Poor Things

Postmodernism is a literary movement that first developed in the 1960s. Many postmodern texts push readers to question what a novel is by pushing the boundaries of the form. These texts might eschew a typical narrative structure, opting to rely heavily on references to other texts, multiple perspectives, and metafiction. Postmodern stories may include elements of magical realism, unreliable narration, ambiguity, or fragmentation of the narrative. Some notable postmodern works include Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett, Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut, and Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace. Many postmodern works use the novel as a space for political discussion.

Poor Things makes use of many of the conventions of postmodernist literature. It has multiple narrators, each with a unique perspective. The entire text is written by the real Alasdair Gray, who frames himself as a fictional character and claims to be the editor of a narrative written by Archibald McCandless. McCandless’s narrative includes letters from Duncan Wedderburn and Bella Baxter, both of which are narrated to McCandless by Godwin Baxter. Victoria McCandless provides her own perspective in the final letter, and the whole text is annotated with footnotes by Alasdair Gray.