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"I was born twice: first, as a baby girl, on a remarkably smogless Detroit day in January of 1960; and then again, as a teenage boy, in an emergency room near Petoskey, Michigan, in August of 1974." And so beginsMiddlesex, the mesmerizing saga of a near-mythic Greek American family and the "roller-coaster ride of a single gene through time." The odd but utterly believable story of Cal Stephanides, and how this 41-year-old hermaphrodite was raised as Calliope, is at the tender heart of this long-awaited second novel from Jeffrey Eugenides, whose elegant and haunting 1993 debut,The Virgin Suicides, remains one of the finest first novels of recent memory.
Eugenides weaves together a kaleidoscopic narrative spanning 80 years of a stained family history, from a fateful incestuous union in a small town in early 1920s Asia Minor to Prohibition-era Detroit; from the early days of Ford Motors to the heated 1967 race riots; from the tony suburbs of Grosse Pointe and a confusing, aching adolescent love story to modern-day Berlin. Eugenides's command of the narrative is astonishing. He balances Cal/Callie's shifting voices convincingly, spinning this strange and often unsettling story with intelligence, insight, and generous amounts of humor:
Emotions, in my experience aren't covered by single words. I don't believe in "sadness," "joy," or "regret."… I'd like to have at my disposal complicated hybrid emotions, Germanic traincar constructions like, say, "the happiness that attends disaster." Or: "the disappointment of sleeping with one's fantasy." ... I'd like to have a word for "the sadness inspired by failing restaurants" as well as for "the excitement of getting a room with a minibar." I've never had the right words to describe my life, and now that I've entered my story, I need them more than ever.
When you get to the end of this splendorous book, when you suddenly realize that after hundreds of pages you have only a few more left to turn over, you'll experience a quick pang of regret knowing that your time with Cal is coming to a close, and you may even resist finishing it--putting it aside for an hour or two, or maybe overnight--just so that this wondrous, magical novel might never end.--Brad Thomas Parsons
Truly Excellent Book, Highly Recommended This is honestly one of the best books I have ever read and I cannot say enough good things about it. The editorial reviews (Amazon.com and Publisher's Weekly) on the book's product page describe the book more perfectly and eloquently than I could, so I will start by saying I agree with those assessments.
Not only is the story extremely well-written and engaging, but Eugenides is impressively facile at juggling the many layers presented in the book's journey. The characters are well-rounded and the various transitions in the book, foremost the ones having to do with gender, are handled with surprising grace and ease. The tale may be somewhat odd, as one editorial review said, but I agree with the conclusion that it is still entirely believable. Plus, I think the oddness makes the story more fascinating and is part of its charm.
Though I am an avid reader, I don't read many books twice, but this is one I would like to read again. I thoroughly enjoyed it, came away with lots to think about, and have recommended it to just about everyone I know. A must-read!
A must read!! Middlesex is an amazing book that chronicles the Stephanides family through three generations. As the back cover says, it truly is the new american epic. Eugenides keeps readers incredibly engaged with interesting, well developed characters, creative chapter titles, and a plot that is unlike any other. My friends and I read this book for our senior symposium, and we are so glad that we did. I finished this book about two weeks ago and wished that there was more.
There is so much in this book to analyze, but at the same time, it is able to be read without any deep analysis or further investigation. It will appeal to readers of almost any age because there is a character for everyone to relate to. I highly recommend picking up a copy, its worth it.Middlesex=Excellentnovel My friend recommended this book, and so far he's never been wrong when he gives a title his thumbs-up. Beginning with the first sentence, I knew I couldn't put it down. It's funny, poignant, distressing, and fascinating. The characters are so finely crafted; my favorite is Desdemona, the narrator's grandma. She's so melodramatic and sweet, buffeted along by huge current, and personal, events. ("Bring yia-yia Epsom salts, honey mou.")
The narrator, Calliope/Cal, is born with a genetic abnormality that causes a specific type of hermaphroditism. Cal begins life as the long-awaited and beloved daughter of a first-generation Greek couple living in Detroit. The book, which other reviewers have justifiably called "Homeric," traces Cal's journey toward self-acceptance, and manhood.
This is the kind of book that keeps you sitting up nights, just until you finish the next chapter.
