Book: Middlessex Author:
Hostess: November Carla Gibb/December Laura Madden
Rating: 4.39
Guest Reviewer for Middlesex: Laura Madden. The book rated a 4.39 from the 7 members who completed it. January's book is "All the Light We Cannot See" - January 9 at Pam Boeck's house.
I waited to write November’s blog
until we had finished the book club discussion of Middlesex. The book was big
enough and, with the holidays, we decided to make it a two month discussion.
However, as often happens, we weren’t all at the same place in the book so the
discussion in November stalled a bit. Also, I was jet lagged from my recent
trip and asked Laura to write the review of the book. Thanks, Laura!
Carla G hosted our November book
club and the food was wonderful as always. She provided smoked turkey and
brisket. There were deviled eggs, potato casserole, and salad. Diana made Vodka
Cranberry Kiss cocktails and we had our usual assortment of fine wines, coffee
and tea. Liz brought her bacon wrapped green beans, always a big hit. Arnora
brought tomatoes with melted cheese and we had stuffing. It was truly a great night with us all
gathered around the table.
Our Christmas tradition has
become a sleepover at Laura’s. Her recently finished patio was a treat with its
pergola and fire pit for late night chats. We were only missing Denise, who was
recovering from surgery, and Tammy. Tammy hopes to join us in January before
going back out on the boat.
We had a lot of travels and big
news in December. Since Thanksgiving, Lis has been to India. Diana and I had
our much anticipated trip to Italy. Darby announced she’s moved up her wedding
date (this blog stays in book club), Barb has decided on a local location for
her wedding in October. Carla G is going to renew her wedding vows in Las Vegas
this year. It is “The Year of the Book Club Brides”. Laura decided on a Greek
theme for our Christmas meal. The food
was great – and pictured here.
Laura was afraid that her review
of Middlesex was too long. But, it was an epic story, so I’m going to include
it in its entirety. Thanks, Laura!
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides won the Pulitzer Prize in 2002.
It is a story of gender identity, cultural identity and three generations of
struggle with fate vs. chance or perhaps destiny vs. free will. The timeline in the narrative jumps around
through three generations of a Greek family that migrates to Detroit. The epic story gradually unfolds and we learn
bits of information through a non-linear storytelling style. Some in the group did not like this aspect of
the narrative.
The gender identity issue is
traced back to a genetic mutation of the brother/sister Greek immigrants, Lefty
and Desdemona Stephanides, as they created a new past and new future for
themselves when they fled war-torn Smyrna.
They broke all social and moral taboos by deciding to give in to the convenience
of their desire for each other and get married. It was only after they had
conceived a child that Desdemona realized that they had truly tempted
fate. She feared that their indiscretion
might actually bring about some sort of tragedy with their offspring.
The
narrative takes us through cultural identity issues beginning with new
immigrants assimilating into an industrialized Detroit and navigating through
the depression, prohibition, World War II, Race Riots, socio-economic
profiling, and finally economic success and down falls. This aspect brought about some great
discussion from Darby as she has been to Detroit and has witnessed some of the
cultural and economic issues facing that city. Indeed, this could be the story
of any family in America following the American Dream– except for that genetic
mutation on the 5th Chromosome!! Desdemona and Lefty moved in with a
cousin who also came from Smyrna. Was it
fate or chance that these cousins conceived children on the same night and that
those children would grow up to repeat the family history? Fate was tempted again when Milton fell in
love with his second cousin Tessie. This
union of cousins had Desdemona again worrying about the genetic legacy of her
indiscretion.
Enter
Calliope-- Desdemona and Lefty’s grandchild—offspring of cousins— born with
“ambiguous genitalia” as a result in both parents sharing the same mutation on
their 5th Chromosome. Was it chance or fate that an aging immigrant
doctor attended the birth and the abnormality was completely undetected until
puberty? This childhood experience gives
rise to a whole gender identity debate of nature vs. nurture. Our group had some pretty profound discussion
on this issue. And then we see this family again experiencing social and moral
taboos when Calliope begins to be attracted to other girls. At that young age
there was no specific discussion that it was wrong – although confused,
Calliope felt different and kept these desires and sexual ambiguity a secret.
Even after being interviewed by the gender specialist, Doctor Luce, Calliope
continues to answer questions based on social norms, not true feelings.
Ultimately
Calliope runs away after reading the patient records and begins living as the
boy that his hormonal profile declared him to be. When faced with the surgical option necessary
to continue life as a girl, Cal adamantly chose to accept his body the way it
was. Again there was some lively
discussion about choice in relation to gender identity. In the end, we get the
idea that Cal was well adjusted in his body and after meeting Julie Kikuchi, it
seems he will be able to have a relationship with the lights on!
In
the end, I am glad to report that the end of the Hercules Hotdog legacy
coincided with the revelation of how Chapter 11 got his name!!! And since Cal
is living in Berlin, as an American Diplomat, I can conclude that the
Stephanides’ American Dream is still alive, albeit re-envisioned, for this 3rd
generation androgynous Greek immigrant.
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