When the aquarium closes
 |
Description
Book Introduction
- A word from MD
-
The world's most special octopus will comfort you.A lovely story about an octopus and a 70-year-old cleaning lady who secretly develop a friendship at an aquarium one night when everyone is asleep.
The two who met at the end of their lives exchanged true comfort and courage, transcending the boundaries of time.
Although this is the author's first novel, it became a New York Times bestseller in 2022.
March 31, 2023. Novel/Poetry PD Kim Yu-ri
200,000 copies sold immediately after publication, exceeding 500,000 copies in total!
Published in 28 countries worldwide
New York Times bestseller
Amazon's 2022 Book of the Year
Goodreads 2022 Best Novel Award Nominee
BBC Radio Book Club Selections
Best Novel by The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, and USA Today
A heartwarming miracle created by an octopus that knows all the secrets of humanity and a night cleaning lady.
“Since Life of Pi, this is the first book with such an original and distinctive voice.” - TODAY SHOW
The world's largest and most bizarre octopus has finally landed in Korea.
Shelby Van Pelt's novel, Remarkably Bright Creatures, which not only became a New York Times bestseller immediately after its publication, but was also published in 28 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, captivating readers around the world, has been published by Media Changbi.
The author guides readers into a captivating world of stories depicting the friendship between two very different beings, even through the voice of Marcellus, a terminally ill octopus yearning for freedom.
In 2020, Shelby Van Pelt began writing from home with her toddler second child as the pandemic lockdown restricted her movement.
After sending the manuscript of his first book, which he had completed with great difficulty, to several publishers, it was rejected several times. After many twists and turns, it was published in the United States in 2022 and became a hot topic, selling 500,000 copies.
A surprising debut novel that catapulted the new author to stardom, "When the Aquarium Closes" became a word-of-mouth hit, earning Amazon a Book of the Year Award and a Goodreads Best Novel nomination, and earning Jenna Bush's rave review on NBC's Today Show, which said, "Not since 'Life of Pi' has there been a book with such an original and distinctive voice."
The colorless scenes of grief over losing a beloved family member in an instant, the secrets surrounding it, and the declining life of an elderly person are reborn as a story of a completely different color when they meet the octopus Marcellus in the aquarium.
Episodes that reveal the friendship between sea creatures and humans, the strong bonds of a village community, and the empathy that transcends generations create gentle waves in the hearts of readers, and by the time the ripples subside, readers are left holding their breath in the hope and possibility of miracles.
“I wanted to write a story for all of us,” the author said in commemoration of the publication of the Korean edition.
I was happiest when I saw reader reviews saying they read it with their grandparents and parents.
“There is nothing more wonderful than people of different generations reading and enjoying it together,” he said.
Published in 28 countries worldwide
New York Times bestseller
Amazon's 2022 Book of the Year
Goodreads 2022 Best Novel Award Nominee
BBC Radio Book Club Selections
Best Novel by The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, and USA Today
A heartwarming miracle created by an octopus that knows all the secrets of humanity and a night cleaning lady.
“Since Life of Pi, this is the first book with such an original and distinctive voice.” - TODAY SHOW
The world's largest and most bizarre octopus has finally landed in Korea.
Shelby Van Pelt's novel, Remarkably Bright Creatures, which not only became a New York Times bestseller immediately after its publication, but was also published in 28 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, captivating readers around the world, has been published by Media Changbi.
The author guides readers into a captivating world of stories depicting the friendship between two very different beings, even through the voice of Marcellus, a terminally ill octopus yearning for freedom.
In 2020, Shelby Van Pelt began writing from home with her toddler second child as the pandemic lockdown restricted her movement.
After sending the manuscript of his first book, which he had completed with great difficulty, to several publishers, it was rejected several times. After many twists and turns, it was published in the United States in 2022 and became a hot topic, selling 500,000 copies.
A surprising debut novel that catapulted the new author to stardom, "When the Aquarium Closes" became a word-of-mouth hit, earning Amazon a Book of the Year Award and a Goodreads Best Novel nomination, and earning Jenna Bush's rave review on NBC's Today Show, which said, "Not since 'Life of Pi' has there been a book with such an original and distinctive voice."
The colorless scenes of grief over losing a beloved family member in an instant, the secrets surrounding it, and the declining life of an elderly person are reborn as a story of a completely different color when they meet the octopus Marcellus in the aquarium.
Episodes that reveal the friendship between sea creatures and humans, the strong bonds of a village community, and the empathy that transcends generations create gentle waves in the hearts of readers, and by the time the ripples subside, readers are left holding their breath in the hope and possibility of miracles.
“I wanted to write a story for all of us,” the author said in commemoration of the publication of the Korean edition.
I was happiest when I saw reader reviews saying they read it with their grandparents and parents.
“There is nothing more wonderful than people of different generations reading and enjoying it together,” he said.
- You can preview some of the book's contents.
