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"I was born twice: first, as a baby girl, on a remarkably smogless Detroit day in January of 1960; and then again, as a teenage boy, in an emergency room near Petoskey, Michigan, in August of 1974." And so begins Middlesex, the mesmerizing saga of a near-mythic Greek American family and the "roller-coaster ride of a single gene through time." The odd but utterly believable story of Cal Stephanides, and how this 41-year-old hermaphrodite was raised as Calliope, is at the tender heart of this long-awaited second novel from Jeffrey Eugenides, whose elegant and haunting 1993 debut, The Virgin Suicides, remains one of the finest first novels of recent memory.
Eugenides weaves together a kaleidoscopic narrative spanning 80 years of a stained family history, from a fateful incestuous union in a small town in early 1920s Asia Minor to Prohibition-era Detroit; from the early days of Ford Motors to the heated 1967 race riots; from the tony suburbs of Grosse Pointe and a confusing, aching adolescent love story to modern-day Berlin. Eugenides's command of the narrative is astonishing. He balances Cal/Callie's shifting voices convincingly, spinning this strange and often unsettling story with intelligence, insight, and generous amounts of humor:
Emotions, in my experience aren't covered by single words. I don't believe in "sadness," "joy," or "regret." … I'd like to have at my disposal complicated hybrid emotions, Germanic traincar constructions like, say, "the happiness that attends disaster." Or: "the disappointment of sleeping with one's fantasy." ... I'd like to have a word for "the sadness inspired by failing restaurants" as well as for "the excitement of getting a room with a minibar." I've never had the right words to describe my life, and now that I've entered my story, I need them more than ever.
When you get to the end of this splendorous book, when you suddenly realize that after hundreds of pages you have only a few more left to turn over, you'll experience a quick pang of regret knowing that your time with Cal is coming to a close, and you may even resist finishing it--putting it aside for an hour or two, or maybe overnight--just so that this wondrous, magical novel might never end. --Brad Thomas Parsons
Book Description
"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 l974. . . My birth certificate lists my name as Calliope Helen Stephanides. My most recent driver’s license...records my first name simply as Cal."
So begins the breathtaking story of Calliope Stephanides and three generations of the Greek-American Stephanides family who travel from a tiny village overlooking Mount Olympus in Asia Minor to Prohibition-era Detroit, witnessing its glory days as the Motor City, and the race riots of l967, before they move out to the tree-lined streets of suburban Grosse Pointe, Michigan. To understand why Calliope is not like other girls, she has to uncover a guilty family secret and the astonishing genetic history that turns Callie into Cal, one of the most audacious and wondrous narrators in contemporary fiction. Lyrical and thrilling, Middlesex is an exhilarating reinvention of the American epic.
Download Description
Spanning across eight decades--and one unusually awkward adolescence - Jeffrey Eugenides' long-awaited second novel is a grand, utterly original fable of crossed bloodlines, the intricacies of gender, and the deep, untidy promptings of desire.
Customer Reviews:
Great book!.......2007-10-21
I loved this book! It's so fascinating to learn about Cal's life and what it would be like to feel all those mixed and confusing messages that we all feel growing up as a man or woman. We take it all for granted that what gender we are told we are when we are born is no questions asked, the truth. I couldn't put it down and I highly recommend it.
Ruined my summer.......2007-09-18
I guess a Pulitzer Prize and being on Oprah's Book List does not make for a good book. I spent my entire summer trying to get through this book. Fianlly on Saturday, September 15th at 10:38 am, I finished.
I was not drawned into any of the characters, found that the narrative was all over the place, found that the descriptions were overwhelming and as far as being controversial, I don't even think that the author really touched on the subject but skirted the issue.
I was very disappointed!!!
Middlesex an awsome read.......2007-09-18
Middlesex was certainly a book that I could NOT put down after I began reading. First of all it is a very well writen book. It began stating the birth(s) of Cal and took you through her life. You could feel how she felt. Starting in Greece and ending on Middlesex, was a wonderful journey for the reader. I loved the writing so much of Eugenides, that I ordered his previously written book,(Virgin Suicides) and am waiting for his latest book to be printed. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.
