Reviews

Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors

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jovtom's review against another edition

2.0

sadly, it did not meet my expectations.

the humor is great but that might be my favorite thing. i like the New York setting and the premise of the story, i like the characters as ideas. but the execution fell short for me. it's a story about an impulsive, intense and wild relationship and how it affect everyone involved and even those not involved. we get a sneak peek into all the side characters and their defects and troubles. everyone in this book is fucked up. but it just didn't feel very sincere.

the sudden switch to Eleanor's pov and narration as well as these little vignettes is strange and I'm not sure how i feel about it. i don't get the point other than to be quirky. it gave me the ick and the feeling that the book is trying to be edgy and different and something more than what it is.

mizzbooks_'s review against another edition

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1.0

I only have one question and that is: what am I reading here? The title doesn’t even apply one bit to what is written in the book. It’s not only about Cleo and Frank, it’s about everyone else and how they see the world. I don’t see this book as witty or fun, I just see it as a very slow story to read and not one bit interesting. I feel like there is no plot and I generally don’t read book without one.
Unfortunately this book gets one star from me.

leilaxx's review against another edition

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3.0

3/5

I just completed it, and I feel conflicted with how the story turned out—highlighting the complexities within relationships and the burden of so-called friends. My god, I just wanted to shake every single character by the shoulders and yell at them. Yet I could not put it down. Wow!

No, wait, I just took a small break and am back because this book has left me angry, frustrated and sad. Not hopeful in any sense but sad about how things turned out for everyone and how poorly the characters chose to cope and recognise their actions. Running away to LA, Signing up on an online $$ forum, hurting yourself and those around them, hiding behind emails, shitty friendships and drugs. Santiago was the wise one. Frank pulling himself together for someone else. UGH.

Gosh, this sounds bad, but these characters need a different way to cope with their upbringing instead of constantly burdening those around them. Homegirls just needed to talk, go for a walk, write, hope, have faith in the world, communicate and have patience. My oh my. I've read a few of these lit fiction novels to help "navigate your 20s", and truthfully, it is a different world and culture. I guess women from all over the world have their various forms of coping and resilience. It is not something I would read as a source of relativity and redirection, but it was very well written and complex, and I'm learning more about the lives of those living different lives. I say all this as if it's an autobiography, but it's not a work of fiction, haha.