Cleopatra and Frankenstein: A Book of Clichés

Posted On March 4, 2023

Hi Readers! I read the current bookstagram favourite Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors. Like most other hyped books on Instagram, I did not enjoy this one at all. While the underlying message is interesting, it was not the worth it. Here goes the review!

~~TRIGGER WARNINGS~~

Cleopatra and Frankenstein trigger warnings include suicide, depression, alcoholism, drugs and infidelity.

~~A BOOK OF CLICHÉS~~

Think of every romantic or literary romantic book you have read. Now, all the tropes that you can think of are probably present in this book. We have the meet cute where Cleo and Frank are introduced which is super cute to read. Then we have both of them getting married within six months for love, but it’s actually for the visa so Cleo can stay in the country. Then, of course we have an unhappy marriage with them trying to save it by adopting a pet (and thankfully not by having a baby.) And just as expected, we have them both being unfaithful. There’s Frank’s emotional infidelity with someone at work and Cleo’s physical infidelity with the Frank’s best friend obviously. And then we have Cleo’s suicide which is her following in her mother’s footsteps.

From retrospect, it is all just a boring old story with nothing new. It feels like the author picked every possible cliché in a fictional marriage story and put it together to form this book. Color me unimpressed.

~~REAL TALK~

Now, the only thing that I felt was very real and which doesn’t get talks about enough is the change that comes with marriage. Partners change. Their lifestyle changes. And, if you are not a working professional like Cleo, you sit around all day and out of nowhere depression comes crawling into your life. The way that depression in an unhappy marriage is depicted in the book is commendable. No one talks about how a person could lose themselves, their very essence after getting married. You are then just someone’s wife for some people. And if you start believing that too, it can lead to a very dangerous place. Unhappy marriages is what the book highlights in a subtle way. And, I must say that is the only thing in the book worth talking about.

~~TO READ OR NOT TO READ~~

The great thing about this book is that the writing keeps you engaged. And, given that it’s a short book, you will be able to read through it quickly. So, even if you don’t like it, you won’t be suffering too long. If you are a reader who loves a good plot and fast-paced stories, then this is not the book for you. If you enjoy literary fiction revolving around relationships, then you might find your own meanings from the book. If you like character development in a book, then you should not read this. If you are sensitive to any of the triggers, then you should just avoid reading this book. I did not gain much by reading this book, but I enjoyed the first five pages where they met and fell in love. I have rated Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors at 2/5 stars!

Until next time,