Preview
index
To Korean readers
1,299th day of confinement
silver coin-shaped scar
1,300th day of confinement
fake cookies
1,301st day of confinement
Welina Mobile Home Village, Overflowing with Love
1,302nd day of confinement
Gloomy June
chase after a woman
1,306th day of confinement
Young vipers are especially dangerous
1,307th day of confinement
A gentleman with big teeth
1,308th day of confinement
happy ending
1,309th day of confinement
Well, except for Marrakech
Bugatti and blonde
1,311th day of confinement
There is nothing that never comes to mind in life.
1,319th day of confinement
I may not be a movie star, but I might be a pirate.
Strictly speaking, it's not a lie
Do you have luggage?
Broken but loyal
House Special
1,322nd day of confinement
green tights
It's not that great
1,324th day of confinement
I tend to feel weak towards people who are hurt.
Epitaph and pen
Conscience makes cowards of us all.
Unexpected things can happen
1,329th day of confinement
Turn the steering wheel sharply to the left and then back to the right.
1,341st day of confinement
The Truth Revealed by Three Martinis
Shadow of the scaffolding
There was a woman
Unexpected treasure
1,349th day of confinement
family tree
Impossible paper jam
1,352nd day of confinement
bounced check
The Free Food Loophole
It's not a date
rare items
I didn't send a single birthday card
If
special bond
A bold and shameless lie
SOB
New destination
Early arrival
make things difficult
1,361st day of confinement.
Oh, now's not the time for this. I have a ring to find.
damn smart genius
eel ring
The water is completely drained
So many things
expensive roadkill
Dallahose
Day 1 of freedom
Anyway
Acknowledgements
1,299th day of confinement
silver coin-shaped scar
1,300th day of confinement
fake cookies
1,301st day of confinement
Welina Mobile Home Village, Overflowing with Love
1,302nd day of confinement
Gloomy June
chase after a woman
1,306th day of confinement
Young vipers are especially dangerous
1,307th day of confinement
A gentleman with big teeth
1,308th day of confinement
happy ending
1,309th day of confinement
Well, except for Marrakech
Bugatti and blonde
1,311th day of confinement
There is nothing that never comes to mind in life.
1,319th day of confinement
I may not be a movie star, but I might be a pirate.
Strictly speaking, it's not a lie
Do you have luggage?
Broken but loyal
House Special
1,322nd day of confinement
green tights
It's not that great
1,324th day of confinement
I tend to feel weak towards people who are hurt.
Epitaph and pen
Conscience makes cowards of us all.
Unexpected things can happen
1,329th day of confinement
Turn the steering wheel sharply to the left and then back to the right.
1,341st day of confinement
The Truth Revealed by Three Martinis
Shadow of the scaffolding
There was a woman
Unexpected treasure
1,349th day of confinement
family tree
Impossible paper jam
1,352nd day of confinement
bounced check
The Free Food Loophole
It's not a date
rare items
I didn't send a single birthday card
If
special bond
A bold and shameless lie
SOB
New destination
Early arrival
make things difficult
1,361st day of confinement.
Oh, now's not the time for this. I have a ring to find.
damn smart genius
eel ring
The water is completely drained
So many things
expensive roadkill
Dallahose
Day 1 of freedom
Anyway
Acknowledgements
Detailed image
Into the book
As I stretched my body, a sound came from my lower back.
Even as I walked down the empty hallway, bathed in a bluish light, to the storage room, the sound of my back echoed.
No one would say anything to her if she passed by without noticing the gum stuck to the floor.
No one expects a seventy-year-old Toba to clean thoroughly.
Still, we must do our best.
Besides, it's better than doing nothing.
Toba is the oldest employee at Sowell Bay Aquarium.
Every night she mops the floors, cleans the windows, and empties the trash cans.
Every two weeks, pay stubs are placed in lockers in the break room.
The $14 hourly wage is before taxes and deductions.
Unopened pay stubs are piled up in an old shoebox on top of the refrigerator.
Salaries are deposited into the Sowell Bay Savings and Loan Association account.
It was hard to believe that Toba, with his determined demeanor, was the figure of a hunched, thin, and small old man, heading straight for the supply warehouse.
--- p.16
"oh my god."
Toba shouted into the empty break room.
It was gum before, but now it's even food waste.
Toba picked up the packaging and threw it into the trash can.
Oddly enough, the trash can was a few steps away from its original location.
After pouring the contents into a large bag, I moved the trash can back to its place.
I organized the small table and chairs next to the trash can.
And then I saw it.
That.
Something in that corner.
--- p.20
A special smell tempted me tonight.
The protagonist of the sweet, salty, and delicious smell was found packed tightly in a white container in the trash can.
I don't know what it was, but it tasted good.
But it almost led to its downfall.
A cleaning woman.
She saved my life.
--- p.28
As the name suggests, Knit-Wits (knitting enthusiasts? Translator) started out as a knitting club.
It started 25 years ago when a few women from Sowell Bay got together to exchange yarn.
After the grown children left, it became a refuge from the bittersweet emptiness felt in the empty