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Middlesex Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Jeffrey Eugenides (Author), Kristoffer Tabori (Narrator), Macmillan Audio (Publisher)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 12,385 ratings
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FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. 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 1967, 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. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction.
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  1. Listening Length
    21 hours and 21 minutes
  2. Author
    Jeffrey Eugenides
  3. Narrator
    Kristoffer Tabori
  4. Audible release date
    April 25, 2003
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Macmillan Audio
  7. ASIN
    B00009KEJ6
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 21 hours and 21 minutes
Author Jeffrey Eugenides
Narrator Kristoffer Tabori
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date April 25, 2003
Publisher Macmillan Audio
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B00009KEJ6
Best Sellers Rank #10,447 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#21 in LGBTQ+ Literature & Fiction (Audible Books & Originals)
#51 in LGBTQ+ Literary Fiction (Books)
#224 in Contemporary Literature & Fiction

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
12,385 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book compelling and enjoyable to read. They praise the writing quality as eloquent, creative, and descriptive. The story is described as generational, with historical elements that help readers understand the context. Readers appreciate the thought-provoking situations and information about the subject matter. They enjoy the well-developed characters and humor throughout the book.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more
ReadabilityWriting qualityStory lengthInsightCharacter developmentHumorIntersexityComprehension
677 customers mention "Readability"659 positive18 negative

Customers enjoy the book's readability. They find the story compelling and interesting, with an unconventional plot. The author's light writing style brings life to the pages and makes it a solid read worth checking out.

"...But, to reiterate. When this book is good, it's good. Like candy or cake melting on the tongue...." Read more

"...wracked by social, cultural, racial, and sexual upheaval in a novel of epic scope that documents the end of the age of princes and follows the rise..." Read more

"...meditation on gender, ethnicity, sexuality and identity, unspooled in a terrific story." Read more

"...In brilliant and engaging prose, Eugenides tells us a story that spans three generations of the Stephanides family through the omniscient eyes of..." Read more

427 customers mention "Writing quality"397 positive30 negative

Customers find the writing eloquent, creative, and descriptive. They appreciate the detailed story and colorful characters. The author's narration is unique and enjoyable to read. Overall, readers describe the book as imaginative, thoughtful, and inspiring.

"...Most impressively, for all that this book clothes itself in allusions towards mythology and tragedy, all of this is done without pretension." Read more

"...that Eugenides pays to detail, the scents, the colors, the sounds and textures, his lists of observations, that lift this novel from story to art." Read more

"...It’s so well written, with vivid characters.. and while it almost completely avoids politics and contemporary culture wars it’s also a gentle..." Read more

"...I found the novel so convincing that I started to wonder if Eugenides himself was a hermaphrodite and if this book was a dramatized autobiography...." Read more

274 customers mention "Story length"242 positive32 negative

Customers enjoy the story's length. They find the historical elements engaging, helping them better understand the story's background. The book covers four generations of family relationships and challenges.

"...The story strikes an emotional depth, but for this reader the quality of Eugenides’ prose takes this work to a level worthy of the accolades it has..." Read more

"...So really this is a multigenerational family drama that happens to also feature a hermaphrodite...." Read more

"...The story is amazing and I love that it goes so back in history...." Read more

"Beautifully written. A thoughtful and inspiring story. Full of historical insight about a Greek immigrant family and their sojourn to America...." Read more

145 customers mention "Insight"142 positive3 negative

Customers find the book insightful and thought-provoking. They describe it as an informative and enlightening text about a subject matter they had little knowledge about. The story is told in a unique and interesting way, with science but more importantly, it's a poignant self-discovery journey. Readers praise the author's talent and skill in weaving themes of alienation, transformation, and symbolic importance into the story.

"...subject matter is not the crux of the story, but rather of symbolic importance, a way to access the family history...." Read more

"...Like a silk weaver, Eugenides masterfully threads the themes of alienation, transformation, exploitation and, ultimately, acceptance through the..." Read more

"Beautifully written. A thoughtful and inspiring story. Full of historical insight about a Greek immigrant family and their sojourn to America...." Read more

"...about certain situations, but on the whole I found it to be an informative and enlightening text...." Read more

121 customers mention "Character development"110 positive11 negative

Customers enjoy the well-developed characters and colorful experiences in the book. They find the central character, Callie, to be likable and relatable as she struggles through a heartbreaking journey. The story is described as an autobiography narrated by the central character, with humor and tragedy.

"...We get to see the characters as the ultimate snapshots of humanity - in highs and lows and everything in-between...." Read more

"...It’s so well written, with vivid characters.. and while it almost completely avoids politics and contemporary culture wars it’s also a gentle..." Read more

"...Instead, he makes the narrator incredibly and unbelievably human...." Read more

"...transformation, exploitation and, ultimately, acceptance through the protagonist's family history, their own childhood and adult years, switching..." Read more

81 customers mention "Humor"73 positive8 negative

Customers enjoy the book's humor. They find it witty and humorous, making them laugh and cry. The writing style is poetic and engaging, with poignant moments. Readers praise the author as a serious master of words and appreciate his writing style.

