The Virgin Suicides

Structure and Organization

"The Virgin Suicides" is Jeffrey Eugenides' debut novel, first published in 1993. It tells the story of the five Lisbon sisters who commit suicide within a year. The novel is narrated by men who lived next door to the sisters during their childhood and teenage years, viewing this story as a defining event of their youth. The narrative is told from a collective first-person perspective—a group of men recalling the details many years after the events. The story is presented through their eyes, using various materials: diary entries, photographs, medical reports, and interviews with people connected to the Lisbon sisters. This unusual narrative structure allows the reader to piece together the story alongside the narrators, creating a multidimensional and complex view of the Lisbon sisters' tragedy.