Cleopatra and Frankenstein
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Abby Dowd is once again acting as my book mule, largely responsible for the things that I read. She rightfully encouraged me to read Famesick, and she hooked me up with a signed copy of Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors. Even though I trust Abby’s judgment, I came with Coco reservations. I was reading Blue Sisters when I went into labor; I even have this gnarly picture of me breastfeeding while reading it (what can’t she do?) a couple of days after birth. It’s largely performative-- I felt like absolute dogshit and probably read half a page.
Needless to say, I wasn’t crazy about Blue Sisters, and Cleopatra and Frankenstein was Coco’s debut novel, so it felt like a potential step back. Here I am, eating my words. Cleo and Frank are two lost puppies living in New York City. I was IMMEDIATELY mesmerized by the story. Coco’s imagery was excellent, and an NYC setting is always a plus for me (opportunity to brag about living there for ~4 years). Cleo and Frank are broken individuals who try to fix themselves through their relationship. Historically, we know how successful that is! So, this book is filled with a lot of sadness and failure. I appreciated the symbolism of their nicknames for each other: Cleo, a beautiful, misunderstood woman à la Cleopatra, and Frank, a patched-together man who struggles to properly communicate à la Frankenstein.
Coco Mellors loves a multi-perspective story (Blue Sisters switched POVS between sisters), and I am wary of that. Like in The Shampoo Effect, I think writers sometimes hide behind multiple voices as a shield so they don't have to dive too deep into one in particular. I do not think that’s the case here. Mellors made certain questionable choices, like throwing in a few unnecessary voices (Santiago), not fleshing out voices that had a lot of promise (Zoe), and avoiding voices that deserved to be heard (Quentin). So, I have some unsolicited notes for Coco. But overall, her writing really made me feel something. The dialogue was sooooo cutting, especially when Cleo and Frank fought. It sparked a visceral reaction. I guffawed!
I also have some unease about the ending. I was surprised by the direction of the story, but upon reflection, it was a realistic trajectory. It became something that was probably best for the characters themselves as people– a testament to the vividness of her writing, albeit slightly less juicy to me as a reader. Still, I didn’t much care where it was going; her writing compelled me, and I was very much along for the ride. Cleopatra and Frankenstein receives 4 out of 5 flames. Big thanks to Abby for another banger!
