
'Middlesex' by Jeffrey Eugenides is a multi-generational family saga that delves into the history of the Greek American Stephanides family, tracing their journey from a tiny village in Asia Minor to Prohibition-era Detroit and suburban Michigan. At the heart of the story is the protagonist, Cal, who navigates questions of gender identity, family secrets, and personal history. The narrative weaves together elements of history, mythology, and science, creating a rich tapestry of immigrant experiences, interwoven with themes of assimilation, discrimination, and the fluidity of identity.
Eugenides' writing style is described as mesmerizing, with a fast-paced and fascinating prose that keeps readers engaged from the first sentence. The novel is praised for its unique storytelling approach, blending humor and empathy to explore complex themes such as gender, family dynamics, and cultural heritage. The character development, especially that of Cal, is highlighted as a standout feature, with readers finding themselves deeply absorbed in the story and characters.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include discussions of sexual identity, incest, and themes of violence and discrimination.
Has Romance?
The book contains elements of romance, particularly in the relationships explored, but it is not primarily focused on romance.
From The Publisher:
Middlesex is the winner of the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
A dazzling triumph from the bestselling author of The Virgin Suicides-the astonishing tale of a gene that passes down through three generations of a Greek-American family and flowers in the body of a teenage girl.
"I was born twice: first, as a baby girl, on a remarkably smogless Detroit day of January 1960; and then again, as a teenage boy, in an emergency room near Petoskey, Michigan, in August of l974. . . My birth certificate lists my name as Calliope Helen Stephanides. My most recent driver's license...records my first name simply as Cal."
So begins the breathtaking story of Calliope Stephanides and three generations of the Greek-American Stephanides family who travel from a tiny village overlooking Mount Olympus in Asia Minor to Prohibition-era Detroit, witnessing its glory days as the Motor City, and the race riots of l967, before they move out to the tree-lined streets of suburban Grosse Pointe, Michigan. To understand why Calliope is not like other girls, she has to uncover a guilty family secret and the astonishing genetic history that turns Callie into Cal, one of the most audacious and wondrous narrators in contemporary fiction. Lyrical and thrilling, Jeffrey Eugenides's Middlesex is an exhilarating reinvention of the American epic.
Ratings (89)
Incredible (19) | |
Loved It (39) | |
Liked It (22) | |
It Was OK (6) | |
Did Not Like (3) |
Reader Stats (188):
Read It (95) | |
Currently Reading (3) | |
Want To Read (64) | |
Did Not Finish (5) | |
Not Interested (21) |
3 comment(s)
What ever it was that compelled me last time didn't seem to pull me into the story as much this time. I felt a rather big disconnect to the story so I'm dnfing it. Maybe I'll give it a reread some other time but this time I've got to many other books I rather want to read
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It was a very interesting book, very long and sometimes it feelt like it draged a bit, but I did overall enjoy it. Some parts of it was very engaging. Not quite a 5 stars but not far from it
Reinforced my belief that transgender issues are overlooked in feminism, let alone mainstream politics.
Good lord what a phenomenal book. A bit slow in the beginning but the last chapter makes up for it.
About the Author:
Jeffrey Eugenides was born in Detroit and attended Brown and Stanford Universities. His first novel, The Virgin Suicides, was published by Farrar Straus & Giroux to great acclaim in 1993, and he has received numerous awards for his work. In 2003, Jeffrey Eugenides received The Pulitzer Prize for his novel Middlesex (Picador, 2003). Middlesex, which was also a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, France's Prix Medicis, has sold over four million copies.
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