As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I love spending time reading books aloud with my two awesome teenagers. Right now, we are reading the New York Times Bestseller Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt, and I have to say it is an absolute delight—both the story and the experience of reading it with my girls. Even though I read this novel within a year or two of its release, I do not recall all of the details (I do have a clear image in my mind of the story’s ending which I have proclaimed many times over as indelibly beautiful in my mind). I like that I cannot remember every moment of the story because that has added to the reading experience I get to share with my girls.
Interestingly, my 17 year old is not a fan of the slow-burning sort of novel, the kind of story that takes many chapters to gain traction and catch her interest. Even so, she has stuck with me on this one, and I love that she has become completely invested in learning what happens with each of the main characters in this ensemble cast. I also love the way she calls out each character for their inability to see what she already sees or intuits. As for my younger teen, she was hooked by the fact that one of the narrators is a great pacific octopus character, Marcellus, who provides us incredible insight and wisdom as he shares his sections of the story. Being a creature-lover and pretty much whisperer, she also loves and identifies with Tova, who is the Marcellus whisperer in this narrative.
As we move through the story and the pages of this book, I am both eager to get to its conclusion and yet also not quite ready to let go of either the story or the shared experience with my girls. Today I was thoroughly steeped in not only the pages we were reading but in listening to my girls’ responses to the story and the characters. I am never disappointed in hearing their observations and commentary when we listen to a story in which they are heavily invested. Truly it is one of my favorite parts of our school days, and these these read-alouds.
It is in these times that I gain glimpses of my girls that fill my heart to an overflowing place, overflowing with joy and overflowing with gratitude. But, even more, I enjoy seeing what they see and hearing what they see in a story. For example, I love that my youngest talked about the writing today, sharing her observation that the writer’s skill has provided just enough description in each scene to provide readers good detail, but, as my girl pointed out, that detail allows each reader to see things as their imagination allows. Even more, I love that she pointed out that these descriptions not only allow readers that opportunity, but also provides the writer herself the freedom to see things as her mind determines. I couldn’t agree more with my girl’s assessment of how writing, skilled, proficient writing, can work.
Likewise, I love my 17 year old’s take on the story and the characters and their messed up lives that tend to be more messed up because of their unwillingness to communicate clearly with the people in their lives they care about and in whom they are deeply invested. She easily recognizes how easily some of the smaller obstacles could be avoided if the characters were willing to admit some of their own faults and challenges. Even more, how these obstacles would smooth out with even an ounce of willingness to talk to someone instead of avoiding the person and the discomfort. That she identifies with certain characters at different times is also a fun revelation (because each of us does, and for me, it means the writer has done her job remarkably well).
As well, I love that she and her sister have pointed out more than once how much we all depend on Marcellus, the remarkably bright octopus, all including we the readers as well as each of the main characters. He is indeed the central character and the one to whom we have grown intimately attached. Indeed, he is the sun around which all of us orbit. And, like Marcellus, my girls are able to draw conclusions about what the events that comprise the story; they see how those events influence and impact each of the characters, but also how those weave an intricate tapestry around the characters’ lives. Truly, it is delightful to drink in their observations.
As we have moved through this story, I am more than convinced that my girls fall into the category of the characters, who are among the remarkably bright creatures to whom the title refers. At first glance, when I picked up the book upon its initial release, I believed the title referred to octopuses only, placing Marcellus in the grouping of his species as remarkably bright creatures. But, as we have moved through the story, we have recognized that each of the characters, in spite of their flaws, are indeed remarkably bright in their own ways. As are each of us, the current readers of this story. I love that I get to share my days, my life, and the reading of this delightful story with my own incredibly bright creatures. It makes for a wonderful life and a wonderful story of my own.