Middlesex: A Novel (edit title)

• Rated 3 stars

“good book”

• Rated 5 stars

““I was born twice…” this book begins. What an intriguing start. And the story lives up to the promise of those words. The past of a young man’s grandparents makes a curious historical love story, taking the reader from the burning of Smyrna to the burning of a Detroit suburb, with odd detours through the beginnings of radical Islam and the American dream. I loved the quiet mystery of the main character, the challenge of unknown identity that slowly changes to known but strange. And I loved the challenge to the reader’s preconceptions in the writing. How would we react? And what right would we have to complain? Cal, or Calliope, is Greek and American, man and woman, but above all human, and this delightfully human tale paints a picture of him that sings. ”

• Rated 4 stars

“I liked that it took place in a time and place that I could relate to and was familiar with.”

• Rated 5 stars

“F'ing amazing, I loved it. I couldn't put this book down and I recommend it to everyone who can stand to listen to me.”

• Rated 5 stars

“What can I say about Middlesex, but 'wow'. This book definitely should be on an avid readers bookshelf. Eugenides' writing style leaves his readers enveloped in the plot, enticed by what lies on the next page. Middlesex is about a Greek couple that immigrates to America to find a better life, but in doing so, reveals the prejudice that lies in each individual. Incest, the main theme in the novel, defines the deep rooted racism in every person. Eugenides seems to say that, as humans, innately we hate others so much so that we would rather marry within the family circle to affirm that who we marry does not have a mixture of different races. The narrator, a gender confused individual, is raised as a female, but later finds out that she is in fact a hermaphrodite. This revelation depicts the corruption caused to those who hate based solely on race. Other interpretations of Middlesex may vary, but, it is definitely worth reading. ”

• Rated 4 stars

“A fascinating, intricate story about an unusual protagonist, with some history of Greece/Turkey thrown in for good measure, as well as snapshots from the rise & fall of Detroit. This tale covers so much ground, on so many human levels, as well as historical and biological ones, it is hard to explain what the story really is. Know that it is well worth reading.”

• Rated 3 stars

“Good book. Interesting topic and make me google to read more. And I always enjoy books that are chronological (told the story of his parents, grandparents, etc).”

• Rated 4 stars

“A great exploration of identity and sexuality combined with a fascinating European family history and their journey to the United States. ”

• Rated 5 stars

“This is such a good book! Original and engrossing. I loved it.”

• Rated 4 stars

“Really different topic, really interesting, some new things about Detroit for me... really good story”