From the very first pages, I learned that Remarkably Bright Creatures is about a giant Pacific octopus named Marcellus. The story unfolds partly through his point of view, and I genuinely enjoyed how the author portrays the intelligence and emotional depth of these creatures. It reminded me of Secrets of the Octopus, which also highlights how astonishingly intelligent and complex octopuses truly are.

The story begins in an aquarium, where we meet Tova, a cleaning lady who ends up saving Marcellus. I was immediately drawn to the connection between them. Most people simply stare at him or treat him as entertainment, yet Tova speaks to him. She interacts with him as if he understands, and somehow, you can sense that he truly does. Their exchanges feel gentle, sincere, and unexpectedly touching, even when only a few words are exchanged.

As the story goes, I grew increasingly curious about how Tova, Marcellus, and Cameron’s lives would intertwine. I believe, specifically in fiction, encounters rarely happen without purpose, so I kept turning the pages, eager to discover the thread that connects them. Alongside that curiosity, I was also captivated by the beautiful and reflective prose. The dialogue carries both depth and humor, strengthening the bond between the characters and drawing the reader even closer to them.

By the time I reached the final pages, I felt relieved to finally see how everything came together. At the same time, I wasn’t ready to leave their world. This might easily become one of my favorite books (and most probably yours too).

My Favorite Bits

• Darkness suits me.

• Why can humans not use their millions of words to simply tell one another what they desire?

• Conscience does make cowards of us all.

• Much of human parlance is nonsense, but perhaps most ludicrous among the rubbish they spew is their tendency to glorify their own foolishness. By this, I mean absurd statements such as: What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him! Or, worse: Ignorance is bliss!

• Ah, to be a human, for whom bliss can be achieved by mere ignorance.

• Humans. For the most part, you are dull and blundering. But occasionally, you can be remarkably bright creatures.

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Author: Shelby van Pelt
Publication date: 3 May 2022
Number of pages: 302 pages

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