Remarkably Bright Creatures: A Novel

What a wonderful surprise this was! I thought Remarkably Bright Creatures was a story about a woman and an octopus, but it turned out to be so much more than that. This is Shelby Van Pelt’s first book, and I don’t think a debut has affected me like this since I read Hollow Kingdom, another story that unfolds through the eyes of an animal. The story has a bit of magical realism to it, in the sense that parts of it are told from the octopus’s point of view, but otherwise it’s simply a delightful tale about family and connections that had me ugly crying by the end of the book.In the first chapter we meet Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus on display in the Sowell Bay Aquarium near Puget Sound. Marcellus has been in captivity for 1,299 days, and based on his life expectancy of about four years, he believes he only has a handful of days left to live. His dreary days in a small glass enclosure are broken up by secret nighttime excursions, as Marcellus is extremely smart and has found a way out of his tank.Tova Sullivan is a seventy-year-old woman who has been working nights at the aquarium as a cleaning lady for the past two years. Tova knows how to remove the hundreds of fingerprints on the tank walls and can polish the floors to a brilliant shine. She’s also quite fond of the sea creatures she encounters each night, especially Marcellus, and the two have formed an unusual bond since Tova saved Marcellus one night after he escaped and became entangled in a bunch of electrical cords.Next, we meet Cameron Cassmore, a thirty-year-old man who is drifting through life with no real purpose. Cameron lives in California, and one day his aunt gives him a box of his estranged mother’s things. Inside the box he finds a photo and an old class ring, clues that could lead to the identity of his father, a man he never knew. Cameron hops on a plane to Washington state, convinced the man he thinks is his father—a rich real estate tycoon—will be so distraught over abandoning his son, he’ll shower Cam with money. At least that’s the plan.Finally, Ethan Mack is the owner of Sowell Bay’s Shop-Way, the local grocery store. Ethan has known Tova for years and secretly has a crush on her, but Tova is much too distant to notice his interest. When Cameron shows up at the Shop-Way looking for a job, Ethan directs him to his friend who manages the aquarium, which is how Cameron and Tova meet.Tying all these characters together is Marcellus, a remarkably bright octopus with a penchant for stealing and hoarding the treasures he finds after hours on the aquarium floor, and who just might be able to bring two people together who need each other—but don’t yet realize it.Van Pelt’s chapters alternate among all these characters and introduce a slew of side characters as well, each one vitally important to the story. At first, we don’t realize how each character is connected to the next, but slowly the author reveals her secrets until the stunned reader begins to understand the depth of these connections. Each character is given a detailed backstory that becomes very important to the plot. Tova’s story in particular was heart wrenching, as she has experienced quite a bit of loss in her life and finds herself mostly alone in her twilight years. Luckily she belongs to a group of women who call themselves the Knit-Wits, and the four of them meet weekly to eat, drink, gossip and support each other. Tova came to America from Sweden as a little girl, so the story is filled with details about growing up with her Swedish mother and father. Even the Dala horses her mother collected play a part in the story, and I found these little details added so much richness.At first I couldn’t figure out how Cameron fit it, but once he arrives in Sowell Bay and meets Ethan and Tova, his story takes on new meaning. Cameron meets a woman named Avery who also plays a vital part in filling in some of the missing pieces about Cameron’s father, and I loved the way the author gave even the most insignificant side characters meaning and purpose.Van Pelt infuses her story with so many emotional moments and themes. We see how the Knit-Wits are going through the aging process, as their numbers have dwindled over the last few years. Tova is facing being alone in her old age, with no children or husband to take care of her, and so she makes the rash decision to sell her beloved house and move into a retirement community. I don’t want to give too many details about Tova’s past and her losses, because I think it’s better to discover those revelations for yourself. Let’s just say that I felt Tova’s pain and wanted nothing more than for her to be happy.And Van Pelt includes so many funny moments in her story that kept the tone light, despite some of the more heavy themes. There’s an ongoing bit about Cameron’s lost luggage that was hysterically funny, and Tova inherits a stray cat at one point, which was a delightful side plot. I also loved the story about the t-shirt that Tova uses to clean Ethan’s kitchen—you’ll just have to read the book so you can experience the hilarity too!And of course, I can’t forget the star of the story, Marcellus the octopus. As the days tick by—each of his chapters starts with a marker (“Day 1,299 of my captivity”, etc)---the tension builds as Marcellus gets closer to his impending death (at least that’s what he thinks). Marcellus understands human nature more than most humans, and I loved the way he wisely intuits each character’s needs. Ultimately, this is a story about creatures—both human and animal—saving each other. The way Marcellus’s story plays out was absolutely perfect—heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time.This is a very special book, and I’m so glad I was able to finally read it. Highly recommended!

