Remarkably Bright Creatures was the book my wife’s book club read a couple of months ago, and she kept saying that she thought I’d like it. “It’s about an octopus,” she said.

Indeed, one of the narrators in this book is an octopus named Marcellus. He is in captivity in an aquarium in Sowell Bay, a town in northern Washington, and he tells the story from his point of view inside a tank.

Tova Sullivan is the cleaning lady at the aquarium, a woman in her seventies whose husband recently died of cancer, and whose only son disappeared somewhat mysteriously at age 18 – thirty years ago. Tova is making arrangements for a somewhat lonely retirement.

Cameron Cassmore is a thirty-year-old misfit in Modesto, California who never knew his father, and who was raised by his aunt when his mother abandoned him as a nine-year-old.

Tova and Cameron, along with a number of other colorful characters, will eventually meet at the Sowell Bay Aquarium and learn about themselves. Each has surprises coming, all courtesy of Marcellus, the octopus.

Remarkably Bright Creatures is Van Pelt’s first novel, and it is a remarkable debut. She is a great story teller who had me turning the pages. After getting over the concept of a sentient octopus and how it interacts with humans, the rest fits together nicely and makes for an entertaining read.

Octopuses are indeed remarkably bright creatures. I am reminded of the movie My Octopus Teacher.  I also read another book about octopuses: Other Minds. I was amazed how much there was to learn. Scientists have not yet figured out how octopuses have evolved to have such incredible intelligence with a lifespan of only four years, at the high side.

If you want to learn about octopuses first in a non-fiction science book like Other Minds, or if you just want to go for an entertaining ride with Remarkably Bright Creatures, either approach is well worth your time.

3 stars