کلئوپاترا و فرانکنشتاین

For readers of Modern Lovers & Conversations with Friends, an addictive, humorous, & poignant debut novel about the shock waves caused by one couple's impulsive marriage.°°° As someone who attempts to make impulsive decisions “for the plot,” I felt my attention immediately grasped by the beginning of “Cleopatra & Frankenstein” by Coco Mellors. A New Year’s Eve elevator meet-cute leads to a reckless & rushed marriage between 24-year-old artist Cleo & 44-year-old businessman Frank. After that, the book takes off on an emotional rollercoaster & never stops. Mellors wrote the novel during her time at NYU for an MFA in creative writing, & I saw a lot of NYU culture reflected within “Cleopatra & Frankenstein.” There’s Cleo’s best friend who explores his sexuality, & Frank’s younger sister who’s perennially broke, but still goes out drinking all of the time anyway. Frank himself is in a perpetual midlife crisis, & he jumps from trying to be young & hip to trying to be old & wise. He can’t pull off either, though. Cleo, meanwhile, is truly struggling to stay afloat among the personalities that surround her in New York. “Cleopatra & Frankenstein” is a hard-hitting story about love & growth. At times, it’s shallow & pretentious. But at its core, it’s the combination of enhancing & covering up reality in its purest form — New Yorkers who have no idea what they’re doing. — Julia Diorio, Music Editor, Washington Square News @ NYUnews.com For readers of Modern Lovers and Conversations with Friends, an addictive, humorous, and poignant debut novel about the shock waves caused by one couple's impulsive marriage. 'A tender, devastating and funny exploration of love and friendship and the yearning for self-evisceration. Coco Mellors is an elegant and exciting new voice' PANDORA SYKES, author of How Do We Know We're Doing It Right New York is slipping from Cleo's grasp. Sure, she's at a different party every other night, but she barely knows anyone. Her student visa is running out, and she doesn't even have money for cigarettes. But then she meets Frank. Twenty years older, Frank's life is full of all the success and excess that Cleo's lacks. He offers her the chance to be happy, the freedom to paint, and the opportunity to apply for a green card. She offers him a life imbued with beauty and art—and, hopefully, a reason to cut back on his drinking. He is everything she needs right now. Cleo and Frank run head-first into a romance that neither of them can quite keep up with. It reshapes their lives and the lives of those around them, whether that's Cleo's best friend struggling to embrace his gender identity in the wake of her marriage, or Frank's financially dependent sister arranging sugar daddy dates after being cut off. Ultimately, this chance meeting between two strangers outside of a New Year's Eve party changes everything, for better or worse. Cleopatra and Frankenstein is an astounding and painfully relatable debut novel about the spontaneous decisions that shape our entire lives and those imperfect relationships born of unexpectedly perfect evenings. New York is slipping from Cleo's grasp. Sure, she's at a different party every other night, but she barely knows anyone. Then she meets Frank. Twenty years older, Frank's life is full of all the success and excess that Cleo's lacks. He offers her the chance to be happy and the opportunity to apply for a green card. She offers him a life imbued with beauty and art - and, hopefully, a reason to cut back on his drinking. They are everything each other needs right now. Cleo and Frank run head first into a romance that neither of them can quite keep up with, that reshapes their lives and the lives of those around them, whether that's Cleo's best friend struggling to embrace his gender identity in the wake of her marriage, or Frank's financially dependent sister arranging sugar-daddy dates after being cut off Life and love among the creative class in Manhattan during the early 21st century.