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MIDDLESEX PB Paperback – June 20, 2013

by Jeffrey Eugenides (Author)

4.4 11,962 ratings

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Everyone struggles against despair, but it always wins in the end. It has to. It’s the thing that lets us say goodbye.
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Fourth Estate (June 20, 2013)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 544 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0007528647
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0007528646
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.76 x 1.38 x 5.16 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,622,737 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.4 11,962 ratings

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Jeffrey Eugenides

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Jeffrey Eugenides -- winner of the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for Middlesex -- was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1960. His first novel, The Virgin Suicides, was published in 1993, and has since been translated into fifteen languages and made into a major motion picture. His second novel, Middlesex, was an international bestseller. Jeffrey Eugenides is the recipient of many awards, including the Pulitzer Prize, fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and The National Foundation for the Arts, a Whiting Writers' Award, and the Harold D. Vursell Award from The American Academy of Arts and Letters. He has been a Fellow of the Berliner Künstlerprogramm of the DAAD and of the American Academy in Berlin. Jeffrey Eugenides lives in Berlin.

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Ariel D.

Beautifully written

Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2024

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Worth it for the beautiful writing, and love the character development and historical layering. Very moving story

One person found this helpful

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Jenn

Glad I read it, wouldn't read it again or tell others the NEED to

Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2015

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I know this is a well loved book and has won Pulizter Prize but I was left with a feeling of wanting and basically a bit let down. I expected to read a book with a main focus on Callie and being born a hermaphrodite with supporting histories spanning the 8 decades the synopsis speaks of. However, what I got was something that felt much more like two separate books.

The first 50% of the book is background story of Callie/Cal’s heritage. Who he came from, where he came from why he came to be before he ever came to be. Some of the details seemed unimportant to that aspect unless in fact the main point of the story was the history of this family. So I diligently read the first 50% with Cal interjecting from time to time and narrating in an omnipresent way that rather baffled me. Still I wonder how he supposedly knew all he did. For me it would have been much better narrated by an unknown all seeing person that would allow me to explain away how I was be informed about stuff that Cal would have never known.

After 50% we start getting into more of Cal’s childhood, his life and being him. But unlike the first part of the book where he seems to know everything, talking about himself instead seems rather difficult. It is as if he is not comfortable describing his life and giving much details and this felt rather frustrating. Even if it is a device or perhaps a way to emphasize how he feels about himself it was rather annoying after the time I spent getting to know his family when what i wanted was the exploration and insite into Cal.

It was not until 80% when I finally got what I was looking for when I started this journey of a novel. For me this is what I thought the focus would be and it is where I finally became engrossed again in the story. Truth is between 60 & 80% of the book I contemplated putting it down and walking away I was so frustrated. I am glad I stuck it out but still it was not enough of an ending to make up for the blah of the middle. For me it felt like two separate books and I would have happily read the book on the family history as a separate story all together and then one on Cal/Callie if only the depth of exploration in to Cal’s life was further explored.

A very informative read that I found enlightening in many ways and am glad I read but not sure I will ever explore it again.

14 people found this helpful

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Viola Chen

Engaging, convincing, and well-crafted

Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2012

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I plunged into Middlesex the way I prefer to do all of my fiction reading - without knowing anything about the book - and I am so very grateful to have done that particularly with this one. If you are reading this review, then either (i) you have already read the book and are curious for other's opinions or (ii) you are clearly not like me, otherwise you wouldn't be reading this review. If you haven't read the book and your mind isn't already tainted with pre-conceived notions about it, I suggest you stop reading this review and simply pick up the book. It is excellent, and that's all you need to know.

Okay, then, that's my warning. The rest of this review will reveal some bare bones facts on what this book is about, and don't say that I didn't warn you against forming pre-conceived notions.

In brilliant and engaging prose, Eugenides tells us a story that spans three generations of the Stephanides family through the omniscient eyes of its youngest member. The fact that the story spans three generations suggests that it would be an epic novel, but to me it's not epic. It feels intimate and warm, not grand. And, although we do learn about the narrator's grandparents and parents, the story is ultimately about the narrator, who is a hermaphrodite. Some reviewers have commented on how the book seems divided into two stories - the family saga and the hermaphrodite. Sadly, I think that interpretation misses the point of this novel. It's one story, because you are your parents' child just as you are your grandparents' grandchild.

I found the novel so convincing that I started to wonder if Eugenides himself was a hermaphrodite and if this book was a dramatized autobiography. No, he is not and this book is not, but that is how realistic it feels. Eugenides succeeds because he doesn't make us pity the poor creature nor does he create a freak show. Instead, he makes the narrator incredibly and unbelievably human.

Not only is the story itself compelling, but the words conveying that story are well-crafted. Eugenides is an adept storyteller. His words flow like water. The narration is completely engrossing and easy to read. Now, I don't mean easy to read as in the writing is simplistic or elementary. I just mean that it doesn't feel like you are reading a heavy piece of literature. It doesn't tax your brain. The words just flow, and I absolutely love that.

One last point. In this book, Eugenides perfects an often neglected aspect of storytelling and that is the story arc. Most authors get away with ignoring the arc. It's not necessary for a bestseller, nor is it necessary in the way beautiful prose is for literary acclaim. But, in this novel, the story arc is textbook perfect. The beginning establishes a solid foundation. The middle maintains a steady pace and then crescendos beautifully until it climaxes fairly close to the end. At last, the conclusion releases all of the built up tension, ultimately leaving the reader feeling completely satisfied.

Completely satisfied.

8 people found this helpful

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Alexa

Best novel ever

Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2024

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This is definitely my favorite novel and I'm glad I picked a copy so I could reread it. I literally couldn't put it down. The story is so compelling and I love the multi-generational aspect of the storyline. Eugenides is a talented novelist and I only wish he had more books out.

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ROSEBUD

great read

Reviewed in Canada on August 16, 2021

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wonderful character development, historical finesse, lots of education on issues rarelly written about…well worth the investment in terms of learning

C. McCarthy

A most unusual story

Reviewed in France on April 15, 2024

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This book was fascinating. The narrator holds your attention, leading you through a serpentine life and family history. I definitely recommend it!

Delivered in a good condition.

A bit stiff binding.

Reviewed in India on April 9, 2024

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Athanassia

A classic

Reviewed in Germany on July 2, 2023

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This is a book not to miss, if you are interested in any of the main themes it deals with, and in great writing style: gender dysphoria, U.S. immigrant experience, interwar years, civil rights movement, Detroit history. I had a copy which I gave as a present to a friend, then ordered again. It is a book I want in my bookcase!