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emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
A good book for learning descriptive narrative. Does an excellent job “humanizing” many types of ocean creatures.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Grief
Moderate: Suicide, Terminal illness, Dementia, Suicide attempt
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
Enjoyed the information, but the writing style was not for me.
I also found her stated theolog and actions in opposition of each other.
I also found her stated theolog and actions in opposition of each other.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Vomit, Dementia
informative
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Cancer, Chronic illness, Suicide, Excrement, Vomit
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
A narrative nonfiction story that details the author's journey observing and befriending octopuses at the New England Aquarium. From her first encounter, she was hooked and began to dedicate time to learning about octopuses and visiting often. After the first octopus she meets and bonds with dies suddenly, she grieves her friend while also finding joy in meeting the new, young octopus who takes her place. She goes on to meet several octopuses as they come to the aquarium, and forge friendships with a group that shares her interests. That group includes several aquarists, as well as aquarium volunteers, and octopus enthusiasts who spend time observing the octopuses with her. The author goes on to learn how to scuba dive in order to observe wild octopuses, she discusses her journey to become certified as well as her several trips. Throughout the book, there is a running thread the author continues to return to on the nature of consciousness, and how it relates to humans, octopuses, and friendship.
I read this book after it was recommended to me by my tattoo artist. She said that it was a narrative nonfiction that read like a fiction book, and I think it lived up to that description! The narrative was well paced, and I never felt bored or like I was just waiting for the next thing to happen. The factual information was written in a way that felt like you were learning alongside the author, rather than being dictated to, which made for a much smoother read in my opinion. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this read.
*Disclaimer: There were a few instances of insensitive, outdated, or challenged language. I will include censored versions of the words I picked up below tagged as "spoilers" for anyone who would like to know or potentially avoid this word usage. Topics included language used to refer to Autistic individuals, and words derived from language used to refer to Romani people.
Word used: g*pped, Discussion of: Asp*rger S*ndrome
I read this book after it was recommended to me by my tattoo artist. She said that it was a narrative nonfiction that read like a fiction book, and I think it lived up to that description! The narrative was well paced, and I never felt bored or like I was just waiting for the next thing to happen. The factual information was written in a way that felt like you were learning alongside the author, rather than being dictated to, which made for a much smoother read in my opinion. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this read.
*Disclaimer: There were a few instances of insensitive, outdated, or challenged language. I will include censored versions of the words I picked up below tagged as "spoilers" for anyone who would like to know or potentially avoid this word usage. Topics included language used to refer to Autistic individuals, and words derived from language used to refer to Romani people.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Grief
Moderate: Chronic illness, Suicide, Terminal illness
Minor: Drug use, Vomit
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Great book. I learned a lot, not only about octopuses but other sea creatures and non human animals. Originally having heard about this book from the Currently Reading podcast, I heard it described as very emotionally moving and even life changing. I already knew non human animals were awe-some (in the literal sense of the word), so what I learned here may be more astounding to a reader who is new to the natural world. Regardless, it's worth a read; an excellent example of narrative non fiction that really breathes soul into an already interesting topic.
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death, Death, Mental illness, Suicide
adventurous
dark
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death, Suicide, Suicide attempt
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
This feels like a book that didn't age well, but it was just published in 2015 (and made National Book Award finalist), so... I dunno.
The author is a talented memoirist and travel/nature writer and is clearly having a love affair of sorts with octopuses. However, although much of the book personalizes and attempts to empathize with these incredibly intelligent octopuses (which the author literally calls "inmates" when in aquariums — definitely a tone), there seems to be a sharp limit to the implications considered. For example, they get bored and enjoy interacting with puzzles and humans, but it's okay to leave a young octopus in a plain, dark, boring, solitary barrel for weeks (months?) — and then wonder about her behavioral issues? Similarly, is the end of life "dementia" they experience really inevitable or is a life in captivity and on display contributing to it (and what a flippantly brutal comment about how we "take humans with dementia 'off display'" and hide them away so it's probably okay to do that with octopuses too!)? Octopus lives are short, so grief is probably inevitable while studying them and becoming attached, but the tragic outcomes for the octopus inmates here don't seem inevitable. And while there is genuine grief in those moments, the overall tone is blithely upbeat.
The author struggled, due to an ear condition, to deep dive on her forays to see octopuses in the wild. She seems to have similarly struggled to deep dive in her examinations of their lives in captivity. Overall, it's an interesting, informative, touching observation of the lives of captive octopuses but it's not a satisfyingly full exploration of those lives or their potentials.
The author is a talented memoirist and travel/nature writer and is clearly having a love affair of sorts with octopuses. However, although much of the book personalizes and attempts to empathize with these incredibly intelligent octopuses (which the author literally calls "inmates" when in aquariums — definitely a tone), there seems to be a sharp limit to the implications considered. For example, they get bored and enjoy interacting with puzzles and humans, but it's okay to leave a young octopus in a plain, dark, boring, solitary barrel for weeks (months?) — and then wonder about her behavioral issues? Similarly, is the end of life "dementia" they experience really inevitable or is a life in captivity and on display contributing to it (and what a flippantly brutal comment about how we "take humans with dementia 'off display'" and hide them away so it's probably okay to do that with octopuses too!)? Octopus lives are short, so grief is probably inevitable while studying them and becoming attached, but the tragic outcomes for the octopus inmates here don't seem inevitable. And while there is genuine grief in those moments, the overall tone is blithely upbeat.
The author struggled, due to an ear condition, to deep dive on her forays to see octopuses in the wild. She seems to have similarly struggled to deep dive in her examinations of their lives in captivity. Overall, it's an interesting, informative, touching observation of the lives of captive octopuses but it's not a satisfyingly full exploration of those lives or their potentials.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Dementia, Grief, Cultural appropriation
Minor: Sexism, Sexual content
informative
slow-paced
Interesting book about Montgomery's fascination with octopuses and the relationships she builds with them and their aquarists.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Grief
Minor: Ableism, Chronic illness, Suicide, Terminal illness, Blood