Poor Things Summary
Alasdair Gray

Poor Things Overview

In Alasdair Gray's novel Poor Things, experimental scientist Godwin Baxter creates Bella Baxter when he transplants Victoria Blessington's child's brain into Victoria's dead body. Thereafter, Bella grows up in a woman's body, with an innocent, childlike demeanor. Her travels and experiences abroad gradually alter how she sees herself and the world around her. Told from the first person points of view of various narrators, the novel explores themes including power, truth, and freedom.