Both Sides Now

Jeffrey Eugenides richly deserves the Pulitzer Prize the novel received.

The novel traces the main character Callie's origins from before her birth to the present and explores every kind of middle ground, most notably that of gender identity. Hence the title...

From Callie's grandparents' immigration to her father's first generation success story with Hercules Hot Dog Stands, the novel explores the American Dream--what it is and is not. It takes a brutal look at what has become of urban America and how success ends up as a careless sort of upgrading without thought for what we leave behind.

The novel is filled with rich characters: Grandmother Desdemona who brings the knowledge of silkworms and cocoons to America, Grandfather Lefty who runs a speakeasy in his basement, Dad Milton who finds himself in a landing craft in World War II, and Mom Tessie who struggles to bridge Greek and American cultures. In their pursuit of love and success, they too often forget the lessons of their Greek forbears. Time and again, these loveable characters attempt to cheat fate with predictable, sometimes tragic but always engaging results.

Eugenides’ portrait of Callie is, for the most part, dead on. He captures the angst of teenage Callie waiting to catch up to her peers but may assign a bit too much sexual expertise to the experimenting adolescents. Those who grew up in the 70's will surely enjoy the nostalgic resurrection of the music and clothing of the day (izods and Pappagallo).

The novel's structure is complex without being annoying. Eugenides shifts between settings and dates with ease. Additionally there is a rich under layer of literary and mythic allusion that will delight the knowledgeable reader. Chapter Titles, for example, are a story in themselves.

A wonderfully satisfying read that makes for scintillating book club discussion!