Reviews - Middlesex | The StoryGraph

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5.3k reviews for:

Middlesex

Jeffrey Eugenides

4.14 AVERAGE

leefitz's review against another edition

4.75

adventurous emotional reflective fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Greek hermaphrodites! Silkworms! East v West Ideology! Mysticism! Incest! Sex work! What more can you ask for?

mcrammal's review against another edition

4.0

You have to sort of suspend disbelief in the beginning that someone would know their grandparents so intimately but it starts picking up speed and getting more interesting. I’ve never really thought much about intersex people before and what they must experience, both in today’s times and in the past (however recent).

This book definitely had several parts that took me by surprise. Overall it wasn’t too bad.

owlyenthusiast's review against another edition

4.0

reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Took me a while to get through, but I think that’s because this book is incredibly thorough. I enjoyed how Epic the story felt in how far back the narrator went to explain how we got to modern day. Some ideas are outdated, but it still offers a lot in terms of gender, sex, immigration to America, and the history of Detroit. Cal is a fun narrator and I loved that I was getting their voice before they themselves were really part of the story they were telling.

rachel_eli's review against another edition

4.75

emotional tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

sikhanao's review against another edition

5.0

reflective medium-paced

cathartid's review against another edition

4.0

I particularly liked the first part of the book that takes place in Smyrna and the stuff about silkworms. I like Eugenides' writing.

gavimoss's review against another edition

4.0

As a student midwife, it is vital for me to understand a variety of perspectives. Imagine growing up thinking you are one person and finding out you are someone quite different. Every so often, a child is born with an ambiguous body. Should doctors and parents decide for the child who s/he is to become? This book provokes thoughts that I never had. Part of cultural competence in the birth world is being nonjudgmental about things that one hasn't experienced and sometimes things that one doesn't understand. Controversial? Yes, but so important. Hopefully, if I come across such an infant in my practice, I will be able to assist the parents better with this information.