Scan barcode
A review by dada0407
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest, Sexual content, Violence, and Medical trauma