Author: Jeffrey Eugenides
Jeffrey's debut novel, showcases his phenomenal talent at storytelling. The book starts out with a young girl attempting suicide and very soon you are told in no uncertain terms that there are going to be several more to come. Against this macabre backdrop, he describes suburban life as seem from the vantage point of teenage boys going through their adolescent years in a typical American suburb in the seventies. Jeffery has the uncanny ability to intersperse tragedy, romance and humor in the same breath and you will find yourself turning page after page lapping up the developments, however bizarre they may be.
I recently read the graphic novel "My friend Dahmer", and was struck by the interesting contrast of these two books. Both describe rather tragic outcomes of a dysfunctional family, however they are very different. The Dahmer story is true, whereas the "virgin suicides" are a work of fiction; Jeffrey Dahmer is a boy and these are five girls; Dahmer takes others lives, here they take their own lives; the book is dark and serious; this one has black humor; Dahmer's parents ignore him; here the parents don't leave the girls out of their sight. Both books highlight the dangers of neglecting to understand adolescent children and the importance of giving them room to explore their world and express themselves in a safe way.
I recently read the graphic novel "My friend Dahmer", and was struck by the interesting contrast of these two books. Both describe rather tragic outcomes of a dysfunctional family, however they are very different. The Dahmer story is true, whereas the "virgin suicides" are a work of fiction; Jeffrey Dahmer is a boy and these are five girls; Dahmer takes others lives, here they take their own lives; the book is dark and serious; this one has black humor; Dahmer's parents ignore him; here the parents don't leave the girls out of their sight. Both books highlight the dangers of neglecting to understand adolescent children and the importance of giving them room to explore their world and express themselves in a safe way.
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