Friday 24 August 2018

Friday Books - Middlesex

Oh yay, it's Friday. Time to share things bookish.

At Book Beginningshosted by Rose City Reader, you share the first line, and  a few thoughts about the book.


 Here's the beginning of the book I'm featuring today.





A dazzling triumph from the bestselling author of "The Virgin Suicides"--the astonishing tale of a gene that passes down through three generations of a Greek-American family and flowers in the body of a teenage girl. 

In the spring of 1974, Calliope Stephanides, a student at a girls' school in Grosse Pointe, finds herself drawn to a chain-smoking, strawberry blond clasmate with a gift for acting. The passion that furtively develops between them--along with Callie's failure to develop--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 takes us out of suburbia- back before the Detroit race riots of 1967, before the rise of the Motor City and Prohibition, to 1922, when the Turks sacked Smyrna and Callie's grandparents fled for their lives. Back to a tiny village in Asia Minor where two lovers, and one rare genetic mutation, set in motion the metamorphosis that will turn Callie into a being both mythical and perfectly real: a hermaphrodite. 

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



At Freda's Voice, you'll find the Friday56, where the excerpt comes from page 56 or 56% in your Kindle.

Here's a snippet from page 56 of Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides.



I know this won't be everyone's cup of tea, but I found it to be an insightful and well-written book. It was completely different to what I usually read, and I thoroughly enjoyed. My review should be up soon.

What are you reading this weekend? I'd love to visit your blog and check it out.

12 comments:

Laurel-Rain Snow said...

I've been meaning to read this book! Thanks for sharing, and for visiting my blog.

Kathy Martin said...

Sounds interesting but not something I'd usually choose. This week I am featuring Second Chance on Two Love Lane by Kieran Kramer from my review stack. Happy reading!

fredamans said...

You had me with 'being born twice'. I like both covers too. Happy weekend!

Anne@HeadFullofBooks said...

I LOVE this book. It is so well done. The writing. Oh my goodness, the writing. I hope you love and devour it, too. My Friday Quotes and review of SPEAK

Roberta said...

Wow, this sounds incredible. I have heard people rave about Virgin Suicides so maybe I should give it a try. Thank you.

Ashley Sapp said...

This sounds like a really interesting read! Hope you have a great weekend! :)

Literary Feline said...

I am glad you enjoyed it. I loved Middlesex when I read it. It was much more than I thought it would be.

Harvee said...

Sounds like an amazing book. Would love to read your review!

Girl Who Reads said...

Sounds like a meaty read and I love genetic anomalies. See what I'm featuring at Girl Who Reads

Nicki J. Markus / Asta Idonea said...

This sounds like a wonderful read. Definitely one I will look out for.

Alicia @ A Kernel of Nonsense said...

I've always been curious about this one. Hope you enjoy your weekend!

Yvonne @ Fiction Books Reviews said...

A new to me author, although I have of course come across his name mentioned several time on fellow bloggers' sites.

As with other commenters, this may not be a book I would have chosen to buy for myself, if I was browsing the shelves. However, the premise is oddly compelling and intriguing, whilst of course being very appropriate in today's ever-changing society.

I would really have to WANT to read it at almost 660 pages though, so it may stay on my back-burner for now.

Thanks for sharing, I really enjoyed the discovery journey :)

Yvonne
xx