For those expecting a Natalie Portman thirst trap, sorry to disappoint you. For those expecting a coruscating take down of modern fame, sorry to disappoint you. For those expecting a book to replace The Odyssey as the ‘book de jour’, sorry to disappoint you. I assume the only people not disappointed in Rachel Cusk’s Life of M might be Faber’s publicity and marketing team. Although maybe keep the champagne on ice for the moment, lads, as there have been stories of one or two book lovers venturing into the bookshops of their local city and being met with blank looks and no stock. Is Life of M a broadsheet reading middle-class luvvie thing? Maybe. The book itself?  Purportedly a fictionalised biography of a film star (M) who, based on the filmic and life references in the book, is Natalie Portman, or a cracked copy of said actress. However, for anyone expecting a surfeit of Hollywood excess and white powdered gossip, think again, as its philosophical tone and deep dive into human relationships and friendship never gets particularly malicious or nasty. Alternating scenes from the unnamed writer’s life with episodes from M’s life means you’re asked to compare and contrast and are immediately left wondering, what’s real? Is one life more ‘natural’ than the other and how does fame alter how you perceive it? “Talking to a friend, M is made aware - as she often is - that her life runs in a contrary sense to other people’s”. Although as both lives merge halfway through maybe things aren’t as contrary as they seem. Life of M. Life of writer. Discuss. And did it deliver what I thought it was going to deliver? No, it did not, which is maybe the point. And it’s not much of a stretch to imagine Rachel Cusk chuckling to herself somewhere and thinking, these critics will never bloody get it. Three-nil to Rach, and what a great start to the season.

Life of M – Rachel Cusk– Publ. by Faber - £18.99

Steven Long