what i'm reading

[Bekah]

At 9:38 AM -0600 1/29/05, Mark A. Douglas wrote:
>Anyone who can weigh in positively on 'Middlesex' and tell me that I didn't
>waste time reading it would be appreciated.
>Did not read Virgin Suicides, but thought that - what with the Pulitzer and
>all - I ought to at least try Middlesex; finished it; was sort of mad at
>myself afterwards for buying in to the hype.
>
>Any positive thoughts on the novel?



I'm not going to go so far as to say it was a "good" novel but, in 
the manner of the Pulizters for literature, it provided insight into, 
and was representative of, American life, contemporary or historical. 
I appreciated the background on  20th century Greek immigrants, the 
Henry Ford's company policies, De-troit burning and other historical 
parts of the book; it was very accurate, if not perfectly.   I felt 
that Eugenides' language was nicely evocative of the rhythms of an 
industrial inner city.   (That was my positive thought.)

I was not real appreciative about reading the details re the sex life 
of an hermaphrodite.  (And that's the rest of the story.)

I really saw this one as being very similar in ways which are 
important to the Pulitzer committee to Kavalier and Clay.  Taking the 
Pulitzer does not indicate a great novel (shock) but I tend to like 
the historical and/or sociological aspects of the winners. 

Bekah
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