5.18.2011

Middlesex by Jeffery Eugenides


I hadn't gotten old enough yet to realize that living sends a person not into the future but back into the past, to childhood and before birth, finally, to commune with the dead... In this life we grow backwards.

When I picked up this book I was expecting to read a narrative about a hermaphrodite. On the surface that is what I got, however it turned out to be much more than that. Middlesex is Eugenides' magnum opus, a grand narrative that weaves the story of three generations of Greek-Americans into an unforgeable piece of literature. The synopsis of this novel claims it is a "reinvention of the American epic" and I think that is an accurate description. The work as a whole felt organic and pieced together many working parts so perfectly that I was left in awe.

The novel is preoccupied with the idea splits and divides; within our identity, our desires, our families, our culture and our place in the world. Our narrator, Calliope (or Callie, and later Cal) is a personification of this divide and inhabits the vulnerable threshold of these boarders. Among other things, he is divided between mind and body, between reason and passion. As the title implies, Middlesex raises questions about gender identity and removes the preconceived notions that these gender distinctions are black and white. It examines the difference between gender and sex, and the extent to which these identities are socially molded verses genetically inherited. In what capacity do our genes dictate our destiny?
Parents are supposed to pass down physical traits to their children, but it's my belief that all sorts of other things get passed down to: motifs, scenarios, even fates.
Eugenides also highlights the theme of escape and the anonymity of recreation it allows. He explores this idea on many levels, from escaping one's homeland to escaping one's body and finally, escaping life (in death) and its implications:
Out in these streets people were embroiled in a thousand matters, money problems, love problems, school problems. People were falling in love, getting married, going to drug rehab, learning how to ice-skate, getting bifocals, studying for exams, trying on clothes, getting their hair cut, and getting born. And in some houses people were getting old and sick and were dying, leaving others to grieve. It was happening all the time, unnoticed, and it was the thing that really mattered.What really mattered in life, what give it weight, was death.
This is truly an amazing book. If you haven't already read it, I highly recommended you do so. I should also mention this would be a great choice for a book club, as I feel there is much to discuss. Middlesex won the Pulitzer Prize in 2003.

Publisher: Picador, 2002

19 comments:

  1. I listened to this on audiobooks while i drove my then high school daughter to music lessons and back. Both she and I LOVED it. It is so quirky that I'm sure that some gals in my book club would hate it. But not me. Big fan!

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  2. I so loved this book as well, and can't wait for his 2011 release.

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  3. Ah, I hope you enjoy The Unit. I definitely think it is worth it to be put back on a TBR :)

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  4. This is a great review, Brenna! I absolutely loved Middlesex- could not stop reading. I agree that the story was wholly original, and while dense, it was so intriguing and believable I felt like I had experienced it all. I felt like the last 50 pages were a bit hurried, but perhaps like Cal's snap decision to try on his newly discovered "natural" gendered identity, this was intentional. Cal's grandmother's life really fascinated me; I feel like her narrative alone could have served as a story. I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Have you read The Virgin Suicides? Middlesex was the first and only Eugenides title for me, so I'm thinking I should read that as well.

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  5. Pulitzer has been leading things for the last ten years. They've been rewarding the right writers and made their careers. I'll make sure to check it out.

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  6. Your post makes me want to try to read Middlesex again, for the third time. I just can't get into it. But, maybe I need to force myself into a couple more chapters...

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  7. Anne, I'm happy you and your daughter liked it!

    Diane, I know me either. I don't even know that much about it, but I can't wait.

    history, Good to know! I trust your taste in books so I'm happy I got it.

    Beth, The last 50 pages did feel hurried. I thought there would be more of a focus on Cal as a man and how he and his family delt with it, but I think Euginides wanted to highlight the transformation of it all, the unraveling of an identity rather than the identity itself. I also agree that Cal's grandmother's story was a great one and could stand alone. I like that her story paralleled Cal's story, as far as feeling divided and conflicted. I have not read Virgin Suicides - I hear it's not as good as Middlesex. I may read it some day but I am also really looking forward to Euginides new novel that will be released in fall of this year.

    Ben, Pulitzer judges are on their game. I've got Goon Squad sitting on my nightstand and I'm pretty excited about it.

    Katy, It starts out a little slow. I would give it another go if I were you!

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  8. I loved this one too. I was expecting something very serious and was thrilled to discover a wonderful sense of humor woven throughout the book. I didn't love the Virgin Suicides, but I can't wait for his new one to come out this year.

    I'm with you on the Pulitzers too. I've found so manu wonderful books tthrough their awards.

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  9. What I loved about this book is that it gave the perspective of an intersex/transgendered person without being sensational about it, and used that experience to highlight important themes about self and family, thereby generalizing the experiences of a group that very few people really understand into something completely human and relatable. I thought that it was really well done!

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  10. Melissa, I haven't heard great things about The Virgin Suicides. I may skip that one.

    Heather, You're right, Euginides did a nice job breaking down stereotypes that are associated with transgenders.

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  11. i haven't read it, but after you're review, i'm putting it on my TBR!

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  12. I got this one out of the library last week. After reading your review, I think it will be the next book I read.

    And I disagree with Melissa - I loved the Virgin Suicides. It was very atmospheric and evocative.

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  13. Stephanie, Yay!

    Tiny Library, It sounds like I shouldn't dismiss The Virgin Suicides just yet...

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  14. I listed this book as one I'm going to read as part of a challenge. I can't wait to start it!

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  15. So glad to see you recommend this one! Middlesex is absolutely one of my all-time favorite books and words really cannot express how intelligently written and intricately-woven this story is! Great review!

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  16. This is a fantastic book, I'm so glad you enjoyed it. I also liked The Virgin Suicides although it wasn't as good as Middlesex.
    I really liked your review. Great quotes!

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  17. Kate, I read this for the classics challenge - so glad I did.

    Laura, It's a new favorite of mine now too!

    Amy, Thanks. I think I'll check out The Virgin Suicides sometime soon.

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  18. Nice review, and I love the quotes you selected. This was a book club selection and all the members weren't sure what to make of it. Maybe it was meant to shock and awe? After reading your thoughts I might have to give Middlesex a second try sometime.

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  19. Whitney, I don't think it was meant to shock and awe at all. In fact, I wasn't shocked in the least. I think it was meant to be an intimate portrait of a very unique American family. If you give it another go let me know your thoughts!

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