Poor Things: Episodes from the Early Life of Archibald McCandless M.D., Scottish Public Health OfficerAlasdair Gray One of Alasdair Gray's most brilliant creations, Poor Things is a postmodern revision of Frankenstein that replaces the traditional monster with Bella Baxter--a beautiful young erotomaniac brought back to life with the brain of an infant. Godwin Baxter's scientific ambition to create the perfect companion is realized when he finds the drowned body of Bella, but his dream is thwarted by Dr. Archibald McCandless's jealous love for Baxter's creation.The hilarious tale of love and scandal that ensues would be "the whole story" in the hands of a lesser author (which in fact it is, for this account is actually written by Dr. McCandless). For Gray, though, this is only half the story, after which Bella (a.k.a. Victoria McCandless) has her own say in the matter.Satirizing the classic Victorian novel, Poor Things is a hilarious political allegory and a thought-provoking duel between the desires of men and the independence of women, from one of Scotland's most accomplished authors. |
Contents
I | 9 |
II | 12 |
III | 21 |
IV | 26 |
V | 32 |
VI | 38 |
VII | 43 |
VIII | 53 |
XIV | 105 |
XV | 127 |
XVI | 152 |
XVII | 168 |
XVIII | 180 |
XX | 192 |
XXI | 194 |
XXII | 200 |
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Common terms and phrases
18 Park Circus Abernethy biscuits Alasdair Gray Archibald McCandless asked Bell Bella Baxter Blaydon body brain British called Candle clinic cried dear Dinwiddie doctor dogs door Duncan Wedderburn Elspeth King English eyes face father feel friedrichs d'or gave George Geddes Glasgow Glasgow Green Glasgow Royal Infirmary Glasgow University Godwin Baxter Grimes hand Harry Astley hate Hattersley head Hooker husband Ichthyosaurus kissed knew Lady Blessington laughed letter live Loch Katrine London looked marriage marry McCandless M.D. Michael Donnelly mother never night nurses Odessa once Paris poor Prickett remember Salpêtrière Scotland Scottish Scottish Widows servants Sir Aubrey Sir Colin smile stared stop suddenly surgeon talk tell things thought told train Victoria McCandless voice walked Wedder wedding Whauphill wife woman women
Popular passages
Page xi - Michael Donnelly and I disagree about this book. He thinks it a blackly humorous fiction into which some real experiences and historical facts have been cunningly woven, a book like Scott's Old Mortality and Hogg's Confessions of a Justified Sinner. I think it like Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson; a loving portrait of an astonishingly good, stout, intelligent, eccentric man recorded by a friend with a memory for dialogue. [...] I also told Donnelly that I had written enough fiction to know history...