Remarkably Bright Creatures, by Shelby Van Pelt, reviewed by Katy Mitchell-Jones
In Shelby Van Pelt’s Remarkably Bright Creatures, Tova Sullivan is a septuagenarian widow living in the fictional small town of Sowell Bay, a couple hours north of Seattle. She works as a night custodian at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, spending most of her time around sea creatures instead of people. Her favorite is a sixty pound giant Pacific octopus named Marcellus, who sees deeper into Tova than any human has for a long while.
The relationship that Tova and Marcellus cultivate is touching and unexpected. Marcellus is painted as a “remarkably bright” creature who can see beyond the surface level details of humans. In fact, he ridicules humans for not seeing what he deems obvious or perfunctory. Despite the aquarium manager Terry’s attempts to render Marcellus’ enclosure escape-proof, the octopus escapes and roams the building at night. During one of these escapades, Tova notices Marcellus tangled in some cords and frees him, which builds their trust.
The novel’s narration mainly switches between mainly Tova and Marcellus and, after a few chapters, a character named Cameron Cassmore, the new custodian. Marcellus’ sections are short and in the first person, each labeled “Day X of my Captivity,” and give readers an inside look into his observations of Tova, Terry, and Cameron. As the story progresses, the three narrators become more tangled (sometimes literally) as they try to resolve their conflicts.
Cameron is on a mission to find his real dad, as he is desperate for cash and hopes to pressure his unwitting father into giving him money. Cameron is not a bad person; rather he had a tough upbringing that resulted in an inability to retain a job or a girlfriend. He thinks back to his childhood, when his mother had issues with drugs and his father was absent. He spent most of his time with his aunt, who raised him into his teenage years. Still depending on her throughout his adult life makes him feel guilty and less of a competent adult than he would like. Cameron is not the only character to struggle with the idea of a happy, whole family, or the lack thereof.
It is revealed early in the novel that Tova’s son Erick passed away thirty years ago. The authorities labeled the case a suicide, but Tova does not believe that for a second. Just an eighteen-year-old kid, he worked at the ferry dock in the ticket terminal, which was found unlocked, his backpack stowed safely along with his possessions. But he was nowhere to be found. His fingerprints and pants were found on a rusty rudder of a small boat. Without further evidence, the police settled on suicide as the manner of death, which makes Tova feel helpless.
Tova’s friends all have children and grandchildren. Her only relative, a brother named Lars, soon passes away, and she is left to decide how to spend the remaining years of her life: apply for the same care facility Lars was in, or stay in the small town she loves? Cameron, too, only has his aunt, who has problems of her own, namely she has started “collecting” bits of rubbish around the house and may have an issue with alcohol, which he seems to have inherited. Cameron is concerned about her and hopes to pay her back money he borrowed from her. Therefore he takes this trip north from California to the small town of Sowell Bay, all based on an Internet lead and a hunch.
A pervasive theme throughout the novel is loneliness; Tova, Cameron, and Marcellus all have chapters dedicated to their longing for companionship. Tova once had this with her late husband, but she struggles moving on from his passing. Loss can happen at any stage of life, whether you are a septuagenarian, mourning the loss of a spouse or child, or a man in his mid to late twenties, pondering what could have been if his mother had just been healthy. Even Marcellus reflects on his impending death, as his breed of octopus only lives four to six years, and he begins to feel himself grow older and slower. We are all at some point confronted with death, and reading how these characters navigate their own emotions and reflections upon life and death is both heartwarming and melancholic.
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
May 3, 2022, Ecco, 368 pages.