I did struggle with this book in the beginning, and I’ll be honest, I thought about not finishing it. However I persevered and I am glad I did. It definitely picked up, and although not my favourite book ever I’m pleased I made the effort.

I did enjoy this debut novel - the evocation of New York as a setting is really well done (I’ve visited recently, so was particularly drawn to this aspect). It’s a bit chaotic and odd, but I suppose that reflects the attitude of the main characters, as well as the plot. I didn’t quite find some of the couplings believable - particularly that of the protagonists, who are very clearly two people who should never have gotten together, definitely not gotten married, and certainly would’ve broken up far before they actually do. It’s all a bit first-world-problemy, with issues that would’ve been much more difficult to tackle in real life either brushed under the rug or conveniently tied up in improbable ways. I could, of course, just be jealous because Cleo has a pretty much dream existence though.

I found the first maybe half of this novel quite insufferable, just stuffed full of the overwhelming and oblivious privilege of the newly married protagonists Cleo and Frank, but it had a lot of hype so I kept chipping away at it and in the end, yes, it was good. The chapters from the point of view of Eleanor, the first female writer at Frank’s advertising agency, (which are inexplicably in first person while the rest of the novel is in close third) were by far the most interesting to me. Indeed, Eleanor and the man Zoe, Frank’s sister, picks up from a sugar daddy website were the only characters I could imagine wanting to spend any time with. So there’s that.

I fell in love with this book from the moment Frank asked Cleo the best part of her year, and her answer made me laugh out loud (if you know, you know).

Cleo and Frank meet randomly in a lift on NYE. By June the next year, they are married. For love, but also practicality as Cleo's U. S. visa is about to expire.

In this gorgeous book we have an intimate glimpse into love, it's beginning, middle and end. The complexities of relationships, not just with lovers, but with friends, and perhaps most of all with ourselves.

There is darkness in this novel for sure, but there is light too, and its dark humour keeps it from descending too far into despondency. It deals with difficult subjects such as addiction and self-harm, and no punches are pulled. But this is what makes the writing so relatable and engaging. I read until the early hours of the morning as I just didn't want to put it down and this is my litmus test for a 5 star book,

I’m afraid I had to DNF around 30%. The story felt too pushed for me and I got quite frustrated with the Easter European character being made quite a caricature. I fully acknowledge that I might have picked this up at the wrong time, however I just was not keen to keep going. I think it started off very strong, but after the first section started dragging. That being said, I do see other reviewers mentioning that they kept going after the first bit and then it picked up.

Thank you for the chance to review this book.

This novel is timeless.

I think what lures the reader in from the start is the fact that there is something so very real and so very possible in Cleo and Frank’s marriage and almost Hollywood-whirlwind romance. All of the characters are relatable in their own ways, but what I loved during the novel was not just that the extensive range of characters are so unique (and dynamic, and fantastic, and vivid), but that each of them are flawed and, especially, that several of them actually recognise these flaws and work on them before the close of the novel. Even characters that I initially started out not feeling much empathy for had me fully on side by the end of the book; Mellors has a talent for developing her characters and giving the, that spark of humanity.

You feel that Frank and Cleo grow together as a couple through this novel. The sense of closure when they part ways in their new lives, not necessarily better for the experience but certainly changed, is immense and, for a reader, satisfying.

My only complaint would be that I would love to know more about Zoe’s story…!

This novel is thought-provoking, evocative, devastatingly relatable, and I’m considering buying the print version already!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Fourth Estate. This was an absolute privilege, and one of my favourite books I have read on NetGalley to date!

🚨 Unpopular opinion alert! 🚨 Sorry guys but I read Cleopatra and Frankenstein and I thought it was really quite overrated... read on to find out why 👀 (thank u 4th Estate for the freebie!!)

I'm sure everyone has heard of this book by now but here's a quick summary: Cleo, 24, burgeoning artist, meets Frank, early 40s, an award-winning advertising exec. It's 2006, it's New Year's Eve in New York, and for the next couple of years, the book follows Cleo and Frank, their friends, and some of the people surrounding them. I really liked the premise and the plot and more – the New York setting, the flamboyant characters, the art world, Eleanor's maybe-not-unrequited love, the way this flirted with but didn't quite embrace the disaster woman trope – but for me the execution was not quite there!

