Is Natalie Portman really the subject of Rachel Cusk’s new novel? Nine things you need to know about the literary hoo-haa

Fiction sleuths are obsessed with the idea that the book, Life of M, is a flagrant riff on the actor’s life.

And despite being a firm Cusk fan, Portman is reportedly not happy Life of M, the latest book by the critically acclaimed author Rachel Cusk, is being billed by its publisher, Faber, as a “blazing interrogation of fame, power, beauty and truth” – and openly alleged as a thinly veiled portrait of Natalie Portman.

For weeks before publication, speculation has swirled that its movie-star main character is based on Portman – to her reported displeasure.

With the book out this week, readers and critics alike are judging it as literature and gossip.

Don’t want to read it yourself, but want to have an opinion? Here’s your crib sheet.

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