Listen to a sample
Remarkably Bright Creatures
- Author
- Shelby Van Pelt
- Narrator
- Marin Ireland, Michael Urie
- Publisher
- Bloomsbury Publishing
- Publish Date
- 26 May 2022
- Run Time
- 11 hours 17 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
- Genre
- Fiction: literary and general non-genre, Family life fiction / Stories about family, Crime and mystery: private investigator / amateur detectives
- Rating
- 4.9 (11 reviews)
Not available in your country
We don't have the rights to sell this audiobook where you are. If it's already in your library you can still listen to it in My Books.
What to expect
Have you met Marcellus the octopus yet?
**THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER**
OVER HALF A MILLION COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE
BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICK
OVER 29,000 5 STAR REVIEWS
GOOD HOUSEKEEPING BEST BOOKS OF 2022
GLAMOUR BEST BOOKS OF 2022
'Full of heart and humour . . . I loved it.' Ruth Hogan
'Will stay with you for a long time.' Anstey Harris
'I defy you to put it down once you’ve started' Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney
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.
'You won’t be able to put it down because when you’re not reading this book you’ll be hugging it.' Jamie Ford
'Truly original and touching' Helen Hoang
'Unique and luminous' Booklist starred review
__________________________
READER REVIEWS
'I couldn't put it down'
'Marvelous, heartwarming, brilliant'
'I enjoyed every second'
'I was gripped from the first page'
'I was completely charmed by this story'
Critics Review
-
A unique and luminous book
Booklist
-
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
-
Remarkably Bright Creatures is the rarest of feats: a book that manages to be wry and wise, charming and surprising, and features one of the most intriguing and satisfying characters I’ve encountered in fiction in a very long time – Marcellus the Octopus. I don’t know how Shelby Van Pelt managed to make this uncommon tale sing so beautifully, but sing it does, and I defy you to put it down once you’ve started
Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney, author of THE NEST
-
I usually read non-fiction books, but Remarkably Bright Creatures gave me exactly what I want whenever I pick up a novel. It transported me to a different world, and it illuminated something new for me – in this case, about relationships and getting older. Reading Tova and Marcellus’s story was the perfect way to start my next decade of life.
Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft
See more reviews See fewer reviews
-
Truly original and touching, Remarkably Bright Creatures is a story of family, community, and optimism in spite of darkness. Prepare to fall in love
Helen Hoang, author of THE KISS QUOTIENT
-
Shelby’s characters are unique and yet completely relatable ... It is a fresh and fascinating story full of heart and humour and I loved it.
Ruth Hogan, author of The Keeper of Lost Things
-
A winningly totally original feel-good mystery packed with memorable characters that, once started, demands to be finished
Irish Independent
-
An ultimately feel-good but deceptively sensitive debut about what it feels like to have love taken from you, only to find it again in the most unexpected places ... Memorable and tender.
Washington Post
-
A warm and satisfying book. It wrapped itself around me, luring me into the many mysteries hidden just beneath the surface.
Polly Crosby, author of The Illustrated Child
-
Remarkable characters, who will stay with you for a long time.
Anstey Harris, author of The Trials and Triumphs of Grace Atherton
-
You’ll bask in this book’s warmth and wit
Spectrum
-
The best books about grief find a way to illuminate the darkness of loss, and Remarkably Bright Creatures offers a masterclass
Marie Claire
-
Infused with heartfelt humor, Van Pelt’s elegant portrait of a widowed woman who finds understanding and connection with a clever octopus is refreshingly, if surprisingly, relatable. Despite the unorthodox relationship at its core, the debut novel offers a wholly original meditation on grief and the bonds that keep us afloat
Elle
User Reviews
Book 4.9
Narration 4.7
-
5.0 5.0
What a brilliantly clever story. Very interesting idea of the relationship between Tova the night cleaner and Marcellus the octopus. Enjoyed this story very much.
The narrator for Marcellus was perfect.Rocketman 2026-10-02 -
5.0 5.0
This was so beautiful it made me sob like a baby at the end. Tova and cam are such wonderful characters and the way everything unfolds in this book is sublime.
Helenw102 2025-02-01 -
5.0 4.0
Great story, narration let down slightly by an unconvincing Scottish accent, but mostly excellent
ruthyalice 2025-01-31 -
5.0 5.0
What a lovely story. Not my normal genre but so good! X
melmantel 2024-06-17
Details
- Author
- Shelby Van Pelt
- Narrator
- Marin Ireland, Michael Urie
- Duration
- 11 hours 17 minutes
- Release Date
- 26 May 2022
- ISBN
- 9781526649638
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Bloomsbury Publishing
- Genre
- Fiction: literary and general non-genre, Family life fiction / Stories about family, Crime and mystery: private investigator / amateur detectives
- Rating
- 4.9(11 reviews)
- Narration
- 4.7(11 reviews)
Synopsis
Bloomsbury presents Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt, read by Marin Ireland and Michael Urie.Have you met Marcellus the octopus yet?**THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER**OVER HALF A MILLION COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDEBBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICKOVER 29,000 5 STAR REVIEWSGOOD HOUSEKEEPING BEST BOOKS OF 2022GLAMOUR BEST BOOKS OF 2022'Full of heart and humour . . . I loved it.' Ruth Hogan'Will stay with you for a long time.' Anstey Harris'I defy you to put it down once you’ve started' Cynthia D'Aprix SweeneyAfter 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.'You won’t be able to put it down because when you’re not reading this book you’ll be hugging it.' Jamie Ford'Truly original and touching' Helen Hoang'Unique and luminous' Booklist starred review__________________________READER REVIEWS'I couldn't put it down' 'Marvelous, heartwarming, brilliant''I enjoyed every second''I was gripped from the first page' 'I was completely charmed by this story'
About xigxag
xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK's only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.
There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at $13.95. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from $7.95. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.
Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.
Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.