Here is a book I finished June 11th 2016 at
12:21pm while at work.
The idea to read this book came after listening to an
interview with Eugenides on CBC radio a few years prior to reading. Having enjoyed a movie called The Virgin Suicides
which he wrote in the 90’s I figured why not give this one a try?
Without giving too much away; the book focuses on 3 main characters:
Madeline, Leonard, and Mitchell during their post secondary years and shortly
thereafter. The theme throughout is the developing love triangle that unfolds between
them. Their very unique struggles in life, coupled with their different upbringings allow the reader to follow closely as they try and cope with their experiences and with each other.
It takes place in the early 1980’s mostly varying places around the US with
some chapters in various overseas locations via Mitchell’s travels after
graduation. Each of
the characters is tasked with overcoming an obstacle; Leonard and his battle
with mental illness, Mitchell and his struggle with spirituality and loneliness,
and Madeline as she tries to equip herself with independence and to reach her full potential
while becoming held down by one of the others. These themes blend the individual characters and their
demons together to form a series of imperfectly timed moments, that force each
character down a path that strips them of their ability to properly find each
other in a happily ever after fairy-tale relationship. This cocktail of emotion makes one hell of a
good read as it rips the characters apart.
Sounds dull right? Wrong.
I would recommend this book to every university graduate
carving a sense of nostalgia, it was a literal time capsule. I could not
help but compare my personal university experiences to those of the main
characters in this book. I spent half the time day dreaming, taking a trip down memory lane. Those interested in issues
around mental health, spirituality, and what the fuck to do after they graduate
might want to have a read.
Eugenides has written a masterpiece. He describes the experience perfectly! This book is good to the last drop, and I found I had to read the last
few paragraphs several times to enjoy the beauty of that one particular moment
again and again.
This book is 409 pages long and it took me 2 years to
read...yes, 2 years. The Book was
interesting enough to finish in a day or two, as the story was something I
enjoyed immensely, however it was just one of those books I tried to get to but
never seemed to quite find the time for.
This was my mistake, as it brought me great joy to read and finish and
once completed I kicked myself in the ass for not doing it sooner.
On my sliding scale I give this book a solid 8/10. It might have ranked higher, but due to
taking so long to read it I feel I missed out on the full
experience...again...my mistake.
