Lifetime Book Club: Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

What can an unlikely friendship teach us about connection, curiosity and the things we sometimes fail to see in one another?

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt is a warm and thoughtful novel about friendship, loss, family, and finding connection in unexpected places.

At the centre of the story is Tova Sullivan, a woman in her seventies who works the night shift cleaning a small-town aquarium. There, she develops an unusual friendship with Marcellus, a remarkably intelligent giant Pacific octopus who seems to understand far more about the humans around him than they realise.

Part mystery, part family story and part reflection on what connects us, it’s a book with plenty of heart, and an octopus who may just be its most perceptive character.

Why We Chose It

At Lifetime, much of what we do starts with people.

Everyone has their own story, experiences and circumstances shaping the decisions they make. And often, understanding someone means being curious enough to look beyond what is immediately obvious.

That idea sits at the heart of Remarkably Bright Creatures.

The characters are at very different stages of life and each is carrying something the others can't immediately see. As their lives begin to overlap, the story explores what can happen when we pay attention, stay curious and allow ourselves to connect with people we might otherwise overlook.

It makes for an interesting book club choice because the themes align naturally with the way we want to think at Lifetime, while still being, first and foremost, a good story.

What It’s About

Tova Sullivan has experienced significant loss in her life. Her husband has died, and more than 30 years earlier her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, disappeared while out on a boat.

Keeping busy has always been one of Tova's ways of moving forward, which is how she finds herself working nights at the local aquarium. It is there that she meets Marcellus.

Marcellus is a giant Pacific octopus with an extraordinary ability to observe the people around him. While the humans may underestimate him, Marcellus notices things. He watches, learns and gradually begins putting together pieces of a mystery that has followed Tova for decades.

At the same time, another character, Cameron, arrives in town searching for answers about his own family.
As their stories begin to intersect, the novel becomes about much more than solving a mystery. It explores family, friendship, ageing, grief, loneliness and the unexpected relationships that can change the direction of our lives.

Key Takeaways

A few themes from the story particularly stood out to us:

• Stay curious: Marcellus notices what others overlook. The story is a reminder of the value of observing, questioning and resisting the temptation to assume we already know the whole story.
• People are more than what we see: Almost every character is carrying experiences that aren't immediately obvious. Understanding people often requires us to look beyond first impressions.
• Connection can come from unexpected places: Some of the most meaningful relationships in the book develop between people, and creatures, who might appear to have very little in common.
• Every stage of life brings change: The characters are navigating very different points in their lives, from searching for direction to contemplating what comes next later in life. There isn't one age at which we stop changing, learning or needing others.
• Sometimes accepting help is as important as giving it: Independence is important to several of the characters, but the story also explores what can happen when we allow other people into our lives.

The past matters, but it doesn't have to define the future: Understanding what has happened before can sometimes help us see what might still be possible.

Who Should Read It?

Remarkably Bright Creatures could be a good choice if you:

• Enjoy character-driven stories with a little mystery along the way.
• Like books that are thoughtful without feeling too heavy.
• Are interested in stories about people at different stages of life.
• Appreciate themes of friendship, family and community.
• Enjoy a slightly unusual premise, including an exceptionally observant octopus.
• Want something a little different from the usual business or personal development book.

It's also a good reminder that curiosity doesn't have to mean reading another book about productivity, leadership or how to improve yourself. Sometimes a novel can make us think differently about people too.

Final Thoughts

Remarkably Bright Creatures deals with some difficult experiences, including grief and loss, but ultimately it is a hopeful story about connection and the possibility of finding something new when life hasn't gone the way we expected.

Perhaps one of its simplest ideas is also one of its most useful: pay attention. Pay attention to the people around you. Be curious about what's beneath the surface. Don't assume someone's circumstances tell you their whole story. And remain open to connections you weren't expecting. Those ideas feel particularly relevant to us at Lifetime.

Financial advice may involve numbers, products and plans, but behind all of those things are people, each with different experiences, priorities, relationships and ideas about what a good life looks like.

Understanding those things starts with curiosity and conversation. And if a remarkably bright octopus can figure that out, perhaps the rest of us can too.