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First of all, thank you so much to 4th Estate Books for my advanced copy of ‘Cleopatra and Frankenstein’ which is actually out in the UK right now! I’ve seen nearly every single bookstagrammer posting and reading this book and I was absolutely over the moon when an advanced copy came through my letterbox. Not only that, but I follow Coco Mellors on Instagram and oh my, what a delight she is. She always re-posts mine and fellow bookstagrammers posts about her book and she just looks like she’s living the New York, published author dream and after (what I can imagine have been a very long) seven years, I can’t even imagine the sheer delight one must feel walking into a bookstore in New York and seeing your book right front and centre. And as I dedicated February to reading stories about love, I more or less read this book as soon as I got my hands on a copy…
SYNOPSIS: Twenty-four-year-old British painter Cleo has escaped from England to New York and is still finding her place in the sleepless city when, a few months before her student visa ends, she meets Frank. Twenty years older and a self-made success, Frank's life is full of all the excesses Cleo lacks. He offers her the chance to be happy, the freedom to paint, and the opportunity to apply for a Green Card. But their impulsive marriage irreversibly changes both their lives, and the lives of those close to them, in ways they never could've predicted.
Each compulsively readable chapter explores the lives of Cleo, Frank, and an unforgettable cast of their closest friends and family as they grow up and grow older. Whether it's Cleo's best friend struggling to embrace his gender queerness in the wake of Cleo's marriage, or Frank's financially dependent sister arranging sugar daddy dates to support herself after being cut off, or Cleo and Frank themselves as they discover the trials of marriage and mental illness, each character is as absorbing, and painfully relatable, as the last.
REVIEW: I found this book incredibly easy to read. I was obsessed with each character. To the point where I wanted to be part of their weird friendship group. I did, however, feel like I was in the midst of all their drama. From the very first chapter, I could easily see the characters in my head and was hooked. I just wanted to read the book at every opportunity I got and for me, that signifies a great read.
Out of all the characters, I found myself more connected to Frank than Cleo. Frank has his issues and my god, he definitely isn’t the perfect husband or partner but I felt like Frank did really care for Cleo and honestly tried to do his best and therefore, I felt like I was more invested in his story than anyone else’s story. I wonder how common/uncommon my opinion is. You will have to read it and see if you are drawn to Cleo or Frank more. I wonder who Coco wants us to feel more sorry for or perhaps we should feel sorry for each character at different points throughout the book.
I also really enjoyed Coco’s commentary on this problem in society about ‘Top Trumps: Sadness Edition’. In the novel, Cleo and Frank constantly argue about who is allowed to be messed up more because of their childhood. Does a suicidal, dead mother trump a drunk, distant mother? Does a rich, sad man trump a poor, sad woman? I liked how these discussions came up time and time again throughout the novel.
I also liked that the story wasn’t just about Cleo and Frank but also the people who they dragged into their messed up relationship like Frank’s sister, Frank’s employee, Frank’s best friend and Cleo’s gay best friend. I do think that Frank and Cleo did love each other, but as cliché as it sounds, they didn’t love themselves enough to accept each other’s love. They didn’t think they were deserving of the love the other gave to them and therefore didn’t know how to accept the love.
The writing in this book is exceptional and although the story is not action packed, it is packed with different depictions of love, marriage and relationships which makes you want to absolutely devour it in one sitting.
READ THIS IF:
👩🏼🤝🧑🏻 You like Sally Rooney novels
👩🏼🤝🧑 You want a book that will make you feel like you’re living/parting in New York
👩🏼🤝🧑 You like books which depict very real lives and relationships
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