Remarkably Bright Creatures: ‘That Octopus Book’, the international bestseller, now a major Netflix film

I saw the film and absolutely loved it! The storyline, the actors and of course, Marcellus the octopus! After seeing the film, I needed to read the book! And boy was I glad I did! The emotion reading this story pulled from me was unbelievable. It made me laugh, it made me cry and it filled me with joy. Cameron's search for his father and Tova's loss of her son and husband brought them together via the aquarium and an octopus that saw so much whilst watching his life pass by in a tank! I highly recommend this book and the 5stars doesn't feel like enough! As an aside, how did the new octopus get on?

I had high hopes for 'Remarkably Bright Creatures' as I have been learning about octopuses and am quite in awe of them. It seemed then completely wonderful to find a book with an octopus as the central character, but this book isn't quite that. Marcellus the octopus is the character that I am left with a lasting impression of and I am so glad that I met him in this book. He is fascinating, funny, wise, and magical and the book is worth reading just for the role he plays. Several of the other characters are also likeable and tenderly drawn. This is a sometimes funny, sometimes moving, sometimes annoying, and sometimes faintly tedious book and I found myself forcing my way through the middle section. There was enough to keep me reading, but only just. It is worth persevering for the ending though and, of course, for Marcellus. If you love octopuses you will be glad that you read this.

Unbelievably cute and so well written. You just know within the first page. An octopus narrator? A 70yo protagonist? Sign me up. A delightful and heartfelt story that, yes, by around 60% through you can see where it’s going. BUT there are lots of little things thrown at you that keep you hooked on every page. Wonderful. SUCH a strong tone of voice as a writer. Excited to read some more from her (and watch the film)

My heart is so warm and I'm so sad this book has come to an end for me. I got so involved with the story I will say I cried four times, and I'm not sure a book has ever done that to me before. I loved how easy going the story was, and yes, the plot is very understated for the first 70% of the book but it's so heart-warming I kept going anyway. Such a beautiful story and I'll absolutely be watching the movie with my partner this weekend. As someone that exclusively reads crime and thriller novels, I'm so glad I gave this a go. I think this book will forever live within my top 5 books of all time. I know I will find it hard to beat. When I think back to my childhood where I read thousands upon thousands of books, I can only remember four titles that have always stayed with me. I believe this will become the fifth.

This book was quite an entertaining read and it was worth picking up and indeed finishing, but I would have to say that it didn't live up to the advertising hype that probably drew me to it. In all honesty, few of the books I've read actually merit the exclamations as to how wonderful they are by the blurb that advertisers use to promote their books, which has the effect of making me take these with a pinch of salt. However, that is another story but this story was good and certainly had a feelgood factor about it. Of course, reading a book like this requires you to suspend reality somewhat but nevertheless there was a good story with some well written characters and some folks would love it and some others perhaps not so much. I was sort of middling about it but I come down on the side of it being worth a read.

Really lovely, wholesome story which tackles grief, loneliness and I love that it centres around Tova, a woman in her 60s/70s. Knocked off a star as I wanted Marcellus to feature more! Definitely worth a read

I was not sure what I would make of this book, after reading reviews and seeing photo from the film. I'm so glad I did read it, as I loved it. A book full of emotions, twists and of course an octopus!

Brilliant and tender, it made me chuckle and it made me tear up, the characters and the plot are so relatable! Especially Marcellus... We have all been "imprisoned" in some way at some point in out lives... I loved it and absolutely recommend it.

This is hands down one of the best books I’ve read in 2026...it gave me every possible emotion.. it broke my heart, made me laugh, comforted me, and left me emotional in the best way possible... Honestly, the first 70 pages felt a little slow for me and I genuinely thought about DNFing it...But I decided to give it one more chance… and thank god I did, because after that, this story completely consumed me...at the center of the story is Marcellus..a giant Pacific octopus counting down his last 160 days at an aquarium..While the humans around him are grieving, lost, lonely, and falling apart, Marcellus quietly watches everything unfold… and somehow gives them answers they couldn’t find in 30 years...This book felt so comforting, wholesome, and deeply human... I was always waiting for Marcellus’ POVs because he truly became the heart of the story for me. And the ending? It made me cry so baddd😭and i already miss Marcellus terribly.. I genuinely wish I could erase my memory just to experience this book for the first time again... 200% recommend this if you’re looking for a comforting, emotional, wholesome read that stays with you long after the final page....

Brilliant book. Easy to read, with a touching story. Characters are beautifully written, especially Marcellus.

At first glance, with the title and cover, I expected the octopus to take center stage in the story—but it turned out to be more of a family-searching journey, which was a lovely surprise. That said, the octopus adds just the right spice to the story, offering a unique perspective on the human world. Personally, this book reminded me of my grandfather, who was adopted as a baby and spent years searching for his original family. It gave me a deeper understanding of why people feel such a strong desire to know their roots.

Lovely history

A gentle read that sparks continued enjoyment and a growing interest for more. Delightful characters that are deeply relatable. Well written, worth the read.