MiddlesexMiddlesex
Score Modern
What it's about
"I was born twice," Cal Stephanides begins: first as a baby girl in Detroit in 1960, then again as a teenage boy. Cal tells the story of the genetic mutation that made him intersex, and of the three generations of his Greek American family that passed it down: from his grandparents, who fled the burning of Smyrna in 1922 with a secret, to Detroit's Prohibition era, the 1967 riots, and his own adolescence.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Pulitzer Prize and is on the New York Times list of the century's best books. It's a big, funny, warm family saga and an American epic.
You'll love it if you liked
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
A Prayer for Owen Meany
The GoldfinchGood to know
Cal's own story doesn't fully begin until halfway through. It includes incest between his grandparents, central to the plot.
By the numbers
- Readers50 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics86 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller44 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #53 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #236 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #474 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving, Thought-provoking
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Quick answers
Is Middlesex worth reading?
Yes. It won the Pulitzer Prize and is on the New York Times list of the century's best books. It ranks #474 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 78.8 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Middlesex about?
"I was born twice," Cal Stephanides begins: first as a baby girl in Detroit in 1960, then again as a teenage boy. Cal tells the story of the genetic mutation that made him intersex, and of the three generations of his Greek American family that passed it down: from his grandparents, who fled the burning of Smyrna in 1922 with a secret, to Detroit's Prohibition era, the 1967 riots, and his own adolescence.
How long does it take to read Middlesex?
About 14 hours (548 pages), or about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has Middlesex won?
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winner (2003).
What should I read after Middlesex?
If you liked it, try The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon, A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving or The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt.