The Virgin Suicides

by Jeffrey Eugenides | Literature & Fiction |
ISBN: 0446670251 Global Overview for this book
Registered by peggysmum of Kambah, Australian Capital Territory Australia on 12/30/2004
Buy from one of these Booksellers:
Amazon.com | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon DE | Amazon FR | Amazon IT | Bol.com
6 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by peggysmum from Kambah, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Thursday, December 30, 2004
Want to see what the fuss was all about.
...

The 5 Lisbon sisters are beautiful, interchangeable, forbidden and doomed. They are watched by the neighbourhood boys who document the lives of these untouchable creatures, locked away from the world by controlling parents.

When Cecilia, the youngest Lisbon sister, attempts and later succeeds in committing suicide, the boys watch, unable to prevent the other girls from following their sister's example.

The boys' lives are forever changed and this narrative is the form of dossier created by the boys in order to make sense of what happened to the girls and to themselves.

Journal Entry 2 by peggysmum from Kambah, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Saturday, February 5, 2005
Book ray:

Sherlockfan (Wellington, NZ)
gabbysmum (Redcliffe, Qld)
Woosang (Picton, NSW)
Kirst040 (Sydney, NSW)
EDDI (Melbourne, Vic)
cathyinoz (Warrandyte, Vic)
somethinksfishy (Melbourne, Vic)
CelesteWA (Perth, WA)
Wirigerie (Adelaide, SA)
crimson-tide (Balingup, WA)
<---
unbalanced (Queanbeyan, NSW)
tqd (Sydney, NSW)
gypsyrose02 (Seville Grove, WA)


The usual ray/ring guidelines operate.

1. Please journal receipt of the book
2. Share your thoughts on the book in another journal entry
3. PM the next person on the list for their mailing address
4. Send the book on its way

Journal Entry 3 by peggysmum from Kambah, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Tuesday, February 8, 2005
Posted to sherlockfan 8 Feb 2005.

Journal Entry 4 by Sherlockfan from Upper Hutt, Wellington Province New Zealand on Sunday, February 20, 2005
Thanks Peggysmum. Can't be sure exactly what day this book arrived because I've just had a few days in Sydney for the 1st birthday of our 10th grandchild, Sarah. It was a super super visit. Sarah and her sister Rosalie (4 1/2) are truly delightful children, smiling and happy. Our son Tony in his early 40s it a full time house-father and I believe is doing a wonderful job of bringing up his gorgeous daughters.
To our extreme delight the first few days were not the blinding heat that we'd feared so there was time to adjust before we did get days that were just too hot for Kiwis, especially Wellingtonians.
I am especially keen to read this book because one of my passionate activities is being a part of the Samaritan Telephone service and the need to attempt to understand what makes people take their own lives is paramount. It has always interested me and I spent around 10 years in this sort of role in the seventies before taking on full time work. Since retiring a couple of years ago I've picked it up again.
I'm really looking forward to reading this.

Journal Entry 5 by Sherlockfan from Upper Hutt, Wellington Province New Zealand on Sunday, February 27, 2005
This is a rather strange book. During my first spell of reading I felt that I couldn't see why it had such rave reviews and really considered posting it on without finishing it. Who wants to drown themselves in the maunderings of prepubescent boys? I put it aside for a few days and then picked it up again and became engrossed. The boys are much further along with their development than I'd picked up on at the beginning. Their thought processes are fascinating. Possibly my initial reaction arose more from the very minimalist use of paragraphs which I always find disconcerting.
At the second attempt I realised how extremely clever the author had been in developing the atmosphere of the surroundings, describing the fevered emotions generated by all those developing young people in and out of the school rooms, and his precise attention to detail.
The group of words that really brought home to me the skill of this author arose in a piece discussing the local paper and some of the trivia it printed:
"...Mrs Shed Turner, the first white woman ever to penetrate the jungles of Papua New Guinea, holding in her lap what appeared to be a shrunken head, though the caption identified the blur as 'her Yorkie, William the Conquerer'" Delicious words -with all the pictures they conjure up!
What a profoundly disfunctional family the Lisbons had made for their initially lively lovely girls. Somewhere in the text Mrs Lisbon says she didn't pursue counselling because "That doctor wanted to blame it on us. He thought Ronnie and I were to blame." Puh lease!

