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Graphic: Incest, Sexual content
Graphic: Incest, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Medical trauma
Moderate: Homophobia, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Outing, War
Graphic: Incest
Minor: Infertility, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual content, Transphobia, Kidnapping
Graphic: Incest, Sexual content, War
Moderate: Racism, Transphobia, Police brutality
Minor: Gun violence, Hate crime, Sexual violence
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
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. (
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.
Graphic: Incest, Sexual content, Violence, Medical trauma
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Sexual content, Pregnancy
Graphic: Ableism, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Deadnaming, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Infertility, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Dysphoria, War, Classism
Graphic: Body shaming, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Incest, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Transphobia, Xenophobia, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, War
Moderate: Dementia, Grief
Moderate: Death, Homophobia, Incest, Racism, Sexual content, Transphobia, Xenophobia, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Dysphoria, Classism
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
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
Graphic: Incest, Car accident, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Transphobia, Police brutality, Pregnancy, War
Minor: Drug use, Alcohol