Middlesex, by Jeffrey Eugenides, is a fictional novel that is told from the point of view of Calliope Stephanides, who is a hermaphrodite and until the age of 14 was raised as a girl. She runs away from home at this age just as she is about to receive an operation, and from then on identifies herself as a male (looking much like one as well). To describe her condition, Callie- later called Cal- has to bring forth her origins, starting with that of her grandparents in Greece. Through the lives of the family members that came before her/him, Callie gives a comprehensive story- one that leads to her present condition. One of the most intriguing aspects of Eugenides’ novel is that it oscillates between the present Cal and his/her past. The story begins far back with her grandparents who fled Greece when the Turks invaded the town and massacred Greek and Armenian Christians in the village of Smyrna. Cal tells of her grandparents new home in Michigan and later of her parents as their children and finally Cal describes her own life from the time of her birth. I enjoyed the detailed background Eugenides gave for each character in the story because I could clearly identify them and their feelings. It was much easier to connect with the characters, to understand them and to understand Cal because of how comprehensive the narrative was. I loved this book very much and would recommend it to high school level students and older.
Reviewed by Nelli, grade 11
Pacific Park Library
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