Upon finishing this book today, I actually whispered "Wow" out loud at work. I digested this very slowly over the last couple weeks, and up until about the 85% mark, it was going to be a four star. Yes, the writing was incredible and the story detailed and interesting, I just wasn't devouring it like I usually would. But something clicked around this near-end point, when Callie became Cal and everything began to come full circle. The depth of character that Eugenides is capable of is so amazing. Cal is dynamic and complicated (helped in part by the incredible narration of Kristoffer Tabori), but it's not just his story that comes to life. The astounding scope of this family epic is exactly that - epic. Desdemona and Lefty are as much protagonists as Cal is, but the stories never feel cut off from each other. They all flow seamlessly together, rooted in the drama that began in the silkworm house on the mountain. Each relationship is complex and layered, from Desdemona and Lefty to Tessy and Milt to Cal and The Object. I didn't know how Eugenides could end a story like this - in fact, I had convinced myself that it wouldn't, couldn't, happen satisfactorily. And yet, it was perfect. I don't know what else I could have needed. I don't think I'll be able to stop thinking about these characters for a long time. This book is certainly deserving of its Pulitzer status.