Firstly, the writing. Excepting Eleanor's (first-person) sections, I just do not think this book is very well-written? A lot about Cleopatra and Frankenstein felt heavy-handed and effortful, the author's presence continually hovering over the sentences and never fully allowing me to believe in the story. The switches between Cleo and Frank's perspective were the opposite of seamless (I read a lot of 19th century novels so I know when it's done well) and although I thought Eleanor's first-person narration was MUCH better, with lots of sparkling wit, the endless succession of vignettes really dulled the impact for me. (And I normally love a vignette!) Really I think that the author is much better at writing first-person than third-person which is a shame as the bulk of the novel is in the latter style!

Which brings me to my second issue. I was so excited to realise that the narration spanned Cleo and Frank's friends and colleagues: Frank's half-sister Zoe; his colleague Eleanor; their friends Anders and Santiago; and Cleo's best friend Quentin. But thanks precisely to the wide span of narrators, for me, Cleopatra and Frankenstein lacked depth. Not depth of subject – there are some pretty heavy things going on here! – but depth of character interrogation and motivation and all the good endless plumbing of the soul that I love so much in my fave books. It felt very 'tell, not show' which is... not my favourite.

I'm sure I still would have felt all these things if I hadn't heard about the hype beforehand, but I do wonder if I would have minded as much if I hadn't been expecting something great. I was bored at points and frustrated by the way the writing inched close to being good but never quite reached it; but I minded much less after the halfway-ish point – whether that's because it improved or because I liked the scenes more or because I was used to the style by then, I don't know. Some parts felt like a four-star read and others like a three-star and some others like a two. A strange little mix of a book, but I did essentially read it in three sittings.

REVIEW: Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors

Cleo, a 20 something year old British painter meets Frank, a man 20 years older than her with a successful job in advertising. They meet and quickly form a connection, and Frank offers Cleo whose student visa is about to run out the chance of a green card and the freedom to paint without distractions. Their impulsive marriage isn’t as happy and fun as they may have hoped.

This was filled with humour, as well as the honest portrayal of the dark and difficult parts of our romantic relationships, friendships and familial relationships. We see characters who are struggling, characters who are immensely privileged and we see how they all navigate living in New York. We see parties, drugs, drink and reckless behaviour.

I really liked how the book didn’t solely focus on Cleo and Frank, and we had chapters from other people close to the couple. We were able to have a glimpse into their lives and thoughts, as well as seeing Cleo and Frank through the lens of their friends, which I found really interesting.

The writing vividly portrays New York and the fun and chaos. Mellors was also great at showing the differences between the characters, especially Cleo and Frank, in terms of their age, immaturity and values.

Overall, a really well-written and absorbing debut. I will definitely keep my eye out for what Coco Mellors writes next.

Sadly this wasn't quite the book for me, but I can see it appealing to others (and particularly think fans of Sally Rooney might enjoy it)

leopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors is set in New York, when Cleo and Frank accidentally meet at a New Year's Eve party sparks fly and they soon marry so that Cleo can stay in America (and for love). Though Cleo and Frank are the main focus of the book, it was actually the wider cast of characters who made this book an enjoyable read for me. I could never fully empathise with Cleo or Frank and I think the switching points of views didn't help with this.

Franks, co-worker, Eleanor and his long term friend, Santiago, were both funny and kind. I loved seeing Eleanor's relationship with her mother and how her love life starts to blossom in a very relatable way. I admired how generous Santiago is and how he comes to start to love himself and show his own strengths.

It's wealthy but troubled New York characters and style of writing reminded me of A Little Life. It does also have some trauma, and suicide is part of this story, but it's nowhere near as dark as A Little Life and ultimately ends in a hopeful place.

Thanks to the publisher for gifting me advance ebook access.

Loved this book and couldn't put it down. It's hard to believe it's a debut when the writing is so seamless.
It keeps you turning the pages and there are lots of funny, quotable insights or observations about life from characters that I was highlighting on Kindle all the way through.

I enjoyed how we got to follow some of the secondary characters for periods too, and particularly loved the snappy, witty writing throughout Eleanor's section.

The characters are flawed and yet still likeable. I think Cleo was more well-rounded and developed than Frank because I felt like I understood everyone's views of Cleo more clearly than I understood how and why everyone felt the way they did about Frank (aka he didn't seem as bad to me as Cleo and the others made him out to be with his drinking and workaholic nature...).

