Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

Middlesex

by Jeffrey Eugenides

In the spring of 1974, Calliope Stephanides, a student at a girls' school in Grosse Pointe, finds herself drawn to a chain-smoking, strawberry-blond classmate with a gift for acting. The passion that furtively develops between them leads Callie to suspect that she is not like other girls. In fact, Callie has inherited a rare genetic mutation. The biological trace of a guilty secret, this gene has followed her grandparents from the crumbling Ottoman Empire to Detroit and has outlasted the glory days of the Motor City, the race riots of 1967, and the family's second migration, into the foreign country known as suburbia. Thanks to the gene, Callie is part girl, part boy. And even though the gene's epic travels have ended, her own odyssey has only begun. Sprawling across eight decades - and one unusually awkward adolescence - Jeffrey Eugenides' long-awaited second novel is a grand, utterly original fable of crossed bloodlines, the intricacies of gender, and the deep, untidy promptings of desire. It marks the fulfillment of a huge talent, named one of America's best young novelists by both GRANTA and the NEW YORKER.

Reviewed by Whitney @ First Impressions Reviews on

1 of 5 stars

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This was a very odd book. The beginning was ok , it talked about her/his grandparents Desdemona and Lefty, who were also brother and sister living in the old country and emigrating to America and eventually getting married.

When Callie was born who is Desdemona and Lefty's granddaughter that it started to get a little unbelievable Callie was born with both male and female parts hence the "Middle Sex" while her outer exterior is of a female. as she grows up she doesn't develop the way her girlfriends are, no period or breasts instead she has facial hair and a deeper voice. Finally her parent's take her to a gender identity specialist who determines that she is both sexes.

After Callie sneaks a look at her file and learns that she is a "monster" she runs away to California where the story really becomes strange. As she hitchhikes her way to the sunshine state she takes on a new identity as a boy named Cal. In California she becomes part of a gang which loosely reminded me a little of Oliver Twist . After being beaten and discovered for what she truly is she starts work at a freak show/strip club, which includes herself and transvestites.

Meanwhile, of course her parents are sick with worry , her father Milton gets a call from a mystery man claiming that he has his daughter and will release her for 25,000. When her father drops the money off at the designated location of course he doesn't have Callie and the man turns out to be his brother-in-law. An incredibly stupid and pointless car chase begins and eventually killing Milton; it felt like the scene was put in just for the sake of having a car race or in the hopes that it might some day be a made of T.V. movie.

Of course Cal returns safe and sound and his family learns to except him for who he is. This was such an unbelievable story that it was hard to get though , especially when you're saying "oh come on" throughout the novel. I read this for my book club and just recently ran into someone from the group and they expressed the same feelings that I have about Middle Sex so at least I'm not alone.

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  • Started reading
  • 28 April, 2008: Finished reading
  • 28 April, 2008: Reviewed