By the end I was convinced that this was a documentary not a novel and I thought to look for the newspaper reports at the time. That is surely the sign of a great novel.
So very pleased to have been included in this bookring.

Journal Entry 6 by Sherlockfan from Upper Hutt, Wellington Province New Zealand on Sunday, February 27, 2005
RELEASE NOTE
Posted to gabbysmum today 28th February.
Fly quickly, great book. Your next reader awaits you.

Journal Entry 7 by gabbysmum from Brisbane, Queensland Australia on Thursday, March 3, 2005
Received just now, thank you Sherlockfan

Journal Entry 8 by gabbysmum from Brisbane, Queensland Australia on Sunday, March 27, 2005
I enjoyed this book alot although it did take a while to get into but it was a fasinating book.My daughter grabbed it as soon as I finished it and loved it,so thats why there has been a delay in posting it.

Released 19 yrs ago (3/31/2005 UTC) at Bookring in Controlled Release, A Bookcrossing member -- Controlled Releases

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

On its way to Woosang,sorry its been ages.

Journal Entry 10 by woosang from Campbelltown, New South Wales Australia on Sunday, April 3, 2005
OOOOOO goody been hearing about his book for ages. too lazy (or cheap) to buy it

I am reading another book that I am loath to put down so it will have to be two down on the MT TBR

Journal Entry 11 by woosang from Campbelltown, New South Wales Australia on Friday, April 8, 2005
UGH! Yuck. Survived one chapter and thought to myself, there are better books begging for my attention, and I closed the book and it has resided in my work bag ever since. I will have to post it to tqd, ASAP.

Sorry no good for me.

Journal Entry 12 by kirst040 from Sydney CBD, New South Wales Australia on Thursday, April 21, 2005
This arrived in the mail yesterday thanks.
I have one bookring ahead of it so should get it read and passed on in the next two weeks.

Journal Entry 13 by kirst040 from Sydney CBD, New South Wales Australia on Sunday, May 1, 2005
Argh !!! It appears I have misplaced this book. Which is not something I have ever done before and I'm really annoyed. I'll pick up a new copy over the next couple of days. I was about half way through (and really enjoying it) so I'll finish it and hopefully get it mailed off to eddi by the end of the week.
So sorry..

Update 9 May 2005: Picked up another copy on the weekend so will finish this week and pass on to the next reader.

Journal Entry 14 by kirst040 from Sydney CBD, New South Wales Australia on Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Thanks to my absent mindedness this bookray has moved here.

Journal Entry 15 by BookCemetery on Thursday, June 16, 2005
A great sadness descended upon the Management and Staff of the Book Cemetery on 01 May 2005 when the search for our missing Reading Companion was finally called off. Notwithstanding, peggysmum refused to admit that all was lost and carried on a lone search until exhaustion forced an admission of defeat. It is with a heavy heart that we here at the Book Cemetery must report receipt of the Missing In Action Report, tear-stained and crumpled (and the Post Master has promised retribution against the delivery boy who has been reading our mail). The Resurrection Team made an Executive Decision and in light of the delicate subject of the tome a Memorial Service was quickly arranged. Sadness and grief were evidenced in the faces of the many attendees at the Chapel of Last Chances where during the Service kirst040 fainted several times, and was heard to cry out "All is lost, all is lost...". The Memory of the dear departed was released to the ether at the Pool of Sighs as the Choir gave a magnificent rendition of "Like a Virgin" in dirge time. In one of those strange occurences that are a feature of Services here at the Book Cemetery a single white dove circled the area as the sorrowful congregation moved towards the carpark.

The Chief Mourner was peggysmum, who had to be supported during the Service. kirst040 was helped to a limousine and driven quickly away. The Management and Staff of the Book Cemetery extend sincere condolences at this sad time.

R.I.P.

Are you sure you want to delete this item? It cannot be undone.