Reviews tagging 'Infidelity'

Cleópatra e Frankenstein by Coco Mellors

283 reviews

rhiannon_hall_reads's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional funny sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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A rollercoaster read that takes you through all the emotions. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Alcohol

Moderate: Infidelity, Sexual content, Dementia, Death of parent

eloot's review against another edition

4.5

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I have never connected with each character of a book so fast. I need Greta Gerwig to make this into a film. I’m 24 and I love Cleo.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment

Moderate: Forced institutionalization

Minor: Animal death, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Blood, Vomit, Death of parent, Pregnancy

dracucore's review against another edition

4.5

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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excellent read, though it took me longer than usual. very emotional, points off for the rushed ending.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol

ashlynregan's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional funny sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This book is for New Yorkers cause I swear I know all of these characters IRL.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail

lemonyanne's review against another edition

4.0

challenging emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This book feels like you’re invited into the world of well-off socialite New York as a total voyeur. You’d never want to be part of this circle as all the characters are flawed and unlikeable in their own ways. However, Cleo and Frank’s relationship IS interesting and this discussion of how they destroy one another in the mutual distraction of themselves is why you keep reading it. You don’t want to look away from the car crash on the highway. (SPOILERS:) However, Eleanor’s 2 chapters felt really misplaced. First person was the wrong choice for her (esp when then rest of the novel is in third) and felt like an ill-attempt at making her feel normal, relatable or quirky - this I think was the more unsuccessful element of her narrative. I also don’t think she was Frank’s saving grace and I’m unsure if she was written to be. Although, her pining love for Frank could serve as an interesting contrasting how Anders pined for Cleo, as Eleanor’s love showed far more compassion, maturity and self-awareness as opposed to Anders’ vapid, self-absorbed obsession with Cleo was. All in all, this book felt like reading gossip, and for that purpose it worked fabulously. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Blood, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

ashcook's review against another edition

3.25

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Suicide attempt

Moderate: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Infidelity, Toxic relationship

Minor: Transphobia

tabula_risa's review against another edition

4.25

emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I’m not really sure what I have to say about this book. I enjoyed reading it. I think maybe the way I felt during this book is how I was supposed to feel about Sally Rooney. 

Reading description after description of Cleo and then spotting Coco Mellor’s author photo was a bit of an eyebrow raise, haha. And I do have very mixed feelings about Quentin, the only queer character, being the only one with a bleak, hopeless ending. Especially considering he was only given one POV chapter in the book. idk. It just feels like this book prides itself on being adjacent to queer culture but is ultimately very heteronormative.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug use, Infidelity, Suicide attempt

Minor: Animal death

v_____'s review against another edition

4.5

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Dezember. Sie stand schon im Fahrstuhl als er Einstieg, er nickte ihr zu und schloss mit einem Rattern das Eisengitter...

- Cleopatra und Frankenstein, 1%

🎧 gehört als Hörbuch

Einerseits war dieses Buch eine berührende Liebesgeschichte gone traumatic.
Andererseits bildet es verschiedene Menschen, die in verschiedenen Beziehungen miteinander stehen ab, die teils problematisch sind, teils liebevoll. 
Und dann ist die Geschichte auch Klischee beladen, aber durch den wundervollen Schreibstil kann man darüber hinwegsehen.

Cleo und Frank sind die titelgebenden Hauptfiguren, aber sie leben nicht isoliert, sondern man bekommt auch die Gedankenwelt der Menschen um sie herum mit. Dadurch entsteht ein schönes, rundes Bild. Was mir hier nicht so gefallen hat war, dass man von Cleo gefühlt nicht recht viel mehr POVs bekommt, als von so manch anderem Nebencharakter. Da hätte ich mir mehr erwartet, da Cleo ja immerhin eine Namensgeberin des Buches ist. Außerdem hätte ich gerne mehr darüber erfahren, was sich Cleo bei so manchen Aktionen gedacht hat (zB

bei der Affäre mit Anders

).

Das Ende war

heilend und positiv. 
Ich fand es einfach super, dass Cleo und Frank sich normal über ihre beendete Beziehung unterhalten konnten, ohne großes Drama. Von dieser Sorte brauchen wir unbedingt mehr! Es gibt leider viel zu viele Beispiele in Filmen und Büchern, wo sich Ex-Partner auch lange nach der Trennung bis aufs Blut hassen, anstatt einfach zu versuchen drüber zu stehen und weiterzumachen. 
Mein Lieblingscharakter war Cleo (Romes Version). Ich hatte wirklich den Eindruck, dass es ihr besser geht, dass sie heilt und sie es schaffen wird.
Von Zoe hätte ich gerne noch mehr erfahren, wie ging es mit ihr weiter?
Dass es für Frank so einfach war mit dem Trinken aufzuhören hat mich sehr überrascht. Meist braucht es bei sowas mehr Anläufe, und natürlich wissen wir nicht, ob Frank es nicht vor Beginn der Geschichte schon mal versucht hat oder er nach dem Ende nochmal rückfällig wird... Aber das Framing "er hat mit dem Trinken aufgehört, weil er ist jetzt in Eleonor verliebt" finde ich nicht nur unrealistisch und unauthentisch, sondern auch sehr problematisch. Jemand der jahre- oder jahrzehntelang Alkoholiker war, hört nicht so einfach auf, unfortunately that's not how the world works...

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol

shaleen64's review against another edition

3.75

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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If you’re a reader that likes a true plot then this isn’t really the book for you. However, whilst the majority of characters cannot be described as lovable, all are relatable and the book really explores the difficulties of navigating complex relationships  in the modern day world. 

Several really important topics are covered with enough depth that they’re not trivialised but evoke thought. The title of the book is the most perfect symbolism. However, excluding Santiago, I didn’t have a true connection with the characters hence the rating, but it’s still a book I would recommend.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Drug use, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Alcohol

Moderate: Medical content, Death of parent

Minor: Sexism, Terminal illness

hunni_reads's review against another edition

4.0

emotional funny reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug use, Infidelity, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Death of parent

Moderate: Animal death, Mental illness, Toxic relationship

Minor: Eating disorder, Transphobia