I had heard of this book and had it on my "to read" list when my book club picked it to read this past month. I knew I would like it because of the octopus, but I loved all the slightly quirky characters. Even the characters that are slightly flawed are sympathetic. They each are kind and good in their own way and through the book you see them grow and change. Each carries a grief or emptiness that makes you feel for them. I found it a book that ended on a hopeful note and most of us in the book club described the book as uplifting. Probably any reader from their 20's to their 70's and beyond will find a character they can identify with to some degree. And the octopus, Marcellus is humorous, smart, and engaging!

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I’m one of a few people I know who’ve read it didn’t have to use the audio to enjoy it. In fact, unlike most, I enjoyed it MORE without the audio! But then again, I’m old-school when it comes to reading. I love pages!The novel is awesome! Great character development, and an endearing story. I would befriend Marcellus in a heartbeat!

I really, really liked this book. While none of the characters were perfect, they grew and were so entertaining. The MC, Tova, was so entertaining. She had such strong opinions, but she is also willing to change and grow. And she thought of other people so much. Cameron was another great character. He was dealt a terrible hand. He used it as a crutch, and then he went out on his own and realized that was not the way to live. I loved the side characters. Their unique personalities and all they added to the story.And the ending made my heart melt.

I couldn’t put the book down, it was easy to read, the characters were delightful and it had human stories beyond the main creature. I haven’t read a book so entertaining in a long time.

This story begins with a 60 pound (27.2 kg) giant pacific octopus named Marcellus. He knows the average lifespan of his kind is four years (1,460 days). We meet him on day 1,299. He is a highly intelligent, smart cookie of an octopus.Tova (7o), is the overly proficient cleaner at the Sowell Bay aquarium where Marcellus lives. She takes great pride in her work, and it helps distract her from the loss of her husband, and the death of her 18-year-old son, Erik, 30 years ago.“Tova wonders sometimes if it’s better that way, to have one’s tragedies clustered together, to make good use of the existing rawness.”Marsellus and Tova strike up a sort of friendship in the evenings while she is cleaning. There is a bit of magical realism throughout, but it fits perfectly here.Found familyMysteryFriendships, of all kindsExcellent backstoriesPerfectly placed coincidencesI will concede that the story is a little schmaltzy at times. I didn’t care. I read this book in one afternoon, quietly inhaling these characters, their lives, wishing and hoping for the best futures for them.I simply adored this found family, these lost souls.There are a bevy of side characters, but trust me when I say that each one has importance to the story, even if it doesn’t seem so at the time.In Cameron (30), we see the perpetual victim mindset. He’s a hard character to like, but once he understands his own culpability to his repeated downfalls, he has wonderful character growth.Ethan (60s) the gentle giant Scotsman who crushes hard on Tova. He is a quasi father figure for Cameron.Pieces of the puzzle slowly come together in such a hallmark way, but again, this story was a delightful snapshot of human emotions, and how good things happen when we are able to be vulnerable. I just wish that Marcellus had more chapters. He was delightful.

This truly was a delightful read in every way. I grew to care for each character in such a natural and easy way. I have to confess that at first, realizing the story centered around an octopus, I did a bit of an eye roll and then decided to trust the reviews I had read. I was completely drawn in! I found the story interesting, heart-warming and well paced.

Hace mucho que no leía un libro tan especial, me ha encantado. Tiene un lugar especial en mi corazón ❤️🐙

A refreshing read, well written and leaves you feeling uplifted.

This book is a reminder that to be a great read all u need is brilliant characterisation… this book touches some chord in your heart and stays.. The friendship between tova and Marcellus is one of the best written bound with not a single mutual conversation.. wow 🤩

Like many other readers I was a bit sceptical at first when I found the narrator was an octopus but it all comes together beautifully. Very touching at times, the story is fascinating and believable with a lovely warm ending. A great book and one I will remember.