Remarkably Bright Creatures
In a sleeping town on Puget Sound, Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel, Remarkably Bright Creatures (2022) assembles a cast of lonely outsiders. In alternating perspective (a mix of first and close third point of view), the novel takes form. A widower, a retired longshoreman, a wayward thirty-year-old, and an aquarium-imprisoned octopus (yes, an octopus), become the flesh, bones, and beak of this unique and touching novel.
The story centers around the aquarium, and it’s remarkably bright create: Marcellus the Giant Pacific Octopus. Tova, a 70-something widower cleans at night for something to do. She has lost her small family to mysterious tragedy and old age. Ethan, a Scotsman and retiree from Aberdeen’s docks, who offers friendship to Tova whilst silently pining for her. Finally, Cameron is the wandering, 30-year-old, abandoned son of an addict and an unknown father who ends up following clues about his paternity to Sowell Bay.
As the novel progresses certain phrases repeat: “life is unfair,” and “humans are idiots.” Even without these lines, the lives, missed connections, and stubborn communication breakdowns demonstrate human inconsistency, and yes, even idiocy, as well as the unfair nature of what life doles out. Yet one creature sees the patterns and truths clearly, and he finds a way to resolve the story for one human he has grown fond of throughout his captivity. This is a feel-good read, perfect for weeks when the 24-hour news cycle feels particularly heavy.
Bibliography:
Van Pelt, Shelby. Remarkably Bright Creatures. Ecco: 2022.
A Few Great Passages:
“Secrets are everywhere. Some humans are crammed full of them.
How do they not explode? It seems to be a hallmark of the human species: abysmal communication skills. Not that any other species are much better, mind you, but even a herring can tell which way the school it belongs to is turning and follow accordingly. Why can humans not use their millions of words to simply tell one another what they desire?
The sea, too, is very good at keeping secrets” (47).
“Humans. For the most part, you are dull and blundering. But occasionally, you can be remarkably bright creatures” (350).
