Book · 2022
Remarkably Bright Creatures
by Shelby Van Pelt
A widowed aquarium janitor and a giant Pacific octopus separately work out what happened to her son thirty years ago.
What does Reddit think of Remarkably Bright Creatures?
r/suggestmeabook supplies most of the volume here, mostly one-line drop-ins inside longer suggestion lists rather than dedicated praise. r/booksuggestions carries far less traffic but its one displayed comment doesn't hedge: "Half the book is told by an octopus and it is wonderful" (↑129). What repeats across the top-upvoted excerpts isn't a shared argument about the novel's ideas, it's the same descriptive hook restated six ways: a 70-year-old widow, a giant Pacific octopus, two narrators. Nobody quoted here explains why that split works, they just keep noting that it exists. The book turns up in grab-bag lists next to No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency and Terry Pratchett's Witches novels, and separately paired with Into Thin Air, pairings built on "books I've read lately" rather than any stated resemblance. None of the displayed excerpts carry a sentiment score, so what's here is description, not a verdict: a book people mention constantly and describe identically, rarely one they argue about.
Community feedback & reader fit
Themes
- · A widow's grief investigated through one recurring night-shift aquarium job
- · A giant Pacific octopus narrator carrying half the book's plot
- · A missing-son mystery solved through a non-human perspective
- · A default answer whenever Reddit wants a book that isn't just human drama
Common praise
- + The ↑129 r/booksuggestions comment calls it 'wonderful' without qualification, octopus narrator included.
- + r/suggestmeabook keeps recommending it inside unrelated lists (Into Thin Air, No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency), clearing the low bar of 'worth mentioning again' repeatedly.
- + The dual-narrator structure gets described the same way by several different commenters, which suggests it actually lands as advertised.
Common criticism
- − None of the top-upvoted comments make a case beyond 'it has an octopus'; the argument for reading it doesn't get more specific than that.
- − The comparisons it gets bundled with, Alexander McCall Smith's cozy mysteries and Pratchett's Witches books, don't share genre or tone, suggesting shared-list placement rather than real kinship.
- − r/Fantasy, r/horrorlit, and r/printSF mention it in single digits, and none of those subs surface in the top-upvoted sample with any elaboration.
Who it's for
Pick this up if a grieving widow narrated alongside a giant Pacific octopus sounds appealing rather than gimmicky, because that's the entire pitch anyone quoted here is working from. It shows up on comfort-read lists, not challenge lists, paired with Into Thin Air in one comment and Alexander McCall Smith in another. r/booksuggestions treats it like a small surprise worth calling 'wonderful'; r/suggestmeabook treats it as a safe, repeatable answer to 'what should I read next,' which is a different kind of endorsement. The Pratchett comparison is a list-neighbor, not a sibling, so don't lean on it. Come for the octopus. Nobody quoted here is arguing you out of it.
Mentions over time
Top subreddits
Which Reddit comments matter for Remarkably Bright Creatures?
The most relevant excerpts across the subreddits where this book is mentioned — opinionated, argued takes first, then top-upvoted mentions. Click through to read the full thread.
“Remarkably Bright Creatures has two protagonists: One is a 70-year-old widow; the other is a giant Pacific octopus. It was long but a quick read.
“It 100% depends on who asks me and I usually have tailored answers for each group. If it’s a close friend/family member who also reads romance or my husband - I will provide, in *graphic detail*, the plot of my current smut read. Of course highlighting all the bonkers (ie amazing) smut. If it’s …
“Remarkably Bright Creatures- by Shelby van Pelt No 1 Ladies Detective Agency- by Alexander McCall Smith Any of the Witches books by Terry Pratchett
“Remarkably Bright Creatures! Half the book is told by an octopus and it is wonderful.
“I'm so sorry you're having a hard time. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt brightened my view of the world during a dark period. Hope things get better for you soon.
“I’m pretty new to audiobooks but I’m currently listening to Remarkably Bright Creatures and I adore it. Marin Ireland does a spectacular job with her accents and adding character to each piece of dialogue, and Michael Urie does a perfect voice for Marcellus the octopus.
“Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. Good book, audiobook is exceptional.
“I would recommend Remarkably Bright Creatures. It’s sad but hopeful, and as someone who understands depression it helped me quite a bit. I am rooting for you.
“Just finished Remarkably Bright Creatures and loved it! Before that I read Circe which was a 5/5. Just started Book 2 of The Poppy Wars series after taking a break after book 1. Only a few pages in so don’t have an opinion yet.
“I’m currently reading Remarkably Bright Creatures and it’s SO cute. I love it so much so far
“I totally agree with this! I’d recommend a book like Margo’s Got Money Troubles because while it’s not a classic, it’ll make her fall in love with fiction. A few books with straightforward plots that are well written and not too basic; they still make you think. Hello Beautiful and Remarkably Bright…
“How about Remarkably Bright Creatures? It’s pretty light, no steamy romance. A lonely lady befriends a highly intelligent octopus in an aquarium. The octopus is a narrator in the book so you get things from his point of view, which is fun.
“Remarkably Bright Creatures - written from the point of view of an octopus what?! So neat - great story too!
“Hands down, Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. LOVED it, and it was something different. ❤️
“1. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue - by far my favourite read this year 2. The Hearts Invisible Furies - a favourite of all time 3. Remarkably Bright Creatures - another favorite read this year
Convinced? Pick up Remarkably Bright Creatures
What else does r/suggestmeabook read?
Other books mentioned in the same sub, ranked. Shared-sub overlap with this title breaks ties.
Remarkably Bright Creatures — frequently asked
Is Remarkably Bright Creatures worth reading if I don't care about octopuses?+
Probably, since the octopus is one of two narrators, not the whole show. The ↑311 r/suggestmeabook comment frames it plainly: a 70-year-old widow and a giant Pacific octopus split the book between them. The ↑129 r/booksuggestions comment calls that split 'wonderful,' and nobody in the top-upvoted data argues the animal chapters are the weak half.
What subreddit talks about Remarkably Bright Creatures the most?+
r/suggestmeabook, by a wide margin, most often as a one-line addition inside longer suggestion lists rather than a dedicated recommendation. r/booksuggestions carries far less volume but its displayed comment is unambiguous: 'Half the book is told by an octopus and it is wonderful' (↑129). r/Fantasy, r/RomanceBooks, and r/horrorlit mention it only in single digits, none surfacing in the top-upvoted sample with any elaboration.
Does Remarkably Bright Creatures actually use an octopus as narrator?+
Yes, per multiple top-upvoted excerpts. The ↑140 r/suggestmeabook comment specifies half the book is 'from the perspective of an octopus,' and the ↑152 comment pairs it with Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air purely on the strength of a reading list, not a thematic link. Read enough of these threads and the octopus detail is the one fact everyone reaches for first.
Should I read Remarkably Bright Creatures if I want something plot-heavy?+
Not on this evidence. The ↑137 r/suggestmeabook comment specifically flags it as 'not action at all,' offered to someone who'd asked for exactly that. The book's recurring pitch across these threads is emotional and structural, grief, a missing son, an octopus narrator, rather than incident-driven, so expect a slow character study, not a thriller.