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The novel follows Cleo, a young British artist, and Frank, an older American ad man, who impulsively marry after a whirlwind romance in New York. What follows is an intimate, messy, and often bleak exploration of their relationship—and the web of people around them—as they each try to find themselves (or lose themselves) in love, ambition, addiction, and identity.
Now, my feelings about this book are... complicated. I didn’t love it, I didn’t hate it. It’s very character-driven, which I usually enjoy, and Mellors really knows how to write interiority. There were moments—especially during Cleo’s depressive episodes—that hit way too close to home. But what kept me from fully loving it was the lack of character growth. These people felt real, but also kind of stuck in their own cycles, like they never really learned or changed.
If you're looking for something plot-heavy, this might not be for you. But if you’re into messy, melancholic stories with poetic writing and emotionally distant characters spiraling through life, this might just scratch that itch. It didn’t become a favorite for me, but I can totally see why it resonates with a lot of readers.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Blood, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Dementia, Death of parent
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Classism
Minor: Suicide attempt
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt
Moderate: Animal death, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Mental illness, Suicide attempt
Minor: Drug abuse
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Blood, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Drug abuse, Suicide, Suicide attempt
Moderate: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Blood
Minor: Animal cruelty, Death of parent
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Alcohol
Graphic: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicide
"Wherever you're going is waiting for you" is a phrase that will stay with me.
Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Dementia, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Alcohol