Middlesex

I wanted to read this book because it appears on every other 'must read' list and yes . . . First Tuesday Book Club gave it a half decent review.  I had forgotten what the story was about and figured that 'Middlesex' was a place.  AND it does eventually feature in the shape of a family home however Cal Stephanides the narrator is himself of the middle-sex or the third or the other if you prefer.  If somebody gave me this book and said it's a ripper read about the life and times of a hermaphrodite, I wouldn't have devoted the time . . .

Bloody glad I read this book though!  It is easily the best book that I've read in a long while.  It traces the history of three generations of the Stephanides family from Smyrna, Turkey Circa 1920 to Detroit USA around the 60s and 70s and into the current day in Berlin Germany.

Here's a little snippet from Wikipedia . . .

Primarily a Bildungsroman {German for 'coming-of-age' story} and family saga, the novel chronicles the impact of a mutated gene of three generations of a Greek family, causing momentous changes in the protagonist's life.  According to scholars, the novel's main themes are nature versus nurture, rebirth, and the differing experiences of the polar opposites - such as those found between men and women.  It discusses the pursuit of the American Dream and explores gender identity.  The novel contains many allusions to Greek mythology, including creatures such as the Minotaur, half-man and half-bull, and the Chimera, a monster composed of various animal parts.

A truly excellent read!  Give it a go and let me know how you get on . . .