The literary scandal of the year? Rachel Cusk's 'Life of M' / Natalie Portman drama explained

One of the most talked about literary releases of the week, nay the year, is “Life of M”, the new novel by critically acclaimed and award-winning British author Rachel Cusk.

Known for her novels “The Lucky Ones”, the Outline Trilogy (“Outline”, “Transit” and “Kudos”), “Second Place”, as well as the Goldsmiths Prize-winning book “Parade”, Cusk’s name isn’t one you’d expect to be associated with headline-grabbing controversy or gossip.

Still, here we are and all anyone can talk about is the buzz around “Life of M” - specifically: Is the titular M a fictionalised version of Natalie Portman?

The novel, billed by its publisher, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, as a “blazing interrogation of fame, power, beauty and truth”, has got literary sleuths wondering whether it’s a not-so-thinly-veiled and unflattering portrait of the Oscar-winning actress.

“Life of M” follows an unnamed writer who wishes to use a famous actress, M, as a source of inspiration for her next literary project. The writer chronicles the A-lister's life and portrays “one of the most recognisable faces of our time” as a dispassionate and self-righteous person who puts on a relatable facade to mask the poseur within.

Shots fired?

According to reports, yes, as the similarities between M and Portman are too blatant and numerous to ignore.

These parallels were first reported by Unherd reviewer Valerie Stivers, who wrote that Portman “has long seemed more like a person who wants to brand herself as smart than like a person who is actually smart - and her decision to let her friend Rachel Cusk write a book about her seems to confirm this.”

As reviews of “Life of M” trickle in, many readers are adding fuel to the fire by listing numerous overlaps. For instance, on page three, M describes her experiences as a child star, acting in a film that “immediately brought her childhood to an end”.

Many have drawn parallels with Léon: The Professional, as Portman was 11 years old when she was cast and 13 when the movie was filmed.

M also says her parents requested that scenes be cut from the script, and that she was bullied at school after the film came out.

Both these details have been shared publicly by Portman.

There’s also an early reference to M’s “starring role in a film about a young girl chosen for the starring role in a ballet”.

Again, many went straight for Black Swan, the film in which Portman played a disturbed ballerina and won an Oscar for her troubles.

The list goes on, and rumours are that Portman is unhappy with her portrayal. Sources claiming to be close to the A-lister have expressed outrage on her behalf, affirming that Portman bears no resemblance to M.

“Natalie is a very private person, that’s why she moved to Paris, so Rachel’s book, Life of M, has really pissed her off,” an anonymous “insider” told the Daily Mail, adding: “She thinks it is a real low blow and is horrified about the rumors she was in on the book in some way, which she certainly was not. The celebrity is nothing like her, she is far from a diva, she is a quiet bookworm.”

Still, speculation has dominated headlines surrounding the book’s release – especially since the action takes place in an unnamed city that appears to be Paris, and both Cusk and Portman reside in the French capital. Moreover, Portman previously championed Cusk by selecting the author’s works for her online book club. She also hosted her for a 2022 discussion and in a 2023 GQ interview, Portman said she was “starstruck” at meeting Cusk.

From shots fired to outright betrayal?

Cusk and her team have remained tight-lipped, even if the author recently told the New York Times that she was finding the tabloid frenzy “very stressful”.

“It’s taking the novel that I’ve created into almost a sort of courtroom or a factual fight,” she said, adding that “once you start to pull on that thread, it would unravel the whole thing… The book explains itself and defends itself pretty comprehensively.”

So, is this the literary scandal of the year? Or a rather depressing (but effective) case of a marketing ploy triggering gossip-fuelled speculation, drummed up to drive sales?

Whatever the case may be, “Life of M” is THE supposedly meta-novel of the fall. Sadly, the “scandalous” speculation surrounding the book may prove distracting for some readers, who would be right to bemoan that the increasingly tedious “Is it based on Portman? Isn’t it based on Portman?” buzz will detract from the actual book. Worse, it may overshadow “Life of M” to the extent some readers will pick up a copy for the drama and goss, and not for Cusk’s writing.

Considering her talents, that might be the real scandal.

Rachel Cusk’s "Life of M" is published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux and is out now.