Middlesex: A Novel by Jeffrey Eugenides Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Middlesex: A Novel
Book Review: Amazing
Summary: 5 Stars
I am an avid reader. I suck it all in- fiction and non-fiction. This book exemplifies what I love about both genres. It is beautifully poetic and masterfully crafted prose, yet it is steeped in the reality of so many characters and situations- forbidden love and emigration, puberty in a post-pubescent Detroit, the blending of sexes and the clash of cultures.Remember when you were young and thought you weren't normal? Your body was strange, you weren't sure if you had the right parts, the right feelings . . most of us wake up and out of that phase, if not gradually. Callie does everything she can to convince herself- without exposing her uncertainties- that she is normal. Yet in slight incidences, she knows she cannot be. What is amazing is how she transforms without hating herself, more than most of us can say who have faced fewer obstacles.
I recommend this book to all readers- epic lovers, historical fiction fans, scientists (along with "As Nature Made Him," a true story similar to Callie's, involving the famous sexologist John Money mimicked in this work by Dr. Luce), but especially to those who have ever felt out of place in her/his skin. This work beautifully illustrates that abnormality itself is the most natural state.
Book Review: An Amazing Book
Summary: 5 Stars
This is one of the best books I've read in a very long time. Despite the unusual subject matter, this is a human and compassionate read. It is sweet, disturbing, evocative and touching. I especially enjoyed the descriptions of Detroit in the '60s, and the poignant "coming of age" viewpoint. Euginides is a master storyteller.Book Review: An Appeal for Girls, Boys, and Both
Summary: 5 Stars
This is not a "book about..." type read. I'm confident in saying so because I was told it was a "book about a hermaphrodite". I won't argue with that statement but I wouldn't pass that information on because the statement is so limited. Limits are something Jeffrey Eugenides doesn't seem to recognize. His writing and subject matter both exceeded my expectations and went beyond the limits of "normalcy". While presenting matters such as incest, deciet, and hermaphroditism, Eugenides never alienated the reader. I felt very close to the characters despite the fact that I don't relate to them at all. Another large factor in the book dealt with the family's Greek origins and their fluctuating loyalty to Greek tradition and orthodoxy amongst an ever changing American society. 'Middlesex' makes me think of struggle because whether it was a battle for love, happiness, or econimic stability, all the characters struggled alone and with one another for acceptance. That's something everyone can relate to and with the eloquence of Eugenides' writing, it's something everyone, boys, girls, and both can recognize and deal with by understanding the characters in the book. Caliope, a hermaphrodite, is (at least) the third generation steming from two incestuous relationships. The danger of altering the chromosomal make up of offspring as a result of incest, is avoided the first time but Caliope does not escape. At birth, it appears Caliope is a healthy little girl and so "she" is raised as such. Placed in an all girls' prep school she begins to feel ugly, akward, and different during puberty. "She" does not develop -- "he" does. Caliope discovers sexuality on a vacation with her good friend which eventually results in the discovery of "it" - "him". Life for Caliope's family is seriously disrupted as a result and (s)he leaves on a journey of self discovery. When (s)he is so far gone that (s)he's forced to call home, the family is already permanently changed. The ending ties together the original sin (incest), and it's realized repurcussions (Caliope) in a touching scene involving Callie and Desdemona (the grandmother). Sad but beautiful, the book seems occult when reflecting upon the issues it deals with, yet common and understandable after reading it and connecting with its characters.
Book Review: An Uncommon Read
Summary: 5 Stars
I was describing this book to a reading group yesterday. Just four of us, having lunch. There seemed to be a slight cringe factor at the subject matter. I shrugged this off, thinking oh well, they will miss out on an excellent story, told by an extremely talented writer. This tale is told with great sensitivity, humor, and compassion. A baby girl is born, a teenaged boy is reborn. An adult male finds a friend. The story of the immigrant grandparents was a necessary prelude to understanding Cal, and I'm glad Eugenides did his research and wove the history into the book. Such exceptional insights into the ethnic family relationships and foibles. I learned a great deal about herophraditism, and the psychological studies of the 1970's. Whew...cannot seem to express my thoughts here. Get this book; it's great.Book Review: An amazing, if uneven, story
Summary: 4 Stars
Jeffrey Eugenides is a treasure, no question. This book is obviously well researched, and the number of threads he is able to weave together is head-spinning. And perhaps therein lies my only trouble with this tale of transgender told in Homeric proportion: It is so good I wanted it to be better. The last 1/8 of the book needed more development imho, and I was ultimately disappointed. Having said that, I will still be first in line for whatever Eugenides comes up with next. Perhaps the further adventures of Cal Stephanides?