Isabel Unraveled

Isabel Unraveled

Share this post

Isabel Unraveled
Isabel Unraveled
a good book puts the world back into focus

a good book puts the world back into focus

could i write one like that?

Isabel's avatar
Isabel
Jun 11, 2025
∙ Paid
12

Share this post

Isabel Unraveled
Isabel Unraveled
a good book puts the world back into focus
2
Share
art by Francine Van Hove

Reading Coco Mellors’ Cleopatra and Frankenstein this weekend freed me. I finally realized that I might be able to actually write a (good) book. I always thought: I couldn’t, I wouldn’t. It’s such a long project and would require so much time, patience, slowness…. how could I possibly pull it off? I don’t have that kind of resolve, focus, discipline, attention span for that.

But the way Coco Mellors wrote this book—this book that consumed me entirely and made me forget my need for sleep, food and water—was different. Completely enchanting to me. Addictive. Immersive. I put the book down and my eyes began to flutter close, then found myself unable to sleep, wondering what happened, then picking up the book and reading until I physically couldn’t anymore. It has been a loooong time since a book did that to me, captured me in that way. And for the first time, it felt like I was reading writing that clearly came from a mind that thinks like mine.

The rest of this essay is for paid subscribers only… you can upgrade your subscription—currently 20% off—to get all of my writing, here:

20% off paid subscriptions

This post is for paid subscribers

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2025 Isabel
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture

Share