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nidhiv2609's review against another edition
3.0
Kinda slow for me, also I felt like Eleanor was an irrelevant character and brought in at a weird time. I also wish there had been fewer character perspectives
And more Santiago I wish he had more chapters I loved him
And more Santiago I wish he had more chapters I loved him
anna_whitehead11's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
4.25
I’m still not quite sure how I feel about Cleopatra and Frankenstein - it was at times brilliant and sensitive and had me hooked, but also was quite messy and emotionally wrecking and felt all over the place. The titular characters, a wayward British arts student Cleo and a slightly older architect from NYC, Frank, certainly come to life through Mellors’ writing. They feel more like people you’d meet at a party than purely fictional characters, which although effective, leaves one feeling increasingly frustrated by their personal and romantic choices as the novel progresses.
There was also a very weird episode involving a pet, which even made me (who has had a fair share of totally absurd NYC moments) think: ‘WTF is going on here?!’. I nevertheless went on to read Blue Sisters, which makes me think I can’t have completely hated Cleopatra and Frankenstein.
There was also a very weird episode involving a pet, which even made me (who has had a fair share of totally absurd NYC moments) think: ‘WTF is going on here?!’. I nevertheless went on to read Blue Sisters, which makes me think I can’t have completely hated Cleopatra and Frankenstein.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Suicide attempt
I found some scenes quite raw and difficult to read and detail occasionally too distressing, partly because of how hyper-realistic/recognisable the protagonists and setting arejonisayin's review against another edition
1.0
This story explores the lives of Cleo, Frank and the cast of their closest friends and family a they grow up and grow older. Cleo's best friend struggles to embrace his gender queerness in the wake of Cleo and Frank's marriage, while his sister Zoe arranges "sugar daddy" dates to support herself financially. It's got a lot of detailed sex, straight, gay, and cheating. I found it ... boring. Just not my cup of tea. Although it did incorporate some beautiful prose.
lou_trnt's review against another edition
ma came que voulez-vous,
une histoire de personnages perdus qui se cherchent dans le tourbillon de leurs vies, qui se suivent, s’évitent et s’entrechoquent au fil des mois.
j’ai aimé le réalisme et la pureté des situations et des discussions
j’ai aimé les interrogations et les doutes personnels qui guidaient cleo, frank, zoe, eleanor…
j’ai aimé la prose qui m’a rappelé A little life de Yanagihara, le paysage new-yorkais décadent jouant probablement un peu
une histoire de personnages perdus qui se cherchent dans le tourbillon de leurs vies, qui se suivent, s’évitent et s’entrechoquent au fil des mois.
j’ai aimé le réalisme et la pureté des situations et des discussions
j’ai aimé les interrogations et les doutes personnels qui guidaient cleo, frank, zoe, eleanor…
j’ai aimé la prose qui m’a rappelé A little life de Yanagihara, le paysage new-yorkais décadent jouant probablement un peu
jess_w's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.25
candicemtd's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
_val's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
minizzip's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this substantially more than I feel I had any right to lol I don’t usually like character studies but I think there were SO many characters here that I didn’t get bored (and I didn’t get too attached to any of them to feel positively or negatively about them)
I don’t reallyyyyy think the title is fitting when this felt more like Eleanor’s book than anything (I mean, her chapters were the only ones in first person) and tbh I cared more about Zoe and Santiago than Frank and Cleo
One thing this definitely had going for it was the setting. It felt like NYC + it was angsty which was fun
I don’t reallyyyyy think the title is fitting when this felt more like Eleanor’s book than anything (I mean, her chapters were the only ones in first person) and tbh I cared more about Zoe and Santiago than Frank and Cleo
One thing this definitely had going for it was the setting. It felt like NYC + it was angsty which was fun
hanahchoi's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
ablessma's review against another edition
4.0
i adored this book!!! i was not expecting to, because yall ripped it to shreds in the reviews, but i love a book with deeply flawed & unlikeable characters (which this novel had no shortage of). i enjoyed my shifting opinions on the characters. in the end i think we can all agree jesus deserved better. <3