The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

This is the discussion thread for the Winter 2022 Group Read Remarkably Bright Creatures in the category Fiction - Animals. Please post your comments here. This thread is not restricted to those choosing this book for task 20.10, feel free to join in the discussion. Warning- spoilers ahead!

The requirement for task 20.10: You must participate in the book's discussion thread below with at least one post about the contents of the book or your reaction to the book after you have read the book.

Awwww, that was seriously sappy and, as plots go, there were a lot of extremely improbable coincidences, but still, it was a cute story and it made me happy. Sometimes I just need warm, kind-hearted people, even if I have to suspend disbelief to get them! Overall, I thought is was a good debut effort and I'm glad I read it. Curious to see what Shelby Van Pelt comes up with next.

Like Kristina above me said, this book had a lot of extremely improbable coincidences, but it made me happy as well. I have never felt such a surge of love for an octopus, or really any anthropomorphized creature in literature. (Well, maybe Wilbur the pig.) I was happy with the mysteries of the plot that were resolved, and that the ones that were not (no spoilers here!) remain mysteries with some clues toward resolution.

I would have liked this one more had I not read The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration Into the Wonder of Consciousness first. While Marcellus is certainly an engaging (and smart) animal, the real life interaction between a human and octopus was more meaningful to me.

Andy wrote: "I would have liked this one more had I not read The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration Into the Wonder of Consciousness first. While Marcellus is certainly an engaging (an..."

I liked the real life interaction in The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration Into the Wonder of Consciousness, too. I was certainly thinking about that book while reading this one. I'm kind of glad I read Soul of an Octopus first, though. I'm not sure I would have believed Marcellus could have done ANY of the things he did had I not already read Soul. And while many of the things Marcellus did were pure fantasy, at least some of it was based in fact!

I really enjoyed this book. Was it predictable? Yes. But, it was also a funny, sad, and engaging story. I found myself crying over an octopus!

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. Winter is a season where reading feel good books is the order of the day, and this one fit the bill.

I learned that an octopus has brain cells in its tentacles. Loits of them. More than a human has in her/his brain. Cool. Is this book a shadow of the film The Shape of Water with an octopus substituting for a creature? No romance with the custodian, but definitely an empathetic friendship.

Marcellus is a great character coming to terms with his captivity. What is he missing? Would his life been as rich if he had not been captured? None of us know. The human characters are in a sinilar situation, trying to figure out how to come to terms with their circumstances. Yes, some of the coincidences toward the end of the book appear unlikely. But we leave the book with no hesitation of the probability of a connection betwen human and animal.

This was a sweet read. I loved Marcellus. Cameron was a bit annoying, but was better by the end. It made me happy that Tova ended up with her new family. I also loved that Marcellus didn't have to die in captivity. Overall I enjoyed the book and it was nice to just read a feel-good story!

SRC Moderator wrote: "This is the discussion thread for the Winter 2022 Group Read Remarkably Bright Creatures in the category Fiction - Animals. Please post your comments here. This thread is not restri..."
I really want to read this book, but it's going to be weeks before I can get it from the library. =/

I really liked this book. I thought it was engaging and the characters endearing including Marcellus. It was the perfect read for a snowed in day.

I loved this book. Maybe I was just in the right mood for it, but it really worked for me.

I also did the audiobook, which I highly recommend. Michael Urie voiced Marcellus perfectly - it was amazing. And I thought that Marin Ireland (who did all of the other voices) did a great job of making them all sound distinct.

I do love the octopus in general, though. But I still learned a few things about them, which was cool.

Yes, there were a lot of coincidences and things that had to line up just perfectly, but I find that if the story is good, I don't care as much if it's a little implausible. I really enjoyed this one.

I wasn't sure I was going to get this one in time, but I put all three formats on hold and hoped for the best.

This was such a cool story, and having studied marine biology and read The Soul of an Octopus, I didn't find it as much of a stretch as I might have otherwise. They really are extremely intelligent.

My review:
************
4 stars

This was a wonderful story, and most of the loose ends were either tied up or addressed in some way so the story had some closure. I'm hoping to see more by this author, but it's nice to run into a good book that doesn't turn into a series once in a while. The characters all felt real, even the ones that were a little thin on details, because they all felt like people I could actually know. My one and only real complaint is the pacing was a little slow. I don't think we saw enough of Marcellus, either, but I don't think she could have realistically used him more than she did. It was enough, he was just an awesome character and I would have loved to see more of his antics. The last two paragraphs before the "Aftermath" put a big smile on my face. I would have been happy to leave it at that, but I love that I got to see at least the beginning of how everything worked out.

What a wonderful read about loss and discovery! Of course, you have to suspend belief a little to entertain an octopus and a human being able to communicate on some level. Marcellas is, however, an incredibly bright octopus who is very in tune with Tova and has thoughts like "But I do not like the hole in her heart. She only has one, not three, like me. Tova's heart. I will do everything I can to help her fill it." . . . and he does. Highly recommend!

