Hi friends & book lovers!
Last week we had our summer book trivia night on Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors for our Beda Book Club, and many of you did so well.
Here’s the quick round up:
We have already picked our 10 winners who scored perfectly and contacted them. We can't wait for the winners to receive their prizes. Don't worry if you didn't win this time around, we have many books to read together in the near future.
P.S all our Beda Book Club quizzes will still be open for you to play for fun with friends and family!
Table of content
The Cleo & Frank Effect
Cleopatra and Frankenstein starts off with an unlikely pair - Cleo, a British artist in her twenties struggling to make a living in New York, and Frank who is a successful marketing executive in his forties.
The 2 characters (and us as readers) are quickly swept away into the promises of New York City and a magnetically impulsive romance.
From here, Mellors dives into the world of their relationship, revealing not just the romantic highs but the deep chasms of disconnection, fear, and loneliness that simmer beneath the surface.
It is a book that has raving reviews, leaving readers puzzled with varying emotions and opinions. In our Trivia Night Quiz, we asked participants "What makes 'Cleopatra & Frankenstein' a special story for you? Or if you didn't enjoy it, tell us why" as a bonus question and this is what people had to say.
Messy, Volatile But Deeply Engaging
On top of discussing themes of mental illness, the dynamic of age-gap relationships, substance abuse and many other topics, we are introduced to a whirlwind of crazy experiences and complex characters that left readers with a lot of mixed feelings.
Some of you loved the messiness and found it beautiful...
"I wouldn't have read this book without Beda! This is a wonderful story about overcoming obstacles through the darkness, and coming through strongly into the light of strength and purpose"
"It is raw and messy and doesn't shy away from the sometimes uncomfortable truths that make the human experience painful, but also real and honest and beautiful, even if only on hindsight"
... and some of you expressed how it left you uncomfortable and even triggered.
"The events in the book were shocking at times and exposed me to themes I’m not familiar or comfortable with."
Cleopatra and Frankenstein showcases the ugly, nitty gritty side that can exist in adult relationships. It is not a romance in the conventional sense, but rather a raw, realistic portrayal of how two people, deeply flawed and burdened with emotional baggage, try to navigate their way through the tangled web of their relationship.
This novel asks a difficult question: Can love be enough to heal old wounds?
"It was a rollercoaster of emotions, first im rooting for C+F, then im not, and then i am. It is not a typical love story where the leads typically end up with each other but it somehow made me feel grown up that i understood why both parties did what they did"
"...the book beautifully captures that journey of self-discovery, reminding us that it's okay to not have all the answers. In the end, while "Cleopatra and Frankenstein" may not be a traditional feel-good story, it offers valuable insights into the human experience. I appreciate how it encouraged me to confront and reflect on my own family's history and the unspoken battles we all face. This book will stay with me, prompting deeper conversations about love, loss, and resilience."
A big part of adulthood is having to be confronted with your past demons. Cleopatra and Frankenstein holds a mirror towards the maturity that comes with taking accountability, and the reality of how it affects not only your own wellbeing, but the wellbeing of others in your life.
"I had mixed feelings about it...Cleo's journey through grief and the complexity of her relationships resonated with me deeply... It made me reflect on how we often hide our pain and the impact it has on our lives and those around us... Delving into Cleo's mind and her personal struggles provided valuable insights into these uncomfortable topics. The theme of struggling to find one's place in the world is something I currently grapple with as well...Like Cleo, I am in my early 20s, trying to navigate the uncertainties of life."
— V.C
The Friends We Make Along The Way
Coco Mellors is praised for her ability to explore the human condition and write a story that plays out like a movie. Throughout Cleopatra and Frankenstein, we are introduced to a variety of characters and are welcomed into the lives of their friend group. The interwoven lives of these individuals reflect the novel’s broader themes of vulnerability and emotional dependence.
Each character's experiences add layers of texture to the book, offering different perspectives on love, life, and the pursuit of happiness.
"I enjoyed the book a lot because I found the characters very fleshy - deeply flawed and nuanced. Their lives and relationships were messy, beautiful, and moving. And in some ways, very relatable!"
Everyone within Cleopatra and Frankenstein's inner circle have very distinct personalities. More importantly, the role of these characters are to showcase how every single person you meet in life are all individually grappling with their own issues and writing their own story.
The characters are vibrant, reckless and walking contradictions that make them unlikeable at times (and that includes the two main characters themselves)!
"none of them were particularly likeable and I felt like whenever bad things happen to them it’s almost like they had it coming for them."
The relationships and dynamics explored in Cleopatra and Frankenstein is a bittersweet harsh reflection on how very much like in real life, we encounter people who are meant to stay and we encounter people that are meant to leave so as to teach us a lesson.
Getting Comfortable With Loneliness
Mellors explores the irony of feeling lonely in a room full of friends as well as in a seemingly loving marriage. Cleo constantly struggles with feelings of disconnection and emotional isolation while she searches to find her chosen family. Her character also shows the harsh price to pay when taking a leap towards pursuing your dream and how lonely that road truly can be.
Even Frank embodies the darkness that is loneliness. Despite his financial success, a life filled with people, and his natural charismatic ability to be easily liked by many, he still feels a deep sense of emotional isolation.
This highlights a central theme of the novel: relationships don’t always cure loneliness, in fact sometimes, they amplify it.
"Cleopatra and Frankenstein story spins around the hole of love, trauma and betrayal its characters experience, imparting lessons about how letting go might be a greater gesture of love than latching on to coupled loneliness."
"The book caught me offguard because the topic/plot was closer to home than I thought! As a woman re-entering the dating scene, I was surprised by how well the author captured some of the experiences one could go through in a city/modern dating scene when setting the premise. Loneliness is such a big question that I often find myself wondering about as well (friends, love, loved ones). Just as I felt the characters here did so in their own ways. "
— L.E
As the novel progresses, there’s a subtle shift from viewing loneliness as a source of pain to seeing it as a space for personal growth.
In the end, Cleopatra and Frankenstein invites us to rethink loneliness. It's not something to be feared, but as an integral part of the human experience. It’s about learning to find peace in solitude; to stop running from it, and, perhaps, even to find comfort within it.
A Hard Pill To Swallow
Cleopatra and Frankenstein has sparked both admiration and frustration among readers, and that’s the beauty of it. Some connect deeply with its raw portrayal of flawed characters and messy relationships, while others find it uncomfortable or unsatisfying. But isn’t that what reading—and life itself—is all about?
Life is full of experiences we’d rather not endure, scenes we’d prefer to forget, and people who test our patience. At the same time, we all carry emotional baggage, scars from the past, and a shared desire to find meaning in the chaos.
Just like the characters in this novel, we’re all trying to make sense of the tangled, imperfect journey of life. Cleopatra and Frankenstein reflects our own messy, human struggle—full of flaws, misunderstandings, and small moments of grace.
We cannot express how much we enjoyed reading all of your thoughtful responses to our bonus question. It's what Beda Book Club is all about. We look forward to sharing more stories and experiences with you.
With love,
Rachel & Alia
