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A review by oliverlang
The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
This book was an interesting thought experiment.
I have an interest in octopuses; I had read Other Minds by Peter Godfrey-Smith before and I'm glad I had read that before reading this to have more background knowledge about octopuses. Having background knowledge isn't a must-have for reading this though, Nayler includes snippets from fictional non-fiction books written by some of the characters which give some insights you might need for anything discussed.
I think how octopuses, being so far from us on the evolutionary scale, have evolved to where they are now is fascinating and I enjoy how this book considers the future of the species if they further evolve certain factors like lifespan and relationships - how these would impact our interactions with them or how we as humans could co-exist with another intelligent life form.
Character development isn't a strong point of this book at all but when I was reading it I found it very easy to get immersed and to want to keep reading. There are at least 3 POVs throughout which don't feel connected but they do come together by the end of the book and make sense for why we get those other views. All in all, not a bad book.
I have an interest in octopuses; I had read Other Minds by Peter Godfrey-Smith before and I'm glad I had read that before reading this to have more background knowledge about octopuses. Having background knowledge isn't a must-have for reading this though, Nayler includes snippets from fictional non-fiction books written by some of the characters which give some insights you might need for anything discussed.
I think how octopuses, being so far from us on the evolutionary scale, have evolved to where they are now is fascinating and I enjoy how this book considers the future of the species if they further evolve certain factors like lifespan and relationships - how these would impact our interactions with them or how we as humans could co-exist with another intelligent life form.
Character development isn't a strong point of this book at all but when I was reading it I found it very easy to get immersed and to want to keep reading. There are at least 3 POVs throughout which don't feel connected but they do come together by the end of the book and make sense for why we get those other views. All in all, not a bad book.