The Virgin Suicides

For my first review of book vs movie adaptation, I have decided to review the classic; The Virgin Suicides. Originally published in 1993, The Virgin Suicides (written by Jeffrey Eugenides) was developed into a movie in 1999 (directed by Sophia Coppola). 

To briefly summarise the plot of the novel, the story centres around five girls, 'the Lisbon sisters', who are living in a small suburban town in the 1970s, and one by one take their own lives.

In my opinion the book itself was incredibly well written however, definitely not a casual read. This is because Eugenides chose to write from the perspective of a group of boys which meant there were multiple opinions/perspectives making it hard to keep up with. Despite this, my favourite part was that the book showcased that the sisters were more than just their tragic ending. They were all complex girls navigating adulthood and the essence of who they were behind closed doors could never be properly accessed.

The film in my opinion really brought the book to life, handling intense topics with sensitivity, and shedding light on the lack of understanding. However, it is definitely more for individuals who are cinephiles who would understand the different techniques used. For example, Coppola demonstrated that the girls were happy and carefree when away from their parents and the scrutiny of the town by increasing the pacing of the film making the watch more enjoyable. 

Although I enjoyed there were small gaps in the plot to emphasise the lack of an accurate narrator, as the girls’ true opinions or thoughts were never given, although, this was purposeful I can understand why some would be left confused.

Overall, I think the Virgin Suicides is an incredible book, but it is not one made for a casual reader or viewer. From this, I would suggest watching the movie as it was able to encompasses everything the book stood to achieve and did so beautifully.