However, that's just a very minor observation and didn't in any way take away from the enjoyment of the novel - hence the 5 stars.

Will be recommending to all of my friends (so we can discuss it!) and can't wait to see what Coco Mellors does next.

It took me quite a while to get into it, and I almost gave up, but I’m glad I didn’t.
Although it seemed long at times, it was honest, realistic and hopeful, telling the story of Frank and Cleo, in their good times…and very bad times.
A good read

A really enjoyable book that I couldn’t put down. I loved the characters of Frank and Cleo and their mad impulsive romance that fell apart almost immediately. This book gives an amazingly accurate portrayal of mad, impulsive love that can’t and isn’t supposed to last… I really enjoyed all of the secondary characters too.

<i> “When the darkest part of you meets the darkest part of me, it creates light.” </i>

Cleopatra and Frankenstein is one of the books that starts at the point where most romance movies/books end. And then instead of happily-ever-after we get the moth-to-the-flame all consuming romance that breaks their world down.

There is a not so subtle commentary on the American lifestyle centered around partys, sex and drugs. The fact that Frank is into advertising opens avenues for the author to show off some wit. The initial cute exchanges and the later painful exchanges between Cleo and Frank keeps you invested. The other characters around them - not all their stories were as engaging.

I loved the writing style which was light even in the most serious chapters. The dark humor and the slow frame by frame breakdown of the marriage is well observed. It is never the one big thing and therin the book also stumbles. You do not need to know every interaction of the other characters and I lost my concentration a bit when they were casually doing weed to coke to meth and having sex.

It's a modern bad marriage with a zoom lens. Well written and confident debut no doubt.

Note: Thank you 4th Estate Books and Netgalley for the ARC. The book releases on 22nd Feb.

A compulsive read spanning the year a young English woman marries a older, wealthier New Yorker for the visa but also because she thinks she’ll might be able to fix him, and in return she’ll be fixed too.

Mellors’ cast of characters are some what stereotypical but at least able to poke fun at their own embodiments, she deals with a fulsome set of heavy themes that although not always seen through to the end, never felt gratuitous or attempting a virtue signal.

There is a strong plot throughline, with occasional chapters providing insight into side characters lives, and alternative perspectives on seminal moments. It felt episodic, almost definitely made for a Netflix adaption. Tonally, it uses darkened humour and deadpan one liners but at its core, it is horribly sad. Characters who are all at mercy to the prior trauma, all repeating history or failing to recognise its remaking.

I can’t deny how quickly I inhaled this read, slightly felt like I had been here before but perhaps that is the nature of literary trends.

TW / heavy mention and description of self harm and suicide. Alcoholism

Cleo is 25 and Frank in his forties when they meet and marry in a hurry; this is the story of their dysfunctional relationship.

I read a review just as I began this that said ‘for fans of Sally Rooney‘ and almost didn‘t bother. It‘s really nothing like that. Yes, it features millennials who are a bit whiny and argue without actually communicating, but it‘s set in New York and is a lot grittier, with more sex, drugs and tortured artists.

I'd love to read more from this author.

I really enjoyed this novel and it grew beyond what I was expecting from the blurb. I loved the shifting perspectives following six or so different characters and there wasn’t a weak characterisation amongst them. I also loved that each of the characters was fully rounded and sympathetic, even though their behaviour impacted on other characters in negative ways - it’s a very nuanced and mature look at relationships. I could have spent much more time in this world - highly recommended and thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I literally couldn’t put it down! I spent so many nights reading it way past my bedtime but it was just amazing!

Cleo meets Frank when she decides to leave a party early.. She is in her mid twenties and he is much older.. Her visa is running out and she has to decide what to do, but meeting Frank changes everything.
The story guides us through their relationship, not just from their perspective, but also from other involved parties. Their freewheeling drug addled friends, the ad people and the artists.
This wasn't my normal genre of book, but it grew on me and I needed to know what happened.
It's an interesting book to read if you're interested in human nature.

I really enjoyed this gentle, emotional read focused on the three main characters of Cleo, Frank and Eleanor. I also developed a soft spot for Anders! I look forward to reading more by Coco Mellors