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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
Some
Some violence in the Victorian setting
Language
Some
Some strong language; period register
Sexual Content
Very heavy
Explicit and graphic sexual content; Bella's sexual exploration is central and extensively depicted
Substance Use
Barely any
Some drug and alcohol use in period context
Emotional Intensity
A lot
Radical philosophical themes around consciousness, autonomy, and what it means to be new to existence
What this book is about
Bella Baxter died pregnant and was resurrected with the brain of her unborn child by the eccentric scientist Godwin Baxter. What Bella does with her new life — including explicit sexual exploration and radical philosophical inquiry — is the subject of Alasdair Gray's darkly comic, brilliantly unreliable Victorian novel. Made into Yorgos Lanthimos's 2023 film. Very adult content throughout.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Graphic explicit sexual content
Victorian dark comedy
Philosophical provocations around consent and autonomy
Reader Verification
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