Reviews with content warning for Medical content - Middlesex

Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

19 reviews

thewordsdevourer's review

adventurous emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

middlesex is an enjoyable read, a bildungsroman and family epic w/ the hallmarks of a great story, though i find the length too long and the plot not focused enough on its main character.

i didnt expect the book to be such a sweeping family saga, but the journey from a tiny greek village to industrial detroit - peppered w/ historical flair, adventurous excitement and bittersweet farewell - is an entertaining one both bc of the characters, the cultural roots they bring, and the larger political and social forces. the book's dry and oft self-depracating voice also elevates it, providing enough indight and intimacy while also seeming detached and distanced enough, never giving in to any overdramatic flair however tempting it must have been.

the story of cal's forebearers are so interesting (though at times too detailed and sometimes seems a tad unnecessary, hence my criticism of its length), however, that they render the novel's second half - more focused on cal w/ the typical childhood droll and introspective teenage mulling (necessary and expected, but still) - to pale in comparison. it's a lil ironic that the book's focus on cal doesnt include more of his other interesting aspects that must have come afterwards; i wouldve loved to read more - not necessarily in detail - of what transpires between the interim 26-ish yrs of cal's 15 yr-old rebirth and present day.

even so, this is an enjoyable read abt family and identity, and certainly a well-written one - so well-written and absorbing in its voice, in fact, that i could hardly believe a middle aged man wrote it. quite simply, it's a great story and i understand all the accolades it got.

Content Warnings

stracciastela's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging medium-paced

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

4.75

okay wow
i cant believe how many topics this book dealt with really well in a relatively short page count
i felt so many things reading this i definitely want to continue with Eugenides' works, his writing style is impeccable

Content Warnings

wormgirl's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging 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

3.0

Content Warnings

liesbethvv's review

Go to review page

challenging reflective slow-paced

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

4.25

It took me a while to get into this book but after a fair bit I started to get really invested in the Stephanides family. Don’t expect twist and turns every two pages, but expect instead great character development, a very unique coming of age story and the traumas a family keeps dragging with it. I recommend if you’re in the mood for reflection and digging deep.

Content Warnings

bluejay21's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging hopeful informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

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

3.0

Content Warnings

contre_qui's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging reflective tense slow-paced

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

3.5

It's an interesting book overall, but pretty slow - especially at the beginning. I understand why, but if you can't get through that you probably wouldn't enjoy this book.

Content Warnings