Page 16 - PGA Community News - March '24

Page 16, PGA C.A.N.! March 2024 March 2024
Book Review:

Remarkably Bright Creatures

By Nils A. Shapiro I mention all of the taking place. His first: “Day 1,299 of My Captivity”…
When my two wonderful above because an octopus Marcellus had spent most of his life in the freedom
daughters, Brett and Hillary, named Marcellus is one of the open ocean, before he was captured 3 1/2 years
surprised me recently with of the main characters earlier and placed in the small, boring “prison” of a tank
a gift copy of this book it in Remarkably Bright that shortens the life of these intelligent cephalopods, and
was clear they remembered Creatures, a debut novel he is now aware that his own will soon be ending.
my telling them several by Shelby Van Pelt. In her His only friend, Tova, has grieved for many years over
years ago about having had acknowledgements she the loss of her son, Erik, a high school senior who died
one of the most emotional credits Sy Montgomery mysteriously several decades earlier in a case that was
experiences of my life. for what she learned in officially ruled a drowning while he was in his boat at sea.
I had just written a rave The Soul of an Octopus. Another important character in the book, Cameron, is
review for The Soul of an Van Pelt’s novel introduced as a 30-year-old man raised by his Aunt Jeanne
Octopus, a nonfiction book that went on to climb the is itself a remarkable when his mother abandoned him soon after his birth.
bestseller lists in 25 countries around the world. Its award- achievement, a highly Following a series of employment difficulties and some
winning author, Sy Montgomery, whom I had never met i m a g i n a t i v e a n d research he now believes that his natural father, whom he
before but who has since become a dear friend, called to beautifully told story of has never known, has become a wealthy real estate tycoon
thank me and invited me to meet her at the New England relationships, memories, sadness, family and love. living in Seattle and makes plans to confront the man with
Aquarium to meet Sy, the giant Pacific octopus that had An elderly widow in her 70s, Tova, works evenings at the intent of demanding some financial compensation for
been named after her. the aquarium in her town of Sowell Bay, Wash., mopping all the years of parental neglect.
She explained to me, however, that I would have to the floors and keeping the glass walls of all the exhibits When the planned meeting with his assumed father is
make the visit soon because, as her book explains, after clear and clean. She genuinely cares for all the various delayed, Cameron takes a job at the Sowell Bay aquarium
a female octopus lays her 100,000 eggs she instinctively creatures within their enclosures and often feeds them temporarily replacing Tova when she is injured, and the
immediately rests her eight tentacles on top of them to but has a special affection for, and connection with, the two gradually form a genuine friendship.
protect them from predators in her natural ocean habitat. giant Pacific octopus, Marcellus, whose restless nature While in Sowell Bay, Cameron begins to develop a
From that moment on she no longer forages for her own and renowned intelligence is reflected in his constant relationship with a young woman, Avery – and author
food and slowly, over a period of weeks, starves to death successful escapes from his tank to explore – and Van Pelt adds to the cast of characters Ethan, owner of
– sacrificing her own life long enough to allow her babies sometimes devour – the tasty samples from nearby other the local market. All are interesting and worth getting to
to be born. tanks. It is a secret that Tova does not disclose to the know.
I knew from Sy’s book that octopuses are among the aquarium’s officials lest they punish her eight-legged But it is Marcellus who, with his intelligence, intuitive
world’s most intelligent creatures, having been on this friend. Instead, she always catches him and returns him understanding and scientifically accurate physical skills
planet for millions of years with almost no evolution to his tank. ultimately brings together all of the complex strands of this
because they are almost perfect for their environment. It is a fact that, because they are gelatinous and have book’s imaginative story line to a satisfying, yet magical,
They recognize individual human faces – the one I was no bones, even octopuses whose tentacles stretch to 6 or conclusion.
to meet already knew Sy the author as a friend – and can 8 feet wide are able to squeeze through holes as small as As for me, it was after I had read page 250 of this
easily solve complicated puzzles provided by the aquarium 1 or 2 inches wide. They have also been known to figure book’s 355 pages, at a special moment in the narrative,
on a regular basis to prevent their becoming bored. out how to open locks. that I put the book down and, feeling all choked up, with
When I arrived, after Sy the octopus greeted Sy the It is in the very special chapters throughout the book the memory of my own earlier experience, called both my
author by raising a tentacle out of the water and wrapping involving Marcellus’s most important place in the story daughters and thanked them for their very thoughtful gift.
it around her waist and holding it there for quite a while, that this remarkable creature contributes the narrative I suspect you will want to thank me for sharing this
the author unwrapped the tentacle, turned to me and said, himself, each time announcing the timing of the events wonderful book with you.
“It’s your turn, Nils.”
I was taken aback for a moment, was handed a small
fish that had been the octopus’s favorite food, then stood
and 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 came up again and slowly wrapped around
my wrist! She was tasting me – she could taste down to
my bloodstream with any part of her skin – and, having
accepted me as a friend of her friend, slowly wrapped a
tentacle gripping me gently, suction cup sucker by sucker
that felt like wet velvet around my wrist and held me there
in greeting a very long time.
Soon, realizing that this was a creature as different
from a 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 ways, I began to choke up at the enormity
of the experience and, with tears streaming down my face,
spoke softly to this Sy of the sea: “Do you realize what’s
happening? Do you 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 to leave and had to uncoil
the tentacle. It was an experience I will never forget.

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