E Morikis
Excellent writing on controversial topic.......2007-09-13
This might be the best written book I've ever read. I wouldn't recommend it for anyone who has trouble reading about modern sexual issues, however.
Una Mariavillosa Saga Familiar!.......2007-08-02
Este novela esta en el Club de Libros de Opprah. Y se gano el premio Pulitzer de Ficcion de 2003. Narra la saga familiar de un una familia de Asia Menor que llega a los Estados Unidos en busca de un mejor futuro.
La historia es narrada por un hombre que, siendo hermafrodita, vivio su juventud como una mujer hasta que su desarrollo sexual le indico lo contrario. Pero esto, como dijo Opprah en su programa, no debe hacer que nos alejemos del libro.
Es una maravillosa narracion en que vemos tres generaciones de una familia vistos con unos ojos sin prejuicios y limpios. Una saga familiar que nos envuelve y una vez que comienzas a leer no puedes parar.
Average customer rating:
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Rand McNally Hartford, Middlesex & New Haven Counties, Conneticut: Street Finder
Rand McNally and Company
Manufacturer: Rand McNally & Company
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Binding: Spiral-bound
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ASIN: 0528998862 |
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- NOT the map for a road warrior or traveler
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American Map Central/Eastern Connecticut Street Atlas: Hartford, Middlesex, New London, Tolland, Windham Counties (American Map)
Manufacturer: Arrow Map
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Binding: Spiral-bound
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American Map Western Massachusetts Street Atlas: Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire Counties (Western Massachusetts Street Atlas)
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American Map Metro Worcester Street Atlas: Central Massachusetts (American Map)
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American Map Rhode Island: Southeastern Massachusetts Southeastern Connecticut: Street Atlas
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Metro Boston, Eastern Massachusetts, Street Atlas (Metro Boston Eastern Masschusetts Street Atlas)(7th Edition)
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American Map Cape Cod Martha's Vineyard & Nantucket Southeastern Massachusetts: Martha's Vineyard & Nantucket, Southeastern Massachusetts (American Map)
ASIN: 1557512477 |
Book Description
Large scale street atlas with street level detail includes city and town statistics, individual community maps with an index on corresponding map pages, places of interest and street map coverage of all communities in Hartford, Middlesex, New London, Tollard and Windham Counties.
Customer Reviews:
NOT the map for a road warrior or traveler.......2006-04-22
Trying to navigate across the state with this is impossible. Rather than a standard atlas - where the end of the page helpfully says "continued on map xx", this is organized alphabetically by town - and in many cases the map doesn't even hint at where you should look as your road runs off the page. Strangely, although owned by the same parent company - American Maps uses this poorly organized way, while Hagstrom Maps are easy to follow and use.
Book Description
Perhaps no other natural setting has as much literary, spiritual, and environmental significance for Americans as Walden Pond. Some 700,000 people visit the pond annually, and countless others journey to Walden in their mind, to contemplate the man who lived there and what the place means to us today. Here is the first history of the Massachusetts pond Thoreau made famous 150 years ago. W. Barksdale Maynard offers a lively and comprehensive account of Walden Pond from the early nineteenth century to the present. From Thoreau's first visit at age 4 in 1821--"That woodland vision for a long time made the drapery of my dreams"--to present day efforts both to conserve the pond and allow public access, Maynard captures Walden Pond's history and the role it has played in social, cultural, literary, and environmental movements in America. Along the way Maynard details the geography of the pond; Thoreau's and Emerson's experiences of Walden over their lifetimes; the development of the cult of Thoreau and the growth of the pond as a site of literary and spiritual pilgrimages; rock star Don Henley's Walden Woods Project and the much publicized battle to protect the pond from developers in the 1980s; and the vitally important ecological symbol Walden Pond has become today. Exhaustively researched, vividly written, and illustrated with historical photographs and the most detailed maps of Thoreau country yet created, Walden Pond: A History reveals the many ways an ordinary pond has come to be such an extraordinarily inspiring symbol.
