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Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors is a novel that made me question the nature of relationships. Goodreads classifies the book as ‘urban fiction’ and ‘humor’ which in my opinion is true to an extent. This is the case specifically because the humor was rather dark and subtle rather than light and obvious.

The urban fiction genre focuses on the socio-economic realities and culture of the characters in the urban setting. The novel’s dark tone explores the harsh realities of urban life. Profanity and violence are explicit, with the writer not shying away from presenting the brutal reality. And this is what Mellors does. Published in 2022, the novel opens the door towards an emotional urban journey full of surprises.

The plotline focuses on the relationship of Cleo and Frank, a couple living in New York, and the different stages they go through.

As they get to know each other better and become more intimate, it becomes more and more obvious that things are not as perfect as one may think. What begins as a romance, turns into a nightmare for both Cleo and Frank.

Mellors’ novel does not follow conventional paradigms about love but presents it as painful but needed, demanding but rewarding, and cruel but exhilarating. The writer seamlessly paints the picture of Cleo and Frank longing for each other and their problematic relationship.

Surprisingly the characters in the story are not so different from each other. Even though I developed a personal attachment and at times couldn’t put the book down, I didn’t seem to particularly like anyone. I guess I wasn’t supposed to. Every time I thought I developed some sort of empathy towards a specific character, I was pulled into the story by their actions, being allowed to see them in a different light.

Mellors’ mastery lies in her characters who are equally unlikeable. It takes much skill to create a ‘good’ bad character. And she does this gracefully.

Mellor’s storytelling allows her to dive into the different types of personalities, interweave them together, and give each one of them a voice. In this way, I was able to explore the narrative from different standpoints and I wanted to know what was going on in the head of every single character.

Even though Cleo and Frank seem to be deeply attracted at first, later on in the story they turn into each other’s nemeses. Both of them have issues rooted in their childhoods that are being projected onto their adult lives. Their close people are no different. In the urban world of success, substance abuse, and affairs, the reader has the opportunity to tap into the innermost feelings and desires of each character mentioned.

I enjoyed Mellors’ style because it is action-packed but also descriptive. She builds tension with every chapter and lets you wonder ‘What’s going to happen next?’ That kept me going at times I wasn’t particularly dedicated to the ongoing events. The pace of the plot is crucial to keeping my interest in a story.

Up until the last page I wanted to know how the story was going to end. I was devouring the last 100 pages because the tension was building up and I just had to know. Revelations were made. Truths were told. The storytelling process was more than excellent.

One thing that Mellors could have done a bit better is give more space to some secondary characters because, at the end of the story, they turned out to be pretty key for the story development. I wanted to know more about them and their lives. For instance, Anders and Eleonor definitely needed more space because that would give the story another layer of depth. Additionally, their characters would show how Cleo and Frank relate to them and further strengthen their choices.

Cleopatra and Frankenstein tackles topics beyond relationships, drugs and alcohol. It also explores mental health and the impact family has. The novel is an ode to human nature and how flawed we are as creatures.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys immersing themselves in intense drama stories. The multi-perspective narrative gives the chance to explore the characters but leaves some questions unanswered.

Overall, I enjoyed Cleopatra and Frankenstein even though I expected a fantasy novel about Frankenstein’s monster and Cleopatra. Even though the novel was completely different from my expectations, I had the chance to discover a new literary genre and try out a new author who I would like to read once more.

Rating: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️