Page 24 - Boca Club News - March '24

Page 24, Boca Club News

The Arts

Book Review: “Remarkably Bright Creatures”

By Nils A. Shapiro I mention all of the Marcellus had spent most of his life in the freedom of the
When my two wonderful above because an octopus open ocean, before he was captured three-and-a-half years
daughters, Brett and Hillary, surprised named Marcellus is one earlier and placed in the small, boring “prison” of a tank that
me recently with a gift copy of this of the main characters shortens the life of these intelligent cephalopods, and he is
book it was clear they remembered in “Remarkably Bright now aware that his own will soon be ending.
my telling them several years ago Creatures,” a debut novel His only friend, Tova, has grieved for many years over
about having had one of the most by Shelby Van Pelt. In her the loss of her son, Erik, a high school senior who died
emotional experiences of my life. Acknowledgements she mysteriously several decades earlier in a case that was
I had just written a rave review for credits Sy Montgomery officially ruled a drowning while he was in his boat at sea.
“The Soul of an Octopus,” a non-fiction book that went on to for what she learned in Another important character in the book, Cameron, is
climb the bestseller lists in 25 countries around the world. Its “The Soul of an Octopus.” introduced as a 30-year-old man raised by his Aunt Jeanne
award-winning author, Sy Montgomery, whom I had never Ms. Van Pelt’s novel when his mother abandoned him soon after his birth.
met before but who has since become a dear friend, called is itself a remarkable Following a series of employment difficulties and some
to thank me and invited me to meet her at the New England achievement, a highly research he now believes that his natural father, whom he
Aquarium to meet Sy, the Giant Pacific Octopus that had i ma gi nat i ve and has never known, has become a wealthy real estate tycoon
been named after her. beautifully told story of living in Seattle and makes plans to confront the man with
She explained to me, however, that I would have to make relationships, memories, sadness, family and love. the intent of demanding some financial compensation for all
the visit soon because, as her book explains, after a female An elderly widow in her 70s, Tova, works evenings at the the years of parental neglect.
octopus lays her 100,000 eggs she instinctively immediately aquarium in her town of Sowell Bay, Washington, mopping the When the planned meeting with his assumed father is
rests her eight tentacles on top of them to protect them from floors and keeping the glass walls of all the exhibits clear and delayed, Cameron takes a job at the Sowell Bay aquarium
predators in her natural ocean habitat. From that moment on clean. She genuinely cares for all the various creatures within temporarily replacing Tova when she is injured, and the two
she no longer forages for her own food and slowly, over a their enclosures and often feeds them but has a special affection gradually form a genuine friendship.
period of weeks, starves to death—sacrificing her own life for, and connection with, the Giant Pacific Octopus, Marcellus, While in Sowell Bay, Cameron begins to develop a
long enough to allow her babies to be born. whose restless nature and renowned intelligence is reflected in relationship with a young woman, Avery–and author Van
I knew from Sy’s book that octopuses are among the his constant successful escapes from his tank to explore—and Pelt adds to the cast of characters Ethan, owner of the local
world’s most intelligent creatures, having been on this planet sometimes devour—the tasty samples from nearby other tanks. It market. All are interesting and worth getting to know.
for millions of years with almost no evolution because they is a secret that Tova does not disclose to the aquarium’s officials But it is Marcellus who, with his intelligence, intuitive
are almost perfect for their environment. They recognize lest they punish her eight-legged friend. Instead, she always understanding and scientifically accurate physical skills
individual human faces—the one I was to meet already knew catches him and returns him to his tank. ultimately brings together all of the complex strands of this
Sy the author as a friend—and can easily solve complicated (It is a fact that, because they are gelatinous and have no book’s imaginative story line to a satisfying, yet magical,
puzzles provided by the Aquarium on a regular basis to bones, even octopuses whose tentacles stretch to six or eight conclusion.
prevent their becoming bored. feet wide are able to squeeze through holes as small as one As for me, it was after I had read page 250 of this book’s
When I arrived, after Sy the octopus greeted Sy the author or two inches wide. They have also been known to figure out 355 pages, at a special moment in the narrative, that I put
by raising a tentacle out of the water and wrapping it around how to open locks.) the book down and, feeling all choked up, with the memory
her waist and holding it there for quite a while, the author It is in the very special chapters throughout the book of my own earlier experience, called both my daughters and
unwrapped the tentacle, turned to me and said, “It’s your involving Marcellus’s most important place in the story that thanked them for their very thoughtful gift.
turn, Nils.” this remarkable creature contributes the narrative himself, I suspect you will want to thank me for sharing this
I was taken aback for a moment, was handed a small fish each time announcing the timing of the events taking place. wonderful book with you.
that had been the octopus’s favorite food, then stood and His first: “Day 1,299 of My Captivity”…
looked down into the tank. A tentacle arose from the water,
took the fish gently from my hand...but dropped it. She was
already too weak to eat and was starving. But the tentacle Reverse Mortgages/Reverse Purchase Mortgages
came up again and slowly wrapped around my wrist! She was Retire Smarter
tasting me—she could taste down to my bloodstream with
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of her friend, slowly wrapped a tentacle gripping me gently, longer and running low on money. What do you do? AARP states, 90% of older adults want
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Soon, realizing that this was a creature as different from a By the time most people approach age 72-80, they are:
human as would be a visitor from outer space---its mouth is
in its armpit—but is at least as intelligent as a human in many 1) Relying heavily on SS income (when a spouse passes away, one of those
ways, I began to choke up at the enormity of the experience checks goes away.)
and, with tears streaming down my face, spoke softly to this 2) Savings/investment accounts run low, if any (Principal cannot be
Sy of the sea: “Do you realize what’s happening? Do you touched without paying a penalty.)
know that you’re dying? I know it’s to save your babies. I
wish I could help you.” After a while I was told it was time 3) Life insurance is usually no longer available.
to leave and had to uncoil the tentacle. It was an experience 4) Children may not be able to help.
I will never forget. 5) Medical expenses can drain their assets.

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