"...particularly the insight the author gives into our protagonist, is pure poetry. This will always be a major plus for me...." Read more

"...Poetry. Eugenides uses lists and strong imagery to make his story an incontrovertible reality...." Read more

"...I'm noting a pattern with Eugenides. First of all, he's a very witty, verbally gifted writer...." Read more

"...Having said all that, I loved the subtle humor and loved his turn of phrase...." Read more

58 customers mention "Intersexity"54 positive4 negative

Customers find the book an exploration of intersexity and gender identity. They describe it as a fascinating novel about finding one's sexual identity while covering four generations of family. The story is described as gentle meditation on gender, ethnicity, and sexuality. It has been well-received in gender issues literature classes, guiding readers through the complexities of identity and challenging societal norms. Many consider it a great book for LGBT+ people.

"...avoids politics and contemporary culture wars it’s also a gentle meditation on gender, ethnicity, sexuality and identity, unspooled in a terrific..." Read more

"...Issues of identity and place swirl about endlessly and the story starts further back than readers may possibly expect...." Read more

"...Insightful exposition about intersex people." Read more

"...Great book for the LGBT+ folks as well…" Read more

139 customers mention "Comprehension"55 positive84 negative

Customers have different views on the book's comprehension. Some find it complex and straightforward, while others feel the story lacks depth and clarity. They also mention that some details irritate them and the beginning is confusing. Overall, opinions vary on how well the book conveys its message.

"...But the mystery is never fully solved...." Read more

"...He also skillfully interjects the transition of this country in the past 100 years via immigration, depression, suffrage, prohibition, WWII, Jim..." Read more

"...Easy and enjoyable to read but extremely intricate, it gives away its ending right at the beginning but has you in its grip while it fills the..." Read more

"...But the purity of the story and the simplistic way with which it is told, would make any reader give a shout out for Desdemona and Lefty...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • David Adelman
    5.0 out of 5 stars A "small" epic, Beautifully written...
    Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Middlesex was my first exposure to the author. I say that as preface to establish that I was a blank slate at the time I read the work. Discovering Mr. Eugenides for me has been the most pleasant experience. This book, as anyone can discern for themselves by reading a synopsis - concerns itself with Calliope who becomes Cal, and more importantly the story of his (or her) family. The clumsiness of my ability to assign gender aside, which may or may not be be politic, this book is emphatically not about gender. Oh, that is not to say that the book does not touch upon the subject. My point is that the intersex subject matter is not the crux of the story, but rather of symbolic importance, a way to access the family history. At one point in the narrative, early on, the narrator even says that this is a genetic history, the story of a single gene through the generations.

    Thus we come to my titular description of a "small" epic. Although that is unfair. It would be more accurate to say that it is close, because it deals with one family, and yet that would be just as inaccurate in its own way. I would say instead that nearly every character, and certainly the family. is imbued with characteristics that deepen them; in effect, make them more real. There are exceptions of course; it is not a perfect work, but any imperfections for me were worth it for the actual experience that is the good in this book. Portions of this book, particularly the insight the author gives into our protagonist, is pure poetry. This will always be a major plus for me. Of course I was not expecting the same kind of treatment to extend to a geography, Detroit, but I could certainly handle it. Normally, I don't respond nearly so well to an author who takes on a space as muse, especially in this kind of narrative that has a depth-ness of both time and space, but again, for me it didn't detract. At worst, the long soliloquies about Detroit only slowed down the narrative. Of course as a reader, it is slightly irritating that ostensibly for the amount of time that is spent on it, the zeitgeist of Detroit is a character itself. However, I don't know how much of this is the novel itself, or simply the limitations of the genre. Any work that concerns itself heavily with the passage of history, has to deal with that history. For all of the beauty of the words then, this book is pragmatic in that sense.

    But, to reiterate. When this book is good, it's good. Like candy or cake melting on the tongue. We get to see the characters as the ultimate snapshots of humanity - in highs and lows and everything in-between. Most impressively, for all that this book clothes itself in allusions towards mythology and tragedy, all of this is done without pretension.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Brian Wallace
    4.0 out of 5 stars deserving of Multiple Readings
    Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    I first read Middlesex in 2003. The book deserved and found a place on my library shelf, and the characters and the history they lived and wrought stayed with me. A few months ago a friend read the novel for the first time and shared thoughts on the book, so I took it off the shelf and re-read it with a more mature eye. Eugenides depicts generations of a Greek family displaced by war, transplanted to industrial America, challenged by economic catastrophe, buoyed by commitment to mindless work, and wracked by social, cultural, racial, and sexual upheaval in a novel of epic scope that documents the end of the age of princes and follows the rise and fall of industrial America. History, poetry, tragedy, and comedy fill the pages of Middlesex. History, tragedy, and comedy are the elements of story and plot on which other reviewers of this novel have commented, some with clear and incisive understanding, and others with opinions that suggests a preference for a facile rendering of a single character’s unusual personal development.

