Reviews - Povere Creature!

3.58k reviews for:

Povere Creature!

Alasdair Gray

3.95 AVERAGE

che_guevara's review against another edition

3.5

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

littlemaggiemae's review against another edition

3.25

funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

a nicer read than I expected honestly, but still a bit odd… think I preferred the movie tbh !

magicalnora's review against another edition

4.5

dark funny fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: N/A

sbalash's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark informative mysterious slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

So strange. It's like a mix of Frankenstein: A Modern Prometheus and A History of the English Church and People with a bit more sprinkled in here and there.

mybigmessybookshelf's review against another edition

2.0

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

theteaisaddictive's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I saw the film before I ever read the book, which of course colours the review. Between the two I still prefer this book, although the film remains very dear to my heart.

The multiple unreliable narrators were an especially treat to read, especially since the film takes McCandless’ version of events as correct. The fictional Gray clearly has an opinion as to what really happened — one I agree with wholeheartedly. Getting to see what happened to Bella for the rest of her life was also so fascinating; seeing her woven into 20th century Scottish history and continuing to be the radical that comes from being a woman freed from the shackles of societal expectations. Maybe one day her dream of a free, Socialist, sex-positive Scotland will come to fruition, and we can all stop being such poor things.