Middlesex

By: Jeffrey Eugenides

Narrated by: Nathan Osgood

Length: 24 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's Summary

‘I was born twice: first, as a baby girl, on a remarkably smogless Detroit day of January 1960; and then again, as a teenage boy, in an emergency room near Petoskey, Michigan, in August of 1974.’

So begins the breathtaking story of Calliope Stephanides and her truly unique family secret, born on the slopes of Mount Olympus and passed on through three generations.

Growing up in '70s Michigan, Calliope’s special inheritance will turn her into Cal, the narrator of this intersex, intergenerational epic of immigrant life in 20th-century America.

Middlesex won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

©2019 Jeffrey Eugenides (P)2019 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic Reviews

"A masterful dissection and reassembling of the American Dream into a shape you will not quite have seen anywhere before." (Daily Telegraph)

"Superb. Warm and beautifully written. Illuminates part of the human soul." (Sunday Times)

"Eugenides is a big and a big-hearted talent." (Jonathan Franzen) 

Well worth the wait!

I cannot see to read books, and have been waiting for ages for this to become available. It lived up to all my expectations. Such a moving story, written beautifully and the narration was spot on. I didn’t want this book to end. A must read.

Well-Researched Brilliant Novel

I first read this book a number of years ago, shortly after it was released, and it left quite an impression on me. I gave it a go, because I enjoyed Eugenides' Virgin Suicides book, and I have to say that Middlesex is so much better. He very clearly put a lot of research into writing it. And not just because of world history reasons, but also the amount of research he put into the seemingly complex subject of intersex persons. So of course when I saw it pop up on Audible Pre-orders list, I just had to get it.

The narrator does an absolutely fantastic job of portraying every character. And I definitely better visualised Cal, thanks to the narrator.

A superbly written veritabl feast of an experience

I loved this, more an experience than book, was a veritable literary feast, well crafted story lines interwoven with words as finely woven as the silk threads of Desdemona.
The story of the rogue gene, passed through the generations, was expansive, yet intimate, funny, all encompassing , yet private, the story of everyone and the story of individuality.
The narration was sublime, engaging and sonorous, bringing every character to life without cliché.

A magnificent book

What a story! Full of heart, humour, history (modern and ancient). And the narration, a joy. Thank you, Jeffrey Eugenides and Nathan Osgood. It was one of those audiobooks you wish would go on and on.

Enjoyable and eye-opening!

Greatly enjoyed this work and very happy I chose this more recent, and less purchased, version narrated by Nathan Osgood!

Long but engrossing story

I loved listening to this book. At first I was daunted by how many hours of listening there were and there were times when I wished that I was reading it so that I could move the story on a bit when it seemed to be taking a long time to get to the action but it was a fascinating, believable story that made me think and made me inhabit that family’s world. Highly recommended.

Fantastic

Fantastic but believable saga of family and personal lives in a marvellous span of history, cultures and nations. Humane, witty, and really extremely well read.

Fabulous - loved every moment

Such an unusual story, beautifully told and narrated, full of warmth and humour. I had this book in my library for some time, and put off starting it due to the length of the book and the subject matter (I thought perhaps it was aimed primarily at those who identify as LGBTQ). Instead it turned out to be a delightful experience. Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys history, family sagas, human interactions and yes, a book with no “baddies”!

Loved the story. Excellent narrator

This book is funny, thoughtful, intellectual. Historical references are great. I am sad I have parted ways with Caliope and Desdémona.

I adored this book

I adored this book. I was heartbroken when it ended. If you are a fan of Donna Tartt and John Irwing you will love this story.