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A review by madzsmiled
Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Please read all content warnings if applicable!
I initially picked this book up for the title - Cleopatra and Frankenstein, how unique - and found I could hardly put it down. Mellors' mastery of the mundane made every moment magical (alliteration absolutely intended). It was by no means a fantastical story, rather one of pain and humanity. Self-discovery and change can happen at any age, at any stage, and the lessons that Mellors teaches are gentle in a way I didn't expect. I was brought to tears time and time again, dancing from highs to lows. I railed at each character for poor choices, but not once did I feel that they were constructs. They felt like real people, and Mellors simply pointed the camera at their lives.
Cleo and Frank were childlike in so many ways. Their brash decisions and whirlwind of parties and events represented all that New York could offer, everything and anything. Cleo was unmoored from her mother's death, her own struggle with mental illness, and her search for purpose. Frank was aching for belonging, but chose to muffle the pain instead of facing it. His alcoholism didn't make him a villain, but his choices and ways he treated others soured his relationships. They were yearning for stability that neither one could offer, so they ended up spiraling.
The other characters were no less interesting than the titular duo. Each were undoubtedly intertwined with the Cleo and Frank, moving like a complicated dance, pushing and pulling. Each had their own sets of longing and battles to fight - Zoe searching for something to ground her, Quentin struggling with drugs and identity, Santiago aching for love and acceptance, and Eleanor learning to love herself. And not everyone had a happy ending, but each finds their own path for better or for worse.
I loved the writing style between perspectives. The first and last chapters are evenly split between Frank and Cleo's thoughts. The rest of the book is regimented to one character per chapter, looking through their eyes. Where it shifts is Eleanor - her perspective is in short snippets and thoughts, focusing on the world around her. It's a refreshing change of pace and from the first person instead of the third. It becomes more personal.
Overall, this story left me feeling emotionally drained in the best way. It was introspective and beautifully written.
#bookrecommendations #bookreviews #litfic
I initially picked this book up for the title - Cleopatra and Frankenstein, how unique - and found I could hardly put it down. Mellors' mastery of the mundane made every moment magical (alliteration absolutely intended). It was by no means a fantastical story, rather one of pain and humanity. Self-discovery and change can happen at any age, at any stage, and the lessons that Mellors teaches are gentle in a way I didn't expect. I was brought to tears time and time again, dancing from highs to lows. I railed at each character for poor choices, but not once did I feel that they were constructs. They felt like real people, and Mellors simply pointed the camera at their lives.
Cleo and Frank were childlike in so many ways. Their brash decisions and whirlwind of parties and events represented all that New York could offer, everything and anything. Cleo was unmoored from her mother's death, her own struggle with mental illness, and her search for purpose. Frank was aching for belonging, but chose to muffle the pain instead of facing it. His alcoholism didn't make him a villain, but his choices and ways he treated others soured his relationships. They were yearning for stability that neither one could offer, so they ended up spiraling.
The other characters were no less interesting than the titular duo. Each were undoubtedly intertwined with the Cleo and Frank, moving like a complicated dance, pushing and pulling. Each had their own sets of longing and battles to fight - Zoe searching for something to ground her, Quentin struggling with drugs and identity, Santiago aching for love and acceptance, and Eleanor learning to love herself. And not everyone had a happy ending, but each finds their own path for better or for worse.
I loved the writing style between perspectives. The first and last chapters are evenly split between Frank and Cleo's thoughts. The rest of the book is regimented to one character per chapter, looking through their eyes. Where it shifts is Eleanor - her perspective is in short snippets and thoughts, focusing on the world around her. It's a refreshing change of pace and from the first person instead of the third. It becomes more personal.
Overall, this story left me feeling emotionally drained in the best way. It was introspective and beautifully written.
#bookrecommendations #bookreviews #litfic
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Drug use, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Moderate: Dementia
Minor: Suicide