Picture courtesy of goodreads.com
I know I’ve complained about this book already, but here I am making it official. I will not be finishing Middlesex. In fact, I will even be paying my library 50 cents in overdue fees because I sort of forgot I’d had it sitting around so long.
What can I say about this book? I don’t think I made it more than 50 pages in. I should have read more reviews before I started it, I guess. Many of the reviews over on Goodreads mentioned that it is a loooooong, slow start about family history/secrets/mistakes before Eugenides actually gets to the boy-raised-as-a girl, gender-fun part of the story. I was so unimpressed by the family saga stuff, though, that I did not want to slog through another 400 pages of it. Also, I might mention that incest is big in this book. I didn’t realize how uncomfortable that would make me, but it was disgusting to read about the growing attraction between a brother and sister. I guess that family sagas like this are just not my thing.
Sad to say (since so many people I respect have enjoyed him), I don’t think Eugenides is my cup of tea. The Virgin Suicides was decent, but not near as intriguing or beautiful as I’d been led to believe. I am left in total confusion here as to why people are so into this guy’s writing.
Clearly, if I can’t finish the book, I can’t recommend it. Read at your own peril/pleasure.
When do you give up on a book? What helps you decide to put a book down or to plow through it?
Don't Take My Books Away 
I agree “Middlesex” was difficult to push through. I pushed through and can see why it won so many awards, because a lot of the book was based on facts, but I didn’t know how I really felt about it after. It’s a lot! I give up on a book when half way and still confused or disconnected!
I think I usually give up on books pretty early on if I can’t get into them. I figure I did my time in school, reading things for their literary merit, now I should be able to read what actually makes me happy. Sometimes literary merit makes me happy, but Eugenides’s style didn’t!