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Remarkably Bright Creatures
- Narrated by: Marin Ireland, Michael Urie
- Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins
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Publisher's summary
Bloomsbury presents Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt, read by Marin Ireland and Michael Urie.
Good Housekeeping Best Books of 2022
Glamour Best Books of 2022
After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night cleaner shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium. Ever since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat over thirty years ago, keeping busy has helped her cope. One night she meets Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium who sees everything, but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors—until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.
Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova’s son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it’s too late...
Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel is a reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible.
Critic reviews
"Truly original and touching." (Helen Hoang, author of The Kiss Quotient)
"A beautiful examination of how loneliness can be transformed, cracked open, with the slightest touch from another living thing. Shelby Van Pelt makes good on this wild conceit, somehow making me love a misanthropic octopus, but her writing is so finely tuned that it's a natural element of a larger story about family, about loss and the electricity of something found." (Kevin Wilson, author of Nothing to See Here)
"I defy you to put it down once you’ve started." (Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney, author of The Nest)
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What listeners say about Remarkably Bright Creatures
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Krysta goldfinch
- 02-17-23
Loved this
A beautiful book in many ways, was really hard to put down. Loved the characters
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- Adrienne Bartlett
- 12-13-23
Never underestimate the intelligence of an Octopus
It was a lovely heart warming story. Even through loss and sadness, you can find joy, and a reason to carry on enjoying your life. You never know what beautiful surprises await you on this journey.
I loved the relationship between Tova the aquarium cleaner, and Marcelis the giant octopus.
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- judyou
- 01-19-24
Oh I loved this!
What a lovely tale! So imaginative. I will never look at a Giant Pacific Octopus without thinking of this! Thank you.
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- Amazon Customer
- 02-24-23
Beautiful
This book will live in your heart for a very long time. Masterfully written and narrated.
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- Anonymous User
- 11-03-22
Loved It!!
Such an enchanting story, light - interresting, and entertaining.
brought a lump to my throat and a tear to my eye.
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- Kelly
- 04-29-23
Pleasantly surprised
I really enjoyed this debut novel and I especially enjoyed the narration. A great little story about family and connection.
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- Anonymous User
- 12-26-22
Brilliant listen!
Great listen, humor, insightful, loved Marcellus! Great escapism - light and easy. Highly recommend this book.
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- Anonymous User
- 10-16-23
Wonderful narration of a beautiful story
The narrators of this book were superb bringing the characters to life. The story was enthralling. My favourite book on Audible this year.
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- K
- 01-22-24
Beautiful feel-good story
I found this book gripping once I was a few chapters in. The delightful story made me smile a lot.
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- Marilyn
- 03-20-23
Touching Story
A beautiful and touching tale. The Octopus was by far my favourite character, closely followed by Mrs Sullivan.
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