The Virgin Suicides
Jeffrey Eugenides
13 min
6 Key Points
4.5 RateWhat's inside?
Dive into a haunting and poignant tale of five sisters, their mysterious suicides, and the boys who could never forget them, all set in a suburban American neighborhood.
Key points
01The Enigma of the Lisbon Sisters
The Lisbon girls - Cecilia, Lux, Bonnie, Mary, and Therese - were the embodiment of purity and allure, their otherworldly beauty ensnaring the hearts of the neighborhood boys. Their father, Mr. Lisbon, was a stern high school math teacher, while their mother was a traditional homemaker, both deeply rooted in their Catholic faith. The girls were educated within the confines of their home, their social interactions were stringently curtailed, making them the subject of intrigue and conjecture among their peers. Cecilia, the youngest at the tender age of 13, was the most introspective and melancholic of the sisters. Her first attempt to end her life, where she slashed her wrists while submerged in a bath, sent tremors of shock and disbelief through the community. She survived, but the incident only intensified the enigma that shrouded the Lisbon family. A psychiatrist, concerned for her mental health, suggested that Cecilia be allowed to mingle more, leading to a supervised party at the Lisbon residence. However, the party culminated in a horrifying tragedy when Cecilia, adorned in a wedding dress, leaped from her bedroom window and impaled herself on the wrought-iron fence below. Her untimely death left an indelible mark on the community, particularly the neighborhood boys who had attended the party. They found themselves ensnared in an obsession with the remaining Lisbon sisters, observing their house from a distance and hoarding keepsakes that bore any connection to the girls. The Lisbon residence, once a beacon of suburban normality, morphed into a tomb. The remaining sisters were withdrawn from school and their lives became even more cloistered. The boys, in the throes of their obsession, could only bear witness as the Lisbon house plunged into an abyss of despair, the girls' lives unfolding into a series of tragic events that they were powerless to halt.
02Cecilia's Despair
In the wake of Cecilia's initial brush with death, the Lisbon household, already shrouded in an air of mystery, retreated further into its shell. The neighborhood, in a well-intentioned but ultimately fruitless endeavor, extended their hands in a bid to bridge the chasm that separated the Lisbons from the rest of the world. Yet, the Lisbons, under the iron-fisted rule of their stern parents, spurned these gestures of goodwill, choosing instead to sink deeper into their self-imposed seclusion. Cecilia, the youngest of the five ethereal Lisbon sisters, bore the brunt of this suffocating environment. Trapped within the iron-clad constraints imposed by her parents, she found herself yearning for the freedom and joy that seemed to elude her at every turn. Her despair was so profound, so all-consuming, that she chose to escape the only way she knew how - by ending her own life. Her second attempt at suicide, tragically, did not fail. Her untimely demise sent ripples of shock and disbelief through the community, deepening the enigma that cloaked the Lisbon family. The neighborhood boys, who had been observing the Lisbons from a distance, were particularly shaken. They found themselves drawn to the Lisbon sisters, their fascination morphing into an almost unhealthy obsession. They began to weave together the narrative of the Lisbons, gathering keepsakes and recounting sightings and encounters, in a desperate attempt to make sense of the tragedy that had unfolded in their tranquil suburb. Their collective voice narrates the tale, offering a haunting and poignant commentary on the events that transpire. Their words paint a vivid picture of the Lisbon sisters - beautiful, enigmatic, and ultimately, tragic figures, forever etched in the collective memory of the neighborhood.
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03The Lisbon House: A Prison
04Lux's Rebellion
05The Final Descent
06Conclusion
About Jeffrey Eugenides
Jeffrey Eugenides is an American novelist and short story writer. He is best known for his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel "Middlesex" and his debut "The Virgin Suicides." His works often explore themes of identity, adolescence, and the human condition. Eugenides is a professor of Creative Writing at Princeton University.