Reviews with content warning for Car accident - Middlesex

i had to read this for uni, and nearly a month later it's FINALLY over. this isn't to say that i didn't enjoy it, i just really don't know how to feel about it.

it was too long and too slow for my liking. i've somehow never read another book following different generations one after the other and i found it far more interesting than i expected. some parts were very enjoyable, others bored me to death. overall a very mixed bag of a book.

what is important to point out is that i read/watched some reviews of the book from actual intersex people, because i was curious if it was accurate in any way, shape or form. turns out, it's not really, from what i've gathered, which brings up some issues (e.g. cal's being intersex as "punishment" for

his grandparents incest

, the emphasis on genitalia etc.).

an enlightening review on the book by an intersex person (hi, hello, hans on youtube): https://youtu.be/vmyKRGpZclc

no rating until i have some time to think about this, lol

Content Warnings

manatad's review against another edition

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emotional 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

I had read this book once before nearly ten years ago and absolutely loved it. For some reason I wasn't sure if it would hold up as well for me today, but I have to say I enjoyed it almost equally as much.

I think this is an ambitious novel. The blending of the generational family saga and (fictional) memoir within one book reminds me somewhat of John Steinbeck's East of Eden, as does its similarly slow-paced and rambling style (which I love); however, there are just a few areas where the novel fell short for me.

There are several historical events interjected within the story, and the characters' involvement with them did not always feel natural or cohesive with the rest of the plot. A couple of these moments were a bit jarring for me as a reader. Jeffrey Eugenides's prose is also a bit too flowery for my usual taste. For the most part, I loved his writing (Obviously, otherwise I would not have enjoyed the novel at all.) but there were several instances where I had some difficulty interpreting his metaphorical use of language, especially during descriptions, and found it necessary to look up a photo of what was being described. (One may simply attribute this to my own poor reading comprehension.) And unfortunately, the many heartfelt descriptions of the city of Detroit were mostly lost on me because I have never been there.

This last bit is purely my own personal preference: I don't very much enjoy media about awkward teenagers, and this was largely what the second half of the book was made of. I was a teenager when I read this book for the first time and must have found it all relatable, but reading it again forced me to remember all of the tumultuous emotions, insecurities, infatuations, and humiliations I had to endure at that age. It was at times a bit uncomfortable for me, to be perfectly honest.

This is not entirely a bad thing from my point of view, though. I appreciate the blunt honesty of Eugenides's writing and his willingness to describe even the uncomfortable moments of life using his graceful, sensual prose. And while I personally wasn't able to visualize his beloved Detroit, my imagination flourished in his descriptions of the places I am more familiar with.

I think that Middlesex is an immigrant story at its heart, and this is my favorite thing about the novel. Maybe I'm biased, being the child of an immigrant myself, but I do believe this. Eleutherios and Desdemona's story, which was completely unrelatable and without context for me during my first read, was so compelling to me this time around. I just loved this section of the book. And the way that those two, with their children and grandchildren, try to maintain their Greek roots through the generations speaks to me as well. It's harder for me to articulate my feelings here because there is emotion involved, so suffice it to say that I see a resemblance in my own life and upbringing.

I would love to recommend this book to my friends. It has many interesting themes relating to gender identity and transformation, and it contains numerous allusions to Greek mythology. It is a deeply intimate and thoughtful story, and I think that the author, not being an intersex man himself, shows great sensitivity and empathy in his depiction of the character, Cal. I did not feel that there was anything manipulative or exploitative about this book. To me, it was a story full of love.

Content Warnings

applesaucecreachur's review against another edition

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dark emotional slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

There was a lot wrong with this book. (Though to be fair, I went in thinking that this was non-fiction, an autobiography by an intersex person, and realized with horror only later that it was fiction.) The storytelling style spanned three generations and was therefore unique, and the author clearly has a strong grasp of descriptive prose and timelines. And maybe, maybe, this was a progressive and gender-inclusive book for its time. But my commendations end there. From beginning to end, this book was full of racial stereotypes (particularly anti-Black) and racist accents if listening to the audiobook, one-sided takes on historical events, and incest. Fucking incest. Perhaps the author was not condoning procreation with one's full-blooded biological sibling, but was going into such detail necessary? Regardless of intent, this signaled that aside from being taboo on its own, being intersex is also the result of taboos, a mutation in chromosomes occurring out of inbreeding.
I'm giving it 2 stars because I liked some of the writing. The writer displays good technique here. I'm taking away 3 because of the contents and everything else about it.

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sastork's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective 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

4.5

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