acredine 's review for:

Poor Things by Alasdair Gray

4.0

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Two books for the price of one, that's the deal you get if you read Poor Things. One story (sort-of), two completely different experiences both for the characters and the reader.

I told my friend, the one who pushed me to read this book, that I believe there are three requirements to fully appreciate this book: 1. being a doctor/expert in anatomy, 2. being very familiar with Glasgow, 3. being a linguist. This is because a.

Spoiler

the subtle mistakes present in Alfie's POV are all analyzed and corrected either in Victoria's POV or the appendix, which is a mind-blowing expedience - I remember frowning at a wildly inaccurate anatomy description given as accurate and only cited in passing, just for the mistake to be talked about later on. I missed other inaccuracies because I wasn't familiar with the topic, and I think it would have been an even more incredible experience if I had

; b. because language and verbal and nonverbal communication are two of the protagonists of this book.

All in all it was still a great read and a complex, multilayered work; I recommend reading it.