Customer Reviews:
A lively account of the pond from early to modern times.......2004-09-09
Some 700,000 people visit Walden Pond annually and others journey to Walden mentally in contemplating of the region Henry David Thoreau made famous. It's surprising, therefore, to note that this is the first history of Walden Pond to appear in over 150 years, providing a lively account of the pond from early to modern times. W. Barksdale Maynard teaches architectural history at Johns Hopkins University and one might anticipate from this a dry perspective: not so. Walden Pond captures the social, political and conservation issues revolving around Waden over the decades.
A fascinating history of Walden Pond.......2004-02-15
For years to come, historians and literary scholars will know this book as the definitive history of Walden Pond. But it's also a delightful read. Combining impeccable scholarship with skillful writing, Maynard brings Walden Pond's storied history to life, from Thoreau's first visit as a little boy to today's preservation battles. "Walden Pond: A History" is a brilliant book.
AN AMAZING BOOK.......2004-02-07
Walden Pond: A History has received positive reviews during its first month of release. Kirkus gave it a coveted ?star.? Also, the ecologist Ed Schofield has written the following five-star review on a national bookstore website: ?AN AMAZING BOOK. I know a good deal about Walden Pond and Walden Woods as a result of many years of personal research. I never thought that anyone would be able to bring together, between the covers of one book, the astonishing amount of information Barksdale Maynard has compiled and integrated in this scrupulously researched and well written book. He has brought together facts from all sorts of sources: newspapers and magazines, books, unpublished letters and diaries, eyewitness interviews, videos, radio broadcasts, maps, and so forth. There are fifty pages of endnotes and bibliography - over 500 of each. I am in awe at what he has been able to do. (Wish I could have done it!) Anyone interested in historic preservation, nature conservation, human nature, grassroots activism, literature, or (most important) Thoreau and Walden itself will enjoy this book. It has lots of information, yet it reads easily and has a good ?story line?: how and why Walden has become the symbol it is and what people have done to protect it. The hero of heroes is Don Henley of The Eagles. There are lots of other people - heroes, villains, oddballs, famous people (Emerson, the Alcotts, John Muir, Walt Whitman, the Kennedys, the Clintons, and many others). I recommend the book highly.?
Should be titled "THE "History of Walden Pond.......2004-01-27
This is a book that has been over 200 years in the making.
Maynard has done a fabulous job of combining history,environmentalism, science, popular culture and "gossipy stories" in order to paint a highly interesting and balanced history of Walden Pond, before, during and after Henry Thoreau's famous sojourn there.
Thoreauvians will find lots to admire in this book. Maynard has obviously done his research on Thoreau and his times.In particular I was amused by the amazement of some Concordians,in Thoreau's time and after, who just couldn't figure out what all the fuss was about over the so-called hermit of Walden Pond. But more importantly, the book looks above and beyond Thoreau's realationship to the Pond and Maynard goes into exquisite detail about life at Walden after 1847. If dedicted Thoreauvians abhor the so-called commercialism of the place now, be thankful it's not the 1930's, when all vestiges of Walden as a "sacred" spot were practically destoyed. Maynard does well to explain the ups and downs that the Pond has been through the last 150 years.
In particular I was pleased to see the way the author treated Thoreau's contemporaries, particularly Bronson Alcott. All of the Transcendentalists had a special fondness for Walden and their love of the place-and the love that millions have shared over the last 150 years- really comes out. It is obvious that Maynard loves Walden as well.
And, he also does a good job of explaining the many fights to preserve Walden, and the in-fighting and back-stabbing that has, unfortunately, been as much a part of Walden's history as the Transcendentalists. But Maynard's reporting is fair and balanced and he doesn't seem to take sides. Still, I'm sure he will have stepped on somebody's toes with this book!
If anyone is interested in American History,Conservation, Henry Thoreau or just an interesting piece of Americana, "Walden Pond; A Hsitory" is a must read!
excellent history.......2004-01-25
Walden Pond by W. Barksdale Maynard is an excellent history, thoroughly researched and written in the best prose style.
