Customer Reviews

Middlesex

5 star:		(65)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

More than just the memoir of a 41 year old hemaphrodite, Middlesex is his family's history, focusing on his grandparents, a brother and sister who married, passing on a gene that determined Calliope Stephanides fate. The story goes back to their native Greece and the civil strife that led the grandparents to America, where they settled in Detroit, whose own strife, racial riots in the 1960s, would help determine the family's fate. Callie grows up amidst all of it, a happy go lucky girl early in life who doesn't develop the way her friends do at adolesence, which is when things get interesting. The family goes to New York to see the world's foremost gender research doctor, who suggests hormones and minor surgery to restore Callie's feminity. But Callie calls him a liar and takes off, heading West to SF where she lives for awhile, displaying herself in a porn shop. In the end is a family reunion, the high point being a conversation with her grandmother, in her 80s and nearly gone, but lucid enough to admit the truth about her past, which sheds light on Cal's present. A fascinating and impressive book.

I wasn't sure if I would like this book initially. A friend had recommended Middlesex to me a couple of years ago and I had made a mental note but other books kept bumping this one down the list. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and characters. The story spans 3 generations and ultimately captures most of the major themes of life. Our protagonist Callie/Cal is immediately interesting to the reader as she narates her family history whilst foreshadowing her interesting and somewhat tragic gender identity. My only criticism is that the Father Mike scene at the end of the novel didn't seem to fit cleanly with the flow of the story at that point. I did laugh out loud while reading this scene however. Highly recommended.

Was really looking forward to this read picked by a member of my bookclub. The subject matter really intrigued me and I had also not read any of Eugenide's work.
Was extrememly disappointed. Kept waiting for the story of Callie to develop. Was so waiting to get into her head! Felt no connection to her or any of the other characters. I wanted more insight on how it felt to be living in her body and mind.
The topic of Hermaphrodites is not a topic explored often and I think this could have been a great platform to do that.
Had a really hard time finishing the book.

This is one of my all time favourite novels and it actually made me start a reading "salon" group in 2003. And I hate reading groups! I was just so excited to share this book with as many people as possible. Middlesex is a multi-layered, sprawling cosmos of a story. Eugenides is as good at tiny details, like the subtle social cues in a group of suburban teenage girls, as he is at conveying the complexity of civil war in Asia Minor and race riots in 1960's Detroit. It is sexy, thought-provoking and wildly original. You can luxuriate in the rich detail or tear through it in the bath while your toes go pruney, because it is such a fantastic page-turner. It's one of those books that leaves you bereft when you get to the last page because you just want it to go on and on. I read this when it came out and for the next year I gave it to just about everyone I knew as a birthday present.

Middlesex is the perfect place to be on a blustery fall afternoon.

First of all, I blame M. Eugenides for me being so tired. I just couldn't put this book down, going to bed to late for a mother of young children. Callie/cal is the best character I've ever had the pleasure to read. This book has everything you would want in a book. From being well written to making you laugh. Travelling trou wars and living as a person of another ethicity. Eugenides takes you tru 3 amazing generations of lovable people, making you question if something like that could happen to you and your family. You will not be able to put this book down. Middlesex is light yet hard to take at some periods of time. Sexy and blend, tearfull and wishfull. Enjoy the ride.

Middlesex spans three generations of a Greek-American family, the Stephanides. Calliope, of the youngest generation narrates. Through her, we learn the history of all of the generations and their secrets. The story is really about Calliope, but we can't learn about her without first going through her family history. You see, Callie is not your regular kind of girl.

With lyrical prose that flies off the page, Jeffrey Eugenides writes a refreshingly different story, one that will stay with me. He gets a little wordy in a couple places, however his humor and beautiful writing makes up for this.

I haven't read his book The Virgin Suicides; however, I definitely plan to now.

This has become a staple of great literature. From the opening sentence to the last heart-breaking paragraph, this book will keep you glued to its pages. Eugenides is a master of plot and his Virgin Suicides, which is now a movie, is also every bit as good as Middlesex. Great title, great plot, great everything. Also would reommend the novel Kite Runner for something equal to this.

I didn't thing this would be the kind of book I would enjoy based on what I thought the book was about. However, this was one of the best books I have read in a long time.
Be careful, you'll find yourself reading this one in bed until the wee hours of the morning.

This is a big book; Beginning with the first sentence, however, 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. 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 would also encourage one to read The Fates by Tino Georgiou. I highly recommend picking up a copy, its worth it.

I loved this book. It takes you by the hand and never lets go. I had a really hard time putting it down. I loved the way it was written. You feel every thing that everyone is feeling. You feel Cal's pain, loneliness and then his pleasure. Take the time to read it. It was worth it.