    The histories Eugenides presents, Kemal’s post World War I Turkey, American prohibition, and the mid-twentieth century labor and racial tensions which Detroit underwent, at that time the fifth most populous city in the country, provide a backdrop against which the reader can struggle to understand the choices made by individual characters.

    The story strikes an emotional depth, but for this reader the quality of Eugenides’ prose takes this work to a level worthy of the accolades it has received. Poetry. Eugenides uses lists and strong imagery to make his story an incontrovertible reality. In virtually every paragraph Eugenides invokes all the senses. It occurs to me that the sense of smell is perhaps the most primal, and the sense that stirs most our memories. For me, when water is poured on a camp or charcoal fire, immediately I am transported to 1965, Queens Street Station in Glasgow, Scotland. I am five years old, my mother is wearing a white faux fur coat and a gigantic black steam engine has just come to rest at the platform. Scent and memory. Eugenides uses the sense of smell to create texture and resonance in ways that few writers do. Some of the readers who have commented on this novel have complained that the intricacy and detail distracted them from the story. This reader would suggest that it is the attention that Eugenides pays to detail, the scents, the colors, the sounds and textures, his lists of observations, that lift this novel from story to art.
    18 people found this helpful
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  • Todd M. Warren
    5.0 out of 5 stars A stunning original
    Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    I’ve never read anything quite like this. I was swept into this strange story that starts in a Greek village in what’s now turkey, weaves through Detroit’s fall into hard times in the 60s and 70s, but above all tracks the story of a girl who turns out to be not exactly a boy, but a hermaphrodite. It’s so well written, with vivid characters.. and while it almost completely avoids politics and contemporary culture wars it’s also a gentle meditation on gender, ethnicity, sexuality and identity, unspooled in a terrific story.
    4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • ROSEBUD
    5.0 out of 5 stars great read
    Reviewed in Canada on August 16, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    wonderful character development, historical finesse, lots of education on issues rarelly written about…well worth the investment in terms of learning
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  • C. McCarthy
    5.0 out of 5 stars A most unusual story
    Reviewed in France on April 15, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    This book was fascinating. The narrator holds your attention, leading you through a serpentine life and family history. I definitely recommend it!
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  • Delivered in a good condition.
    5.0 out of 5 stars A bit stiff binding.
    Reviewed in India on April 9, 2024
    Verified Purchase
     
    Customer image
    Delivered in a good condition.
    5.0 out of 5 stars A bit stiff binding.
    Reviewed in India on April 9, 2024

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  • MiguelAngel
    5.0 out of 5 stars Un gran relato, de tintes épicos
    Reviewed in Spain on May 5, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Es una novela narrada en tono de autobiografía, exponiendo la historia (bastante movida) de tres generaciones de una familia griega procedente de "Asia Menor" (la parte griega de la actual Turquía), desde los tiempos de Ataturk, hasta su asentamiento en Detroit. Son especialmente intensos el momento de su precipitada huida de Esmirna, ante el ataque de las tropas turcas; y, ya cerca del final, las escenas que relatan la terrible tesitura de la protagonista, cuando se revela que no es una niña sino un niño, cuyo desarrollo genital se vio detenido por una mutación genética. Aparte de su narrativa (con tiente homéricos), destaca su profundo análisis psicológico, tanto el de los abuelos fugitivos, como del/de la protagonista, que, ya adolescente, da un vuelco a su vida al huir de la clínica donde pretendían extirparle sus nacientes atributos genitales masculinos. También tiene un gran valor el estudio sobre la diferencia entre "sexo" (determinado por los genes e inmutable) y "género" (la identificación sexual, susceptible de cambios). Y además presenta muy bien la lenta transformación de una sociedad basada en el automóvil (la de Detroit) a otra devastada por la gran Depresión de los años 30.
    Es una novela larga, a veces intensa, otras veces algo más relajada, pero siempre muy interesante.
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  • Cliente de Amazon
    5.0 out of 5 stars Muy buen libro.
    Reviewed in Mexico on August 1, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Me gustó mucho. Su forma de escribir me agrada bastante, ya que siendo un tema tan fuerte, lo trata de una manera suave. Me parece un libro fuerte, sensible, con mucho conocimiento médico, social y de historia. Mantiene el interés y despierta compasión.
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