I'd loosely heard about this book in college, and this summer I heard about it again through a podcast, "Stuff Mom Never Told You" and decided to give it a try. Much different than I first thought, Middlesex is quite relevant to today's commentary on sexual orientation, gender, and identity. Part of its appeal was author Jeffrey Eugenides, who is from Detroit and of Grecian/Irish descent. I thought he'd have some insights into cultural heritage and identity.

The book itself is like a trifle, with layers upon layers. Its a family photo album, beginning with the Callie's (the narrator) grandmother and grandfather immigrating to Detroit, the birth of her mother and father, and their struggle to find jobs. While family history shapes our identities, one of my issues with the book is that I wanted to know more about Callie. As the omniscient narrator, Callie finally makes her appearance halfway into the book. She says she has lived half her life as a man, but I only got a glimpse into 15 years of her life, of which she lived 1 year as a man. That being said, Jeffrey Eugenides has written a sensitive portrayal of a girl trying to figure out her place in this world. I wanted to care, but it just gets a little old after a while.

Quotes:

I've lived more than half my life as a male, and by now everything comes naturally. When Calliope surfaces, she does so like a childhood speech impediment. Suddenly there she is again, doing a hair flip, or checking her nails. It's a little like being possessed. (page 41)

Emotions, in my experience, aren't covered by single words. I don't believe in "sadness," "joy," or "regret." Maybe the best proof that the language is patriarchal is that it oversimplifies feeling. (page 217)

… And all ways but one, I began to grow up. I sprouted with the velocity of the mung beans we studied Earth Science." (page 303)