
* Please make a journal entry when you receive the book, then read, review and release the book within 6 weeks of receiving it, to keep it going.
* When ready to release the book, send a PM to the next person on the list asking for their address.
* When the last person on the list receives the book, please PM me for my details, to return the book.


HAVE FUN !!!

Bookring set up February 3rd 2005

Signed up:

1. Pam99 - UK - Intl.
   
2. Syrinpt - Portugal - Europe Pref.
   
3. Quico - Portugal - Intl.
   
4. Lisagt - Australia - Intl.
   
5. AmyMS88 - USA (TX) - USA Only
   
6. Raindrop162004 - USA (CT) - US Only.
   
7. shpriz1 - USA (NY) - USA Pref.
   
8. Czersk - USA (MN) - US Pref.
   
9. Lilkandystar - Canada (MB) - Canada Pref.
   
10. Vibrant-Art - Canada (ON) - Canada/USA Pref.
    
11. GeishaBird - Canada (ON) - Intl.
    
12. Suebo - USA (PA) - ?
    
    
    

RELEASE NOTES:

started the journey :o)

received on bookring from helly77, thanks! will read as soon as poss and pass on.

A good book but disturbing, I'll be interested to see what others make of it. I felt there was a level to the story that I 'wasn't getting'? Still, I'd like to read more of his work... I think this is one to think about and go back to. Will be on its way to syrinpt asap.

mailing to syrinpt today

Got it in the mail today!
I'm officially swamped right now, but I promise not to keep the book for too long. If I see that I can't read it in the next couple of weeks, I'll bring the book to quico, who's next on the list, and read after her!
Thanks for starting the bookring!

This was such a wonderful book.
I'd seen the movie before, and found it strange, but interesting. (And it had a wonderful soundtrack). It was pretty faithful to the story of the book, but still, there seemed to be something lacking. But the book changed all that.

After reading the book, I gained a little more insight into who the Lisbon sisters were, and their surroundings. How they lived and why they died.

I also loved the narrator: it truly depicts people who are trying to regain their past, trying to make some sense of something that marked them profoundly.

An amazing book! Thanks for sharing, Helly77
I'll give it to quico this afternoon, to keep the bookring moving!
Hope you like it as much as I did!

Received today from Syrin. I'll read it asap.

This not just the story of five teenage girls who commited suicide. This is not just the story of the boys who were and still are haunted by them, trying to understand something that can't be understood. This is about the miracles and the dangers of growing up, about innocence, and about memories.
An amazing book. Thanks for sharing it, Helly77.

On its way to Australia!

Just this minute arrived on my doorstep! Thanks quico for sending it all the way to Aussie! I have a couple of other books to read first but will get to it ASAP! Looks intruiging...

This book was totally surreal. I can't say I enjoyed reading it although I am glad that I have read it. It was a disturbing portrait of society, particularly middle America.

Sent to AmyMS88 today.

Got this today and I was just looking for something to read! Will get back out asap.

thanks!

I liked this book but some parts of it were a little creepy. One scene in particular was really squirmy, I thought. And I wasn't sure what the boys' motivation in organizing "exhibits" and interviews was. It was just strange. I think I liked it better than the movie, though.

It's going out to Raindrop162004 next and I'll get it in the mail tonight.

Thanks for sharing it!

Yay! I can't wait to read this one. I received it in the mail today and its just great to finally get to red it! Thanks so much for starting this ring!

Will report back when done!

This book hits close to home. I could relate to the sisters all acting different after the first and youngest one commited suicide. My father died when I was 12, and I became a social outcast, keeping to myself and everything. IT was a sad but inspirational book, because it shows how teenagers aren't perfect, and that we do have feelings too.

I didn't like the parents. They didn't seem very supportive, and they really made me angry a lot of the times. I'm sure there was inner turmoil within them as each sister died, but they never showed it. Showing emotions means you're human, and these parents were as dead as those trees that were infested with some sort of disease in the book.

Overall, I loved the book. I loved it in a sad way though, because it made me think about life and how short and precious it really is. It made me think about the future and how I have so much to look forward to and how, though things may get hard, suicide is not an escape-it's a condemnation.

There are no words to describe how great this book was. IT was phenominal, incredible, awesome, and sensational.

Thanks for sharing this book.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Will be sending to shpriz1 shortly.

:-)

RELEASE NOTES:

sending to the next person. Hope you enjoy the book!

:-)

Got it today. I can't wait to start it. I heard so much about this book and I really like all journals made by other participants. :)

To tell you the truth, I am not sure how I feel about the book. I liked the book and I thought that the subject was good, but I feet like I am left with much more questions now, after reading the book, then I did before I started it. I couldn't really understand the parents. It seemed like after Cecilia's death they didn't care anymore for the rest of their family. I wish we had a little more insight into the minds of Mr. and Mrs. Lisbon. I also wanted to know what happened to the family when Therese was about 12 (that's when they stopped taking pictures). I absolutely loved one quote from this book: "Children are strangers we agreed to live with" So true, especially in Lisbon's family.
==================================================== Waiting for Czersk to PM me with an address.

RELEASE NOTES:

Mailing it out to the next participant on the list.

Arrived last week- sorry for the delay, but this was the first opportunity that I had to get to a computer. Thank you all for the book- can't wait to read it!

I like to think of The Virgin Suicides as a microwave book. They say that when you take something out of the microwave, it continues to cook. Well, after I finished reading this book, I just sat there, stuck in the world now devoid of Lisbon girls. The last sentence ran into blankness, but it was if I was still reading. But instead of being preoccupied with the Lisbon girls, as would be obvious, I was more curious about the men that stalked them, for that's really what they did. Why were they so obsessed with the girls? Who were these boys? What became of THEM?

This was definately an interesting book, completely unique and unorthodox. Middlesex, Eugenides' other book, is still my favorite though. Thanks for the reading opportunity everyone!

On to lilkandystar . . .

***
11/17
Just for the record, I Did send this back in July.

This book has washed ashore at the Lost Book Island after not being heard from for many months. This new arrival will be shown to a room and be allowed a bit of rest before being introduced to the many fun things to do here at the island.

All around there are books sipping cool drinks under shady palms while other books participate in a wide variety of beach sports. There is plenty of sand, surf and sun here for all of the lost and wayward books to enjoy.

It is hoped that very soon a new journal entry will come to rescue this book from the island and send it back out into the BookCrossing world so that it may continue on its journey. It is hoped that the new journal entry will tell all the interested parties where this book has been this long time and where it will be traveling to next.

Rediscovered after HOW MANY YEARS? WHOA!!!
Will PM the rest of the list if not already read by RSVP BCmembers.

Will be placing the book on one of the middle seats of the #10 Winnipeg Transit bus.
Hope you enjoy the book dear reader :) and please tell us you found