Middlesex

By: Jeffrey Eugenides

Narrated by: Kristoffer Tabori

Length: 21 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

In the spring of 1974, Calliope Stephanides, a student at a girls' school in Grosse Pointe, finds herself drawn to a chain-smoking, strawberry-blonde classmate with a gift for acting. The passion that furtively develops between them - along with Callie's failure to develop physically - leads Callie to suspect that she is not like other girls. In fact, she is not really a girl at all.

The explanation for this shocking state of affairs is a rare genetic mutation - and a guilty secret - that have followed Callie's grandparents from the crumbling Ottoman Empire to Prohibition-era Detroit and beyond, outlasting 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.

Spanning eight decades - and one unusually awkward adolescence - Jeffrey Eugenides' long-awaited second novel is a grand, original fable of crossed bloodlines, the intricacies of gender, and the deep, untidy promptings of desire.

Winner of the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the Audie Award for best unabridged fiction, Middlesex marks the fulfillment of a huge talent, named one of America's best young novelists by both Granta and The New Yorker.

Check out more selections from Oprah's Book Club.

©2002 Jeffrey Eugenides (P)2002 Audio Renaissance, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishers, LLC

Critic reviews

Audie Award Winner, Fiction (Unabridged), 2003

"Eugenides proves that he is not only a unique voice in modern literature but also well versed in the nature of the human heart. Highly recommended." (Library Journal )

"Not only are his interpretations of the characters astonishingly credible, but his internalization of the narrative is nothing short of amazing." (Publishers Weekly)

"A towering achievement...a story that manages to be both illuminating and transcendent...[Eugenides] has emerged as the great American writer many of us suspected him of being." (Los Angeles Times Book Review)

One Really Great Read!

I enjoyed every minute of this book! The narrator does a great Greek accent and the author has created a book that is funny, fascinating, moving . . . I never wanted this book to end! I'm going to read his other books and wait for any future books from him. Enjoy!

Highly Entertaining

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

The premise of this book intrigued me, and not having read much on the topic prior I was surprised at how well it flowed into an entertaining storyline. I would recommend this book which takes a look into history - not only that of the character but also of the times. The storyline was constantly moving and building upon the previous chapters.

What other book might you compare Middlesex to and why?

I would compare this to any memoir in general - one that allows a glimpse into the unique life of someone through their own perspective.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, I was constantly looking forward to the next time I was able to listen to this audiobook.

Amazing book, reader hard to get used to

I almost gave up on this book because I found the reader was going too fast and felt like I couldn't enjoy it. But I love audio books and came back to it a few more times before I really could enjoy the narration. It is a wonderful story. I think it is one of thosbooks I would have enjoyed more if I'd read it rather than listened to the audiobook. So many things in this book I knew little about - it was a total education and many parts are unforgettable.

solid characterizations

This book is a family saga, with a few true events and personalities thrown in, such as henry ford and his labor practices.
Almost all the characters in this novel are so well delineated, that it is hard to pick just one that actually stands out, because the writer makes it easy to visualize them all, and the reader, although somewhat dramatic, has the accents down pat.

the central person is Cal or Callie, and
the implication is that the genetic accident of Cal's birth is responsible for the hermaphroditism that results. A good argument for tolerance, and acceptance, of "gender challenged" people, actually.

These generations of a family, are detailed and vividly expressed, told with humor and compassion of foibles and aspects of daily life. It has a few passages with almost explicit sex, however, the majority of the book is so true to life and intelligently written that I found it quite entertaining and certainly recommend this so highly.

Great read

What made the experience of listening to Middlesex the most enjoyable?

The narrator really brought the characters to life .

What was one of the most memorable moments of Middlesex?

So many that I cannot choose one.

What about Kristoffer Tabori’s performance did you like?

The way he acted each character.

Who was the most memorable character of Middlesex and why?

Calli of course.

Any additional comments?

A really great and thought provoking book. I highly recommend it.

Engaging

Well told story with many details of the times, generational concerns and multiple family perspectives in this fascinating story of an intersex youth.

Go for it.

The scope of this novel is huge. It's not at all what I expected. I think I expected more of a freak show. Instead I got a intellectual yet sensitive chronicle that spanned two continents and 80 years of American cultural history.

I have nothing in common with the main character who tells this story, yet I related to the novel on a personal level and was deeply interested in his epic journey. There's something epic here --something that reminded me of Homer.

The characters are well drawn by the author, and I like the way the reader brought the voices and accents to life. I even listened to sections I'd already read in the book, just to hear his vocal characterizations.

Unexpected Joy

Reading the synopsis didn't really reveal much about this book. I had many thoughts about what the story might cover but none of my ideas came close. I was taken on a journey that crossed many worlds. I can't say too much or enough to express my delight in this story. I highly recommend this book to all free thinkers who enjoy unexpected reality with a large dose of subtle humor.

Would give 6 stars if I could!

I fell in love with the character development and stellar narration. Truly an amazing listen and oh so worthy of the Pulitzer. Invoking happiness, nostalgia, sadness, awkwardness, hopefulness, and darkness, this book just landed itself in my list of top 5 favorite books. It took me a while to finish because I wanted to savor every last word.

great story well told

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

probably not; i have few friends who listen to audio books.

Have you listened to any of Kristoffer Tabori’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

no, however i,ve listened to hundreds of stories, and this is a very good performance compared to all those