Remarkably Bright Creatures

Remarkably Bright Creatures

Author	Shelby Van Pelt
Language	English
Genre	Fiction
Publisher	Ecco
Publication date	May 3, 2022
Publication place	United States
Pages	368
ISBN	9780063204157

Remarkably Bright Creatures is a novel by American author Shelby Van Pelt. It was published in May 2022 by Ecco Press. It has been on the New York Times hardcover fiction best-seller list multiple times.[1]

It was awarded the 2023 McLaughlin-Esstman-Stearns First Novel Prize by the Writer's Center.[2]

Remarkably Bright Creatures is a story of the friendship between Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus, and Tova, a widow who cleans at the aquarium where Marcellus lives.[1]

Characters

• Marcellus is a giant Pacific octopus held captive at the Sowell Bay Aquarium near Puget Sound.
• Tova Sullivan is a 70 year old widow who cleans the aquarium at night and becomes friends with Marcellus.

Sales

The book was a resounding success, reportedly selling over two million copies and going through 30 reprintings since its 2022 debut.[3]

Critical reception

According to Book Marks, the book received a "positive" consensus, based on seven critic reviews: three "rave", three "positive", and one "mixed".[4][5]

Adaptations

A film based on the novel has been commissioned by streaming service Netflix, with actress Sally Field reportedly set to star as titular character Tova Sullivan. The film is to be directed by Olivia Newman, and produced by Anonymous Content.[6][3]

Awards

• Finalist for the 2023 Audie Award for Audiobook of the Year
• 2023 McLaughlin-Esstman-Stearns First Novel Prize[2]

References

1. Alter, Alexandra (2023-12-30). "How 'That Octopus Book' Won Over More Than a Million Readers". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2024-08-15. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
2. "First Novel Prize". The Writer's Center. 2023-06-20. Archived from the original on 2024-02-26. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
3. "Sally Field, 'Where the Crawdads Sing' Director Olivia Newman Adapting 'Remarkably Bright Creatures' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. 14 August 2024. Archived from the original on 17 August 2024. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
4. "Remarkably Bright Creatures". Book Marks. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
5. "Remarkably Bright Creatures". Bibliosurf (in French). 2023-10-04. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
6. Rubin, Rebecca (14 August 2024). "Sally Field to Star in 'Remarkably Bright Creatures' Adaptation for Netflix". Variety. Archived from the original on 15 August 2024. Retrieved 1 September 2024.