Page 7 - The Shores of Jupiter - March '24

The Shores, Page 7
Book Review: Remarkably Bright Creatures

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

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