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Central Connecticut Street Atlas: Hartford Middlesex Talland Counties
Arrow Map
Manufacturer: Arrow Map
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1557514062 |
Book Description
In the latest Homer Kelly mystery, Homer and his wife Mary are engaged in a steeplechase, a pursuit of a mysterious lost church. Chapters alternate between present and past, and slowly the events of 1868 in the town of Nashoba unfold as a disabled Civil War vet tries to get back to normal. Central to the story is a gigantic tree, the Great Nashoba Chestnut. And crucially intermingled with its fate are a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and the story of Three Billy Goats Gruff. In addition to the customary impeccable sleuthing, the author has provided numerous drawings and a number of nineteenth-century photographs.
Customer Reviews:
The past is a mystery.......2006-07-12
Jane Langton has tapped in to a great theme: that the past is itself a mystery. We can never truly know what happened during any historical event, large or small, global or personal. And the "truth" is relative and subjective.
Bouncing back and forth between 1868 and the present heightened the suspense, and raised a philosophical question: does it matter how a past event actually happened? If it is lost in the mists of time due to misplaced evidence, burned records, faded photos, then hasn't the event itself changed in some way? History only exists in our collective recorded memory. And that is a fluid existence indeed, subject to new findings, new biases, and the inevitable decay and loss of all evidence.
Homer and Mary can only uncover what is there to be found. The rest they attempt to fill in with their considerable insight into human nature. I appreciate their practicality. Mysteries of dirty deeds in church cloisters may be fascinating, but these two never ignore lunch, or love, or their fellow humans in the here and now. Great role models, since the here and now is all we have, after all.
Homer is a mystery.......2006-04-08
I enjoy discovering a new series and had never read the "Homer Kelly" books. However,I had a hard time getting a handle on "Steeplechase." It went back and forth between Homer and Mary in the present day, to the 19th century. With short chapters, it was especially difficult to hold my interest in either the present or the past, especially since I was having a hard time getting a handle on who Homer and Mary were.
I understand there were many previous books in the series. However, an author should realize a reader may be new to the series and give background information on the main characters. This was not the case.
I follow a series when I am interested in the main character. However, character development was nil. Who are Homer and Mary??? After I read this book, I knew Homer was a professor at Harvard, over 6 feet tall, and his previous published book, which achieved little success, has had current interest and is now at the top of the best seller list. There was absolutely no further information on him and nothing about Mary, except that she was his wife and related to the 19th century characters. I don't even know what Homer taught or what his book was about. Hector is introduced in the first few pages. I never did find out who he was. Overuse of the word "whoopsie" made it sound like a children's book. Rather than "comedy" as a review described, it seemed silly. While the plot and symbolism in the 19th century part of the book could have been interesting, it was too late in the book to keep my interest.
I thought of reading earlier books in the series to see what it was about, but why bother. There are too many other books out there.
Maybe the books in this series should be called Historical Mysteries ..........2005-12-26
... because Homer and Mary Kelly are always delving into interesting stories from the past. This time, Homer is working on a book about church steeples found in and around Concord, Massachusetts. His editor wants him to uncover titillating scandals in the process, but Homer isn't finding many. In alternate chapters, we drop back to 1868, where a dispute between two ministers and their families is brewing in Nashoba, not far from Concord. It begins with a chestnut tree and ends in the division of one congregation into two. Readers are encouraged to stick with the unfolding of the historical text; it takes a commitment of time to figure out which characters to focus on. Gradually we see that what happened back then is exactly what Homer Kelly was looking for all along. Perhaps the savviest of readers will even understand the symbolism of wounded soldier James Shaw's interest in Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities." We're given a lot to digest in these pages.
Langton is good at several things here: showing single events from the perspective of multiple characters' views, and making fiction seem like nonfiction. By the end of the book, I was so curious about the historical revelation that I was ready to drive along Route 2A in search of a church-turned-pizza parlor in Nashoba. Alas, my search would have been fruitless, for not only did the author fabricate the historical episode unveiled in "Steeplechase," she also placed it in a fictional town. I wanted it all to be true!
Please give us back Homer & Mary....no more history!.......2005-11-08
I can understand that J. Langton wants to branch out, probably bored with Homer and Mary.
But I read her for Homer and Mary, not history.
If she wants to write history, she should start a new series, not disappoint Homer and Mary fans.