I am truly enjoying this book. It comes along at a stressful time for me and neatly strokes that need for a light, fun, and at times frustrating read. (The Knit-Wits would have driven me crazy...and would Ethan.) Still, it is a refreshing little story of connection and caring after loss.

Excited to see this book is being discussed now. I am currently reading it and 50% done. So far, I’ve found it to be such a different and creative book. It took my a little while to get into the idea, but I am really enjoying it now. I love that an Octopus is a Main Character and cares so much about Tova. I have both the book and the audio 🎧, so having fun reading some and listening to some. As I read more, will keep checking back. When I finish, I’m going to read all the comments and sure I will learn more fascinating information. Thanks, for selecting this one. I too, have been having a tough few months as my Mom is very ill and wanted some upbeat books to read. It’s amazing how animals can really connect people and so glad this is being written about more and more.

I felt about this book when I finished it the same as I did when I walked out of the theatre at the end of Forrest Gump.

What a good book.

Yeah - life just needs a Marcellus the Octopus as an omniscient narrator. After the crazy we've been through over the past 3 years, it's nice to have a warm, fuzzy book to make you just feel good.

I enjoyed this book as well. Marcellus made me think of Charlotte of Charlotte's Web spinning "some pig" in her web. Both characters were trying to get their humans to wake up to what was going on around them.

I thought the connection between Cameron and Tova was touching and as others stated, this was a feel-good story that came along right when I needed it.

Finished the book (see comment #15). Loved it! So creative and fun despite the loss and grief that pervaded the book both for Tova and Cameron. I liked how the author helped each find the other...and how healing it was in the end. It is a feel good story despite the grief. It is a caring story of connection between people and animals. Just right for this year.

While I liked the book, I wanted more of Marcellus, and less of the predictable human side of the story.

It was good to read about Tova's Swedish heritage, which I know very little about. The Dala horses were something I'd never heard of before, and I love to accidentally learn new things when reading.

Today is just a nasty, rainy winter Sunday, so I curled up under my favorite quilt, sat down with this book and absolutely devoured it. Never thought I could fall in love with an octopus, but I was charmed by Marcellus and his sweet bond with Tova. I called my mom when I was done and told her she has to read this one -- such an enjoyable, feel-good story.

Kristina started out this thread with many of the same thoughts I had about this book. When an octopus as a narrator is more plausible than the real-life plot, there has to be a problem. That said, though, I knew a little about the intelligence of the octopus before I read the book and am now inspired to read The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration Into the Wonder of Consciousness as many here have recommended. I still enjoyed the book and the feel good ending as long as I remembered to suspend my disbelief in the real life part as much as I was for the Marcellus sections.

I liked the idea of an octopus sneaking out of his tank at night to supplement his boring diet. Tova was a great character by Cameron's immaturity really annoyed me. For the last half of the book I kept wishing they would all wake up and get it over and done with (but part of that could have been my crankiness at the weather).

Finished this up the other week and been thinking about it on off

1) I liked Marcellus but the sneaking/escaping reminded me of the octopus in finding dory when they are at the aquarium
2) I figured out the plot ‘twist’ fairly early on - it wasn’t a surprise for me
3) wishing more of Cameron’s aunt - i bet she could be a character - also would have liked some resolution with his mom
4) maybe I missed it but why was to a and her brother estranged? Was it to do with her son’s death?

Overall cute feel-good, loved the audio but not totally hype worthy for me

After a slow start, I really enjoyed this book. I was rooting for both Cameron and Tova to figure out that what they needed was each other, but what they also had was each other. Although it would have been a true rom com ending if Tova had bought back her old house to give to Cameron as an inheritance, to keep it in the family. Oh well, I didn't write the book, so I can't complain too much.

At first, I thought Marcellus was just a character that pointed out human flaws. I couldn't figure out what his role was, but I loved that he understood the humans more than they did. I usually don't resonate with magical realism in that way, but I was really invested in Marcellus. Overall, I am glad I read it!

This was an great read for me. I don't think I would have ever picked this book up to read on my own. Another reason I love this group!

I had lots of fun with this book. It was funny, heartwarming, and sweet. I am always good for a heartfelt sappy story. I just felt good to read.

I loved many of the characters but Marcellus was by far my favorite. What a snarky little (big) creature.

This was a lovely read though I agree with others that (a) Marcellus was the scene-stealing star and (b) the "twist" or big reveal was entirely obvious from the get go. Still, I enjoyed it fine.

Oh, I loved this. Most of the story was light small town goings-on, which was cozy and perfect for wintery days, but Marcellus put all that into an interesting perspective. Sure, improbable coincidences. Sure, enemies-to-maybe-lovers. Sure, long lost family etc. that maybe wouldn't have been enough to sustain my interest. But Marcellus and his connection with Tova were the whole book for me.

