Remarkably Bright Creatures

Remarkably Bright Creatures, by Shelby Van Pelt, is the second book with an octopus on the cover that I’ve read recently (the first was A Curious Hunger). This one is a novel told from several points of view, including that of an octopus named Marcellus.

Marcellus actually begins the narrative, explaining how he got his name and why he lives in an aquarium, saying that the plaque beside his tank “states…my size, preferred diet, and where I might live were I not a prisoner here.” The second point of view is human, a 70-year-old woman named Tova who cleans the aquarium and sees Marcellus exploring the break room, looking for takeout cartons. After a few chapters of back and forth between Marcellus and Tova, readers are presented with the third main point of view in the novel, that of twenty-something Cameron, who eventually edges his way into the aquarium and the story of Marcellus and Tova.

One of the things I love about this novel is how we gradually get to know a little about the characters who aren’t telling the story, like Ethan, owner of the Shop-Way in Tova’s town. Ethan reminds me of the cashier at Kroger in my own small town who always remembered my name, and also of the person at the dry cleaner and the orthopedist’s office who have the same talent. When Tova comes in he tells her that he “had your number punched in no sooner’n you came through the door.”

Tova drifts around her house, which is full of memories of her parents, brother, husband and child, who have all died before her. She is thinking about selling the house and moving to a retirement community. Marcellus drifts around his tank, hiding lost keys and jewelry that he finds in the aquarium building. Cameron drifts into town, takes over Tova’s job while she’s out with an injury, and finds out who his father is. All of these things turn out to be connected.

It’s a lovely book. I enjoyed reading it so much I didn’t take many notes. Perhaps I drifted through. I did make a note about the second mention of the title because it was so charming—at the beginning of the novel, we see a sign on Marcellus’ tank informing visitors that “octopuses are remarkably bright creatures” and near the end, the octopus thinks that humans are occasionally “remarkably bright creatures.”

I loved the ending. The plot comes together in a superbly satisfying way, and the characterizations make you care about these characters. If you haven’t read this book yet, don’t wait too much longer.