Book Review: Cleopatra and Frankenstein

 

Written by Safa Alhassan 

Cleo­patra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors is one of my all-time favorite books. It’s about modern love and a very turbulent marriage. But the story isn’t just about Cleo and Frank. Family, friends, and the people around them also grow as their marriage evolves. It makes you wonder, is love really ever enough? If you’re obsessed with love and want to feel all the butterflies, you should have read this long before now. I first read it in 2022 when our book club picked it as our December read. It’s hard to believe it’s been two years! Back then, the book was new and not yet making waves. But soon, it gathered all the hype and popularity you can imagine. Suddenly, every book lover had read it.

This story is about love and pain. It starts with a marriage filled with love, almost a fairy tale. Frank is every girl’s dream: educated, wealthy, handsome, however he was narcissistic. He’s significantly older than Cleo, 24 when they met, while Frank was 44. But as the story unfolds, you realize their marriage doesn’t end well. It raises questions like, "What do we really want in life?" Often, when we finally get what we’ve longed for, it becomes dull, almost ordinary. So, is it worth it if our desires never fully satisfy us, even after all the effort? Cleo and Frank’s relationship is filled with love and hate. They’re stuck with each other, but they soon realize how different they truly are. What they once loved about each other becomes what they despise most. This story goes deep. It’s not just about love, hurt, healing, and loss, but also about personal growth, self-discovery, and learning to love yourself. It teaches that all that glitters is not gold. What looks perfect on the outside can be far from it on the inside.

The book also reminds you to be careful what you wish for because nobody has it all. Even the most beautiful or seemingly successful people have their own insecurities, their own struggles that we may never see. That’s one of the most important lessons I took from Cleopatra and Frankenstein. On the surface, Cleo and Frank seem to have everything. Cleo, with her beauty and youth, and Frank, with his wealth, success, and charm. But beneath all that, both of them are deeply flawed, battling inner turmoil. Frank's narcissism and Cleo's quest for love and belonging are rooted in their own insecurities, and it’s heartbreaking to watch their relationship unravel because of them. It made me think about how we often idolize people, imagining that they live these perfect, glossy lives. But the truth is, nobody has it all. We’re all battling something, and sometimes, what we think we want isn’t really what we need. It’s easy to believe that if we had more money, more success, or even more love, everything would fall into place. But Cleopatra and Frankenstein shows us that these external things can’t fix the deeper issues within us.

Cleo’s journey especially resonated with me. She has everything she thought she wanted; a wealthy, older husband, a glamorous life in New York but it’s not enough to make her happy. In fact, it only magnifies her insecurities and loneliness. Watching her try to fill those emotional gaps with the idea of a perfect life made me reflect on how we sometimes chase after things that can never truly satisfy us. It’s a powerful reminder that no one’s life is as perfect as it seems, and that sometimes, what you wish for comes with consequences you didn’t expect. This theme really struck a chord with me because it’s something I see in the world around us today. We’re constantly bombarded with images of perfection, from social media to the people we admire. But this book reminds us that beneath the surface, we’re all struggling in our own way. Even those who seem to have it all together are often fighting battles we know nothing about. It made me realize that instead of wishing for someone else’s life, it’s more important to embrace and work on our own growth, imperfections and all.

The book also touches on elegance, style, affluence, and art. Cleo­patra and Frankenstein is incredibly dear to my heart, and Coco Mellors can do no wrong in my eyes. After reading it, I wondered if she was writing about herself, especially when I looked her up and saw the similarities between her and Cleo from her hair, blue eyes to her complexion. I especially love the book cover, a painting of Cleo, which perfectly defines the story’s essence. Every letter in this book moved me deeply.

The narration style is another standout for me. You’ll find a mix of techniques, sometimes feeling like the author is speaking directly to you. It’s truly a masterpiece that deserves to be displayed in a museum. I would love to see it adapted into a movie, but I don’t think I could bear to watch it. How could anyone do justice to such a masterpiece in just a few hours on screen? I love this book with all my heart. I couldn’t wait for Coco Mellors’ next release, Blue Sisters, and I wasn’t disappointed when it came out. It was also our book club’s pick for June 2024. If you’re looking for the best possible book, read Cleo­patra and Frankenstein. It’s at the top of my list for books that mean the world to me.