First published in 1992

317 pages

Fiction, Postmodern, Sci-fi Social Commentary

"Poor things" was my favorite movie of 2024, so imagine my delight when I discovered that it was first a strange, postmodern book first. I jumped at the opportunity to read it. It is a "postmodern revision of Frankenstein" with Bella Baxter taking the place of the monster. She is a grown woman who is brought back to life using the brain of her unborn baby. The reader watches her grow up and discover the world through the eyes of a child who is developing at an alarming rate in the body of a fully grown woman.

The social commentary of any Frankenstein reiteration is going to be fascinating; this novel is no exception. It is an engaging narration with an unreliable narrator, Dr. Archibald McCandless, and where Bella Baxter herself refutes the whole novel at the end. There are bold woodcuts decorated throughout the novel, with unique artwork that reflects the strangeness of the novel. The author depicts the story as a non-fiction account, so convincingly that I felt the need to research if it was loosely based on a real event. It's odd and that is one of my favorite aspects of a piece of media. It is a "thought provoking duel between the desires of men and the independence of women". If you enjoyed the movie, you would enjoy this strange book. And if you have not experienced either, go do so, and tell them I sent you.