With the exception of the ending, I really liked this book. Not that the ending was bad - I just wanted more closure than it gave. (side note - I HATE when books end this way. I always feel it's the author copping out, though I know it probably isn't and it's actually how they wanted the story to end. Oh well - I digress.)
Eugenides, born from Greek and Irish parents, incorporates a ton of Greek mythology and culture into his novel. Not exclusively, though - he knows so much about different cultures and weaves it so well into his story. As a Classics major, the Greek part, obviously, was a draw for me. (He was an English major in college - I checked. So close!!)
Beyond his cultural assimilation was how he told the story. It's narrated in first person, when Calliope (the main character) was an adult. Its necessary to his story that he begin with his grandparents, so after his catchy opening line - "I was born twice: first as a baby girl... and then again, as a teenage boy..." - it actually begins in the 20's in Turkey, then moves to his parent's story, and finally, his own. I felt like I read a few different novels - both a good and bad thing (to me, at least). It made it easy to put down and take a break from while moving between generations, but also allowed the reader a complete understanding of everything.
If you don't know what the story is about, the title is telling. Middlesex is not only the name of the street Calliope grew up on - it also describes her. Because of two generations of incestual marriage and breeding, Callie was born a hermaphrodite - basically, she was born with both developed female and male parts. You can imagine that it gets complicated, but what Eugenides chooses to focus on in the story isn't what I expected. It was more of how Callie ended up this way rather than her struggles once she found out. Not that the struggles weren't there - they just don't make up the bulk on the novel. Anyhow, it's good and I completely recommend it (it won the Pulitzer Prize!!)... definitely one of those books I feel will be with me for a while. There was just so much to it.
on a side note, I sometimes underline or write down lines that strike me. In this book, it was this quote: "that to be happy, you have to find variety in repetition." How true is that?
3 comments:
I love Classics - my history major was concentrated in it :)
I will definitely check into this book, thanks!
I really enjoyed this book too when I read it--especially the questions it made me think about as far as how people choose their gender or are born as this or that. I know thats a convoluted sentence, maybe it still makes sense. My mom actually read it first, and she said it made her think differently about those same things--which was great because she is sooo conservative/close-minded.
Berly Mac! How'd you get so smart? I could never write a book review like that. I'm so glad your my sister! I'm very proud of you! Can't wait to see you! MWAH!
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