Middlesex tells the breathtaking story of Calliope Stephanides, and three generations of the Greek-American Stephanides family, who travel from a tiny village overlooking Mount Olympus in Asia Minor to Prohibition-era Detroit, witnessing its glory days as the Motor City and the race riots of 1967 before moving out to the tree-lined streets of suburban Grosse Pointe, Michigan. To understand why Calliope is not like other girls, she has to uncover a guilty family secret, and the astonishing genetic history that turns Callie into Cal, one of the most audacious and wondrous narrators in contemporary fiction. Lyrical and thrilling, Middlesex is an exhilarating reinvention of the American epic.
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0 0This was a very thought-provoking book, which I got on audio book and I really enjoyed the narrator.
The actual format of the writing was different from possibly anything I've ever read before, and I think Eugenides did it very well. There was a "frame" of relatively current day Cal writing this book and putting down his thoughts and remembrances, which I think was very effective overall. There were shifts between first person and third person so that the fullest of detail and personal expression could be accomplished, and I never found this to be confusing.
One result of these shifts: I felt that characters were very charming and understandable and easy to sympathize with while the story was focusing on them (though often in the third person), but when the point of view was from Cal or more generalized, the characters came across as not smart or as pitiable. An example of this is Desdemona, whom I liked and found fascinating while the novel was focused on her at the beginning, but I really did not like her later in the book, when we were focused on Tessie and saw Tessie's opinions on Desdemona or viewed Desdemona's actions.
I think this effect is very interesting, because I think it may reflect how people view themselves: I think of myself as one way, and this is because I'm in my own head, but obviously others see me differently, and probably not as flattering.
Detroit played a big role as the setting, the abundant prose about Detroit and the time setting of the main character's childhood was pleasant and strongly picturesque--the location was vivid in my mind.
I thought the handling of The Object storyline was a fascinating way to have Cal(lie) start to wonder or discover or lead up to the revelations. The friendship and internal dialogue felt very realistic without making Callie seem too naive or stupid.
One complaint: when Cal went home for the first time as Cal, I felt that 15 year old only-been-a-male-for-a-little-while Cal came across as very wise and accepting of his family and their reactions. I wanted there to be a bit of crying and discussion with various family members--more explanation from young Cal as to his decisions, reasoning, and feelings. Also, I really wanted the book to not end there! I was interested in how Cal was received by the public and friends and school, more than I was interested in his family, as I had already assumed his family would continue to love him and support him. While in first person present, he had made many references to the good relationship he had with his mother, so I knew that she had loved him and supported him. I think it would have been great to know more about the hardships he had faced after coming home, though I suppose this could have possibly come across as inauthentic.
Also, though the very end implies that current adult Cal found someone to love in Julie, I was annoyed that that relationship was formed but not explored--would Julie have still been on board with Cal's physical appearance post-sex? Were they together in a happily ever after way? This was very "cue music and end credits!"
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