Kleopatra a Frankenstein – Mellors Coco (2023)

The novel Cleopatra and Frankenstein, the literary debut of British author Coco Mellors living in the USA, immediately drew attention on both sides of the Atlantic upon its release in 2022. Its main characters, young British painter Cleo and American Frank, the head of an advertising agency who has already reached middle age, meet on the first pages on New Year's Eve in New York, and it seems that a spark has instantly ignited between them like in a romantic comedy. In the very next chapter, set six months later, we even find ourselves at their wedding. However, the author herself admits in interviews that at the beginning of the book, she deliberately misleads the reader - this is definitely not a lighthearted romance. Besides the complicated relationship of the main characters, we also follow the fates of their relatives and friends and the ways in which they influence each other. The characters of the novel, which relies primarily on brisk dialogue and does not lack humor, come from various backgrounds and environments. Despite the light touch that brings them closer to us, their problems include truly serious issues such as addiction, depression and other mental disorders, unrequited or forbidden love and desire, as well as cultural, social, and gender identity. Warner Bros is preparing a television series based on the book.