A review by ____nique
Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors

dark emotional funny sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5


I saw this on Fully Booked– the cover page piqued my interest and made me want to read it when I read its blurb. Thankfully, I fought the urge to buy the physical copy of this book because I would be so disappointed if I did as I didn’t enjoy reading it. The first chapter of it was eye-catching and it was the main reason why I continued reading it. However, the chapters following that were disappointing. Maybe the story was not just for me, but I really can’t see the logic and sense of reading a story without an actual plot (I mean, I would get it if the story is non-fiction, but a fiction book without a plot? Oh, come on!) 

Since it has no plot, I found the book very tedious and tiring to read– it took me 2 weeks to finish it which was unusual for me as I only read books at least a week. The chapters were just too long; I found the descriptive words very detailed; and the stories in each chapter were not really linked to the main storyline (if a storyline/plot really does exist in this book). Some readers prefer this kind of writing, but I found it unnecessary which prevented me from connecting with the story. 

I can see the similarities between this book and The Year of Rest and Relaxation. They both gave me mixed feelings towards the book because I genuinely think that the story, characters, and overall setting of this book have potential, but something in the writing was lacking that made the story feel lost somewhere. So sad, I would’ve loved to enjoy reading these kinds of stories, but my impatient ass cannot stand it. 


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