We know this is based on a true story, do you think there was a good balance between historical fact and fiction throughout the read? A second line of the narrative follows a thirty-year-old garage rocker and odd jobber named Cameron. I confess that for as much as I loved Tova right away, I have needed time to love Cameron. Tova loves the solitude and peace she finds in lovingly cleaning every nook and cranny of the aquarium after hours, saying a quiet hello to each animal on display as she cleans the glass of their enclosures and wipes the floor. While Tova can only wonder whether what she picks up from him is real or just something she imagines, we know from Marcellus's POV chapters that he knows much more than Tova could dream of, including some key facts about Erik's disappearance. At the same time, his intellectual presence in the story, his perspective on the events that he helps to bring about, is both fascinating and a bit equivocal. One stray word can break the spell. With it's gorgeous bright cover, and the fantastic praise from authors like Helen Hoang, I knew I had to get my hands on Remarkably Bright Creatures the day it released. The book combines realism with the supernatural; certainly an octopus capable of intervening in human affairs is an unlikely beast. The first, it mentioned it was perfect for fans of A Man Called Ove, and the second reason was my curiosity about the octopus. It took me a while to warm to him. It's also highly uncomfortable to see animals held captive--especially animals that exhibit a high degree of intelligence. What he can't do is escape from captivity in a small public aquarium in the fictional town of Sowell Bay, near Puget Sound.
We are animals who have a need to connect with other animals. 3 Books Like West with Giraffes. Every night Tova works at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, cleaning floors and picking up trash. Eric's death hit Tova hard. Use our guide to find dozens of book ideas for your group. Lighthearted, warm, a lovely read. It was just what I needed. Jessica, QLD, 4 Stars. Yet Tova goes to clean the aquarium every day and begins conversations with Marcellus the giant octopus. Fans of A Man Called Ove, will find themselves falling in love with Marcellus and Remarkably Bright Creatures.
What follows is a twelve-day road trip in a custom truck to deliver Southern California's first giraffes to the San Diego Zoo. A giant Pacific octopus named Marcellus, to be precise, and he is that—the novel opens with the first of several short chapters narrated in the first person (unlike the rest of the book) by the octopus himself, who can, as he points out, do many things we don't know he can do. My failure to take time from my busy twenty-something life to spend more time with her before it was too late is a regret I'll always live with. The various narrative strands entwine somewhat improbably, though not as improbably as a literate octopus' skill at detective work. Yes, she has friends (the "Knit-Wits") whom she gets together with each week, and the own of the local grocery store seems to have a massive (but unrequited) crush on her. There's not many books out there that are narrated by an octopus… and not only is it remarkable that the author pulled that off – but it's actually a magnificent read!
Never miss a post by adding Caffeinated to your Inbox. I miss the Pacific Northwest every single day. She was recently widowed and also still mourns the loss of her son, who disappeared in the Puget Sound. Escape Rating A-: This book turned out to be WAY more charming than I expected. How many times have I heard it?
The connections between Marcellus, Tova, and Cameron weave in and out so nicely, and the conclusion of the book is so very satisfying and sweet. She passed away in 2015. Seventy-year-old Tova Sullivan works the nightshift as a cleaner at Sowell Bay Aquarium. I think Marcellus is profoundly lonely, perhaps more so than any other character in the book.
This search for a man he never met brings him to Sowell Bay where he takes a temporary job at the aquarium. Semi spoiler alert question] What were your challenges in orchestrating a story with characters who end up having their lives intertwined by shared history? Review: I never expected it, but I fell in love with an octopus! That's really just a minor quibble.
Virginia, NSW, 5 Stars. A conflicted experience, I think. Most of the facts presented in the story were familiar to me, but the author shared a few new tidbits and allowed me to see them in a whole new life. To the point where we want her to get a better ending than it looks like she's headed for when the story begins. And a whole host of debut authors also came out with stellar reads that will leave you hungry for their next one before you reach the last page. A book so good that it stays with you, and will stay with me, and ask to be read again in my time of need. Then we meet Tova Sullivan, a widow in her 70's and Sowell Bay Aquarium's oldest employee. Marcellus is bringing and has learnt to escape his tank at night when everyone has gone home. I was able to connect with her on different levels. All of Jenna Bush Hager's book club picks.
I can write pages of the stuff. But in some ways, writing this book was about re-establishing that connection. "I was surprised how hooked I got on this book. We first meet Marcellus, an observant giant Pacific octopus that lives in Sowell Bay Aquarium. Both Tova and Cameron feel alone with their grief, but there are also some people who have been there as important support. Why do you think he sabotages himself? But I kind of began to understand the situation at I think exactly the time you're supposed to.