To read or not to read

Plot Overview: Essentially, there was none. But if I had to give some specifics; set in NYC in 2007, a young British artist with a soon to expire visa has an unlikely encounter with the charming 40-something Frank. What begins as a whirlwind romantic affair soon collapses in the face of emotional baggage and addiction. In this character driven exploration of how toxicity can breed even in the purest of relationships, Mellors explores the cascade of impacts that Cleo and Franks marriage has on the rest of the city.

Writing: For me, the highlight of the novel was the fascinating language, with various occasions where I had to Google definitions, which doesn’t happen often. Yet, I am always delighted when it does. Honestly, I don’t care about the various reviews labelling the book as “pretentious”, as it is far less so than other popular novels of our time, particularly Sally Rooney’s Normal People. Regardless of this label, the topic of addiction, which remains prevalent throughout the novel, is authentically investigated, which is reinforced by The Guardian’s interview with Coco Mellors (link below), in which she reveals that ‘“Certain themes really choose writers,” says author Coco Mellors from her home in New York, where she lives with her husband and son. “Addiction is a theme I never really chose to write about, but I cannot escape it.”.’ Another criticism online included that the novel lacked structure. Despite this, I don’t believe that to be a “good” novel; a book needs a beginning, middle and end. What a book needs is soul, which Cleopatra and Frankenstein certainly had. 

Characters: Every character in the novel felt like somebody you’ve met at a party and stayed up too late talking to, creating a shattered and self-aware tone. Personally, my favourite character was Cleo, who made the novel such an interesting read with her relatability and likeability. She is torn between her self-constructed identity of a free spirit, reaffirmed by everyone around her, and the normalcy she deeply craves. This is a novel where no one is particularly kind, yet everyone is achingly human, which is most prominent in Zoey, a broke aspiring actress and uni student. However, her character development was particularly admirable. She begins the novel as the closed-off, bitchy sister-in-law, suffering from seizures and alcohol problems, but eventually became one of my favourite characters as she bonds with Cleo.