I picked up this book at the bookstore, flipped it open to see more "history," and said outloud, "Oh, no." I did buy it, but was very disappointed and will wait for this kind of book to come to the library next time.
What I do is skim the history and read the parts with Homer and Mary.
entertaining intelligent mystery .......2005-10-25
Harvard Professor Homer Kelly has the New York Times number one nonfiction seller, Hen & Chicks. His editor demands he write a follow-up immediately so he can stay on top while the iron is hot. Homer works on his next tome Steeplechase, a look at the historical churches of New England. His wife Mary persuades him to begin the treks starting in Concord and eventually nearby Nashoba. They will find post Civil War aerial photos by the Pratt brothers that showcase a church steeple and a great chestnut tree in Nashoba; while the steeple seems to have vanished without any references besides the pictures, the tree remains standing today.
In 1868 Nashoba, disfigured veteran James Jackson Shaw comes home wanting to simply die. He refuses to see any of his friends and barely tolerates the care of his wife Isabelle and his in-laws including Reverend and Mrs. Gideon. At the same time, Eben Fleet wants Isabelle as his while Ella Viles desires Eben. These disjointed relationships will collide near the Nashoba Chestnut tree that magnificently stands by the First Parrish Church.
In the shadows of Longfellow, STEEPLECHASE alternates chapters so that the audience sees the real events of 1868 vs. the Kelly interpretation of those same activities. This makes for an intriguing historiographic look at how each generation re-interprets the past. Though the 1868 saga is more gripping than the current times fans of a thought provoking, yet very entertaining intelligent mystery will appreciate the latest Homer Kelly thriller.
Harriet Klausner
Customer Reviews:
A Marvelous Depiction of Early Virginia Life.......2005-02-01
For those interested in life in early Virginia, especially those that had ancestors there, this is a "must read" book. It offers a fascinating and highly detailed picture of life in those times, and offers some comparison to how it differed from life in New England at that time.
Genealogists studying ancestors mentioned in the book will be disappointed in the lack of genealogical source notes; it is, after all, a social history and not a work on genealogy. However, most of the genealogical information is sourced in the authors' notes which are archived at the Virginia Historical Society in Richmond.
This book fills a need for genealogists and history buffs........1999-10-21
Everyone who is interested in what life was like for residents of Colonial Virginia will gain a lot of insight on their homes, economics, social strata, and relationship with their servants. For those of us who actually descended from the people who are cited in the book, this is a revelation of how our ancestors fit into the community.
Book Description
This Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean County Atlas shows points of interest, parks and recreation, zip codes, population, as well as sectional street and road maps for each county.
Customer Reviews:
Hagstrom Street Books Jersey Shore.......2007-05-23
These books are great! People can give directions etc, but there is
nothing like seeing it in map form with all the surrounding street
names to become familiar. When you're nearing your destination it
doesn't come up as a fast surprise, you'll know in 3 more blocks thats
my destination. These books are great helpers and I own many of them
for different areas. Won't leave home without them.
Hundreds, if not Thousands, of Mistakes in the 2000 Edition.......2005-02-09
There are hundreds, if not thousands of mistakes in the outdated 2000 edition, including misspelled streets, missing streets, circles that are now intersections, and much more. Some mistakes are downright dangerous, as is the error on Monmouth County Map 10 that shows a ramp to the GSP South off of east-bound Rt. 520. If you follow the map, you'll probably get into the wrong lane. In 1997, I began to communicate with Hagstrom about some of these errors, and sent them a list of about 200 or so. Many of those changes found their way into the 2000 edition, but by then, my list had grown to well over ten pages. In 2003, I began to send Hagstrom illustrated lists concerning all three counties. However, illustrating all the mistakes proved to be extremely time-consuming, and I was only able to send them about half of the thirty pages of changes needed for Middlesex and Monmouth Counties before the Research Department told me that they were done. Although there are less than 100 actual mistakes in the new 2006 edition, the maps do not show the dozens of the many new communities that have been constructed in the last six years. I would like to create a forum for frustrated map users. If anyone is interested in linking to such a website, please email me at lagateway@gmail.com
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