The waitlist for this book at my library was very long, but I have just managed to get a copy and wow! It’s not at all what I expected & thanks to everyone who suggested it, I am about 2/3 of the way though & absolutely loving it. Marcellus is such a character – the author must have spent a long time studying octopi in order to create him, can’t wait to see how it ends!

When it comes to books I think there are two kinds of predictable - it can either be boring or satisfying. I found the predictability of this one extremely satisfying :) from the beginning I was wondering how the different plotlines would come together and like everyone else I could see where it was going, but that only made me happy. I don't think it was actually meant to be a "twist" but more of a jigsaw that is being put together to form the picture you want to see.

I listened to the audiobook for this one, and I thought both narrators did a great job. I was immersed in the story right from the get go and it was really hard stopping the book so that I could go to sleep! Also, I didn't realize until after I was finished that this was the author's debut work. I'm pretty impressed.

I just loved this book! I know it was filled with unlikely coincidences but I prefer to call them fate. This book really brightened a couple of dreary winter days:)

I really enjoyed this (4*), and as various other folks have said, it brightened up the current grimness of winter and life in general. I take the point about coincidences, but to me they added to the slightly magical realism element of the whole.

Sometimes you just need to read a warm, gentle book. That said, I was impressed that the author could make that kind of book out of the loss and family issues suffered by both major characters. Best of all, and I liked the way the relationship between them evolved.

I would have liked to see more of Marcellus, and I will admit to having tears in my eye at the end (view spoiler)[as he got closer to the end, and when he finally returned to the sea, knowing he didn't have long left (hide spoiler)]. I particularly liked the way the sign on his tank "Octopuses are remarkably bright creatures" was turned around in his sign-off, "Humans. For the most part, you are dull and blundering. But occasionally, you can be remarkably bright creatures."

A bit more of Aunt Jeannie would have been nice, and I wish we'd found out for sure what happened to Cameron's mother (is she living in Spokane, where Mary Ann and Laura are?), but those are would have liked to haves, rather than needed to haves.

I've put The Soul of an Octopus on my TBR as well. Plus, for anyone who's interested, one I read a while back which I kept thinking about reading this was Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness. Also highly recommended (4* from me) if anyone wants to know more about the octopus.

Fly wrote: "When it comes to books I think there are two kinds of predictable - it can either be boring or satisfying. I found the predictability of this one extremely satisfying :) from the beginning I was wo..."

I completely agree. There are books where it being predictable hurts the book, but this was not one of those books.

I was curious how it would end. It could have gone super-twee but that would have ruined an otherwise powerful story. It could have gone uber sad, and I totally expected to need tissues at the end, but in the end it left me with a warm fuzzy feeling and a slight lump in my throat. It was just the perfect ending, a sentiment shared by our octopus friend: “I will be honest: this is not how I expected our time together to end”

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I really enjoyed this book. Like many others in this thread, I loved Marcellus's narration and thought that his voice and perspective were beautifully done. Unlike a few others, I didn't think that the improbable coincidences detracted from the plot, but rather felt that they added both to the feeling of the small-town interconnectedness and to the flavor of the little sprinkling of magical realism. It was a lovely journey and definitely a good winter read, with the broad outlines of the ending clear from the start.

For those who liked this book as much as I did, I just finished another one that had the same sort of feel - Midnight at the Blackbird Café by Heather Webber. Warmhearted and uplifting with a small town feel and just a hint of magic. Remarkably Bright Creatures, Midnight at the Blackbird Café, and The House in the Cerulean Sea all feel like a hug-in-book-form, to me, and I loved them all.

Was pleasantly surprised to get it in from the library with the huge wait-list for it. I found Marcellus's antics very endearing. I would never have been able to stop-up his escape route and would be having stomach cramps constantly from worrying about if he was on the move. Story was sweet, and I love all the book recommendations of similar stories.

Kristina Simon wrote: " Remarkably Bright Creatures, Midnight at the Blackbird Café, and The House in the Cerulean Sea all feel like a hug-in-book-form, to me, and I loved them all."

Thinking about it, I can see exactly what you mean about The House in the Cerulean Sea. I really liked it when I read it a couple of years ago. I haven't tried the same author's Under the Whispering Door yet, but it's on the list.

Thanks for the recommendation on Blackbird Cafe. I've read and enjoyed a lot of the books she writes as Heather Blake

I really wasn't interested in reading this book, but it was the only one of the group reads choices that I hadn't already read, so I went for it.

It actually turned out to be exactly the book I needed right now. I've seen a lot of people talk about how sappy and predictable it is, and I definitely can see that. BUT, it was just sweet enough not to be treacly to me, and I have been reading several tough books about criminal justice and equity lately, so I needed something I could just sink into that I was sure was going to have a happy ending. I usually fill that void with romance novels, so this was a nice change of pace for me :)

This is not something I would have ever picked up on my own, but I agree with many others and enjoyed this quite a bit. I did the audio and the voice of Marcellus was perfect! I would have liked a bit more of him, to be honest. It was a fairly simple story, but was nice and easy and feel good.