Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - Middlesex

A coming of age story that follows three generations of a Greek family with a mutated gene that causes momentous changes to the protagonist, Cal (Calliope), an intersex man raised as a female in Detroit. Themes of gender identity, nature vs. nurture, following the American dream, and race relations with allusions to Greek mythology. This was a powerful and compelling read that made a lasting impact on me as a reader. Beautifully crafted with a vast scope and unforgettable characters it is epic, tender, and fascinating.

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cinnaminskies's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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giuliamrll's review against another edition

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informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I don’t think I will ever forget this book, and Cal Stephanides will forever be in my heart.

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flo_sg's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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dada0407's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

Eugenides's writing is really striking and well-woven. It brings his questionable characters to life, and manages to drag us through decades of events, from the greatest tragedies to the utmost pedestrian.
I was deeply moved by the narration of the greek genocide and the migration of the Stephanides family, and the description of the subsequent lives of the greek and turkish diaspora in the US, the portrayal and history of the city of Detroit. This felt real, and this is what I will keep from this book.

I am embarrased, though, by the treatment of the novel's protagonist, Cal, and the way their intersex identity is handled.

First: although I get the "greek tragedy" fatum plot device, it is unacceptable that this character's intersex identity is presented as a fatal punishment, subsequent to the family's wrongdoing and

incest

. While the rest of the book can be informative on many parts, this (ever-present, hovering) bit is incredibly offensive AND disinformative. Also, I was unsettled by the sex scenes in the book, and in restrospect, I think it comes from the fact that an adult man writing a detailed account of (very young) teenage girls' experiences IS questionable, and from a feeling of fetishization - the very same that Eugenides seems to point at (from the doctors, the club...) of intersex genitals. This is a shame.

I will end on the fact that this book still holds interesting information of the mistreatments of intersex people that still happen today, with forced genital surgery and amputation, imposing a binary frame on people who do not fit it. I don't understand how Eugenides managed to raise that critic while still pushing back Cal into this same binary frame. (

"I am OK as a girl. I like a girl! (And more precisely "boobs" -_-) That's because I have a high level of testosterone. I don't want to undergo an operation to be a "proper", binary girl... Thus, I am a man!

)
This feels really awkward. Let's keep in mind that this was written in 2003, by someone who was not informed about intersexuality. While I would still encourage people to read this book, it is really NOT for its portrayal of an intersex character.

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