Poor Things

I read Poor Things by Alasdair Gray (pub. 1993, 318 pages) for my book club over on my Patreon, and I was pleasantly surprised.

An exercise in unreliable narration, this book goes for over three-quarters of its length telling you one thing, and then, in one chapter, changes it all to say another. It reminded me of the quote that there are three sides to a story: yours, mine, and the truth.

Bella Baxter is a reanimated corpse with the brain of an infant - her infant. Her body was found drowned and nine months pregnant. Her infant’s brain, unencumbered by growing the body, learns exponentially. What would take a child years to learn and develop, happens for her in a matter of days.

However, she is still a woman in the late 19th century, so the men around her project their ideas and ideals onto her. She is the creator of her existence and a victim of perception.

5/5 stars (especially for the ending)