Having seen and enjoyed the film, I was intrigued to find out how it differed / derived from the source novel. Somewhat forewarned - as we know that Lanthimos is not a “normal” film director - I expected that he will have used the book as a launching point for the film rather than a proto-screenplay. This is what I found, although there is a fair amount directly following (in an extrapolated way) the book and its various narratives. Perhaps I missed it in the film, but the book comes across as much more political - with many musings which I am sure are thinly-veiled allusions to Gray’s own views of history and of recent politics. Not all of this worked for me but others may find it largely OK. However, Gray is clearly having a lot of fun with this and, mostly, I did too. Worth a read.

I didn't realise the author is an artist as well as an author, so like an Edward Carey, Poor Things was an unexpected visual treat. Godwin 'God' Baxter creates a female companion by reviving a suicide case and implanting an infant brain. As a result, Bella Baxter learns at an accelerated rate, with a child's insatiable and uninhibited thirst for new experiences in a Victorian woman's body. Godwin's friend, Archibald McCandless, is smitten. This is much more than just a Frankenstein reimagining. It encompasses themes of empire, class, gender roles, politics, ethics. The characters are brilliantly over the top yet somehow still sympathetic. There are competing narratives (structure reminded me of Life of Pi or Trust) and unreliable narrators. Clever, and a bit bonkers. No, haven't seen the film. Yes, do want to see it - intrigued to see what it does with the alternative narratives.

Before starting, I was unaware that Gray was just the editor. He prefaces by saying the first edition written by Archie Mcandless in the early 1900's, was sent to him by a historian, along with a letter from the same time addressed to future living relatives in 1974, written by 'Bella' Baxter. It included all original sketchings and inserts in both peoples handwriting (something that I found beautiful and unique as I was reading). Gray then includes all the historical facts he discovered around the time of hids editing that back up the truth of the real story. I could not predict the twists and turns throughout, and the treatment of Bella and all women in general in this book made me FURIOUS. I recommend to anyone who wants a weird, wacky story unlike one they've read before!