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_astrea_'s review
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
svitlanareading24's review
5.0
I love this book for its humor, weirdness and plot. Didn't expect the plot twist at the end at all
cjeannette's review against another edition
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
I went into this book not knowing much about it other than what the movie marketing had shared and tbh, it gave me a bit of the ick.
I had a hard time shaking it off at first and also realized I enjoyed the book a lot more when reading it vs. listening on audiobook. Once I reframed my mindset on the book, I could appreciate it for dark satire that it is, navigating the complexities of being a woman and sexuality in a patriarchal society. Not my usual type of read hence the 3.5 but if this is your genre of book, you’ll definitely enjoy it!
I had a hard time shaking it off at first and also realized I enjoyed the book a lot more when reading it vs. listening on audiobook. Once I reframed my mindset on the book, I could appreciate it for dark satire that it is, navigating the complexities of being a woman and sexuality in a patriarchal society. Not my usual type of read hence the 3.5 but if this is your genre of book, you’ll definitely enjoy it!
jovanajovicic70's review
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
ememem's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
cjdetweiler's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Struggling to think of anything I didn’t enjoy about reading this book, I read it in just a few sittings and it massively pulled me out a reading slump.
It brings its setting and scenery to life so richly - usually I get a little bored with over descriptions of scenery but somehow it was woven in so well that I felt I wasn’t reading paragraphs upon paragraphs of descriptive text and yet got a more visceral feel for the environments than with many other books I’ve read.
It’s a lot more developed than the film in character and in themes and I’m glad I watched the film BEFORE I read the book so I could enjoy them as separate entities otherwise I think I would have ended up disliking the adaptation as the book is far superior. There is also such a significant and important element left out of the film that I understand now the critiques of the film as totally undermining the story it was adapting.
I’m keen to read more books from Alasdair Gray now, his style in this book is very playful, fun and original.
It brings its setting and scenery to life so richly - usually I get a little bored with over descriptions of scenery but somehow it was woven in so well that I felt I wasn’t reading paragraphs upon paragraphs of descriptive text and yet got a more visceral feel for the environments than with many other books I’ve read.
It’s a lot more developed than the film in character and in themes and I’m glad I watched the film BEFORE I read the book so I could enjoy them as separate entities otherwise I think I would have ended up disliking the adaptation as the book is far superior. There is also such a significant and important element left out of the film that I understand now the critiques of the film as totally undermining the story it was adapting.
I’m keen to read more books from Alasdair Gray now, his style in this book is very playful, fun and original.
belladonnashrike's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
4.5
I wish I read this before watching the movie.
spoilers ahead
I love yorgos lanthimos, but I'm questioning his choices when making the poor things film. something so incredibly essential to bella's story is just completely left out and I feel it does a disservice to bella's character.
if we take bella's side of the story as fact (and we are obviously supposed to believe her), then lanthimos' decision to go with mccandles' side of the story is certainly...interesting, given how much the film favors and sympathizes with bella. the conclusion from bella's perspective in the text is vital to the story, especially because every man takes advantage of her in some way, mostly by infantalization. the film is about bella, her coming-of-age, her autonomy, etc. and then the absolute most important part of her story is scrapped? I don't quite understand. and while I did love the "good-for-her" ending in the garden, it seems incredibly misplaced for how bella would behave.
I get it - a modern frankenstein is cool. but that's not what poor things, the book, is. I love how over-the-top the movie is, and mccandles' side of the story does suit the film incredibly well (the bright colors, the modern/victorian fusion of fashion, and just the absurdity of it all) but at it's core, this is bella's story!!! what he wrote in his little godwin baxter self-insert fanfiction isn't real! I really, really wish that conclusion was carried over into the movie.
I did really like this book though. for most of it, I was wishing it was told by bella's perspective (I was feeling similarly to how I felt when I read han kang's the vegetarian), but I understand now why mccandles was the narrator. he's so goddamn unreliable. if the conclusion was never added, and if his story was in fact the truth, then I would've wanted it to be from her perspective like in the film.
I can also appreciate the politics more in the book - they're just more thought out and weaved into the story with a bit more care. like, the politics surrounding a woman's autonomy was actually much more obvious here (which surprised me because the film does explain these thoughts well. it's just served on a silver platter here).
I definitely want to read this again but with a physical copy. I had no idea there were illustrations, and while I really loved both audiobook narrators, I'm missing something without those illustrations. I do love gray's writing style and I'll be seeking out more of his work in the future.
spoilers ahead
I love yorgos lanthimos, but I'm questioning his choices when making the poor things film. something so incredibly essential to bella's story is just completely left out and I feel it does a disservice to bella's character.
if we take bella's side of the story as fact (and we are obviously supposed to believe her), then lanthimos' decision to go with mccandles' side of the story is certainly...interesting, given how much the film favors and sympathizes with bella. the conclusion from bella's perspective in the text is vital to the story, especially because every man takes advantage of her in some way, mostly by infantalization. the film is about bella, her coming-of-age, her autonomy, etc. and then the absolute most important part of her story is scrapped? I don't quite understand. and while I did love the "good-for-her" ending in the garden, it seems incredibly misplaced for how bella would behave.
I get it - a modern frankenstein is cool. but that's not what poor things, the book, is. I love how over-the-top the movie is, and mccandles' side of the story does suit the film incredibly well (the bright colors, the modern/victorian fusion of fashion, and just the absurdity of it all) but at it's core, this is bella's story!!! what he wrote in his little godwin baxter self-insert fanfiction isn't real! I really, really wish that conclusion was carried over into the movie.
I did really like this book though. for most of it, I was wishing it was told by bella's perspective (I was feeling similarly to how I felt when I read han kang's the vegetarian), but I understand now why mccandles was the narrator. he's so goddamn unreliable. if the conclusion was never added, and if his story was in fact the truth, then I would've wanted it to be from her perspective like in the film.
I can also appreciate the politics more in the book - they're just more thought out and weaved into the story with a bit more care. like, the politics surrounding a woman's autonomy was actually much more obvious here (which surprised me because the film does explain these thoughts well. it's just served on a silver platter here).
I definitely want to read this again but with a physical copy. I had no idea there were illustrations, and while I really loved both audiobook narrators, I'm missing something without those illustrations. I do love gray's writing style and I'll be seeking out more of his work in the future.
sheborrowsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I read this book after the movie, which I really didn't like, and found it much better. As usual the book has much more going on then the movie. There are seemingly different motivations for the characters in the novel, which make it far more interesting and a dual ending which really made a difference. Don't be me, read the book first.