Middlesex -- kookiejar's review
Friday, July 27, 2007 by kookie
I always feel like my weakest, least persuasive reviews are about the books I love the most. I just don't have the words to describe feelings this strong.
I am left nearly speechless over this book. I could turn to any random page and pull out line after line of beautiful, fully engaging prose, but that would be a disservice to this work which must be viewed as a whole.
Our narrator, Calliope Stephanides is telling us her history reaching as far back as her grandparents courtship in Greece and Turkey. That most unconventional relationship gives way to the marriage of Cal's parents and then to the birth of our heroine. A heroine who in the course of time discovers that she is neither female or male and yet both. Cal is a true hermaphrodite and her story is the tale of how we see ourselves as men and women and as Americans.
It gets down to the nitty gritty about how we identify ourselves. Is our sexuality based on our anatomies or our hearts? And are we Americans based on the country of our births or rather what place we call home? These are questions that we must answer for ourselves, and not let anyone else decide. The answers are at the very heart of who we are and what our place in the world should be.
I was held enthralled by Eugenides gorgeous prose, unusual sense of humor and unique perspective into the hearts and minds of the Stephanides family. There is not one character in this book that you don't become fully attached to. These are characters that continued to live in my mind long after I'd put this book back on my shelf and walked away.
Please do yourself a favor and read this book. You will not regret one moment that you spend with these unforgettable people.
As always, my blog is here.
This is my all-time favourite book. I think you did a fine job reviewing it :)
Thank you nymeth. I had a heck of a time with it. Thank goodness I've never had to review 'The Stand' or 'The World According to Garp'....I'd be really tongue tied then. :P
I'm still having trouble with the ending being too abrupt. I just posted my review and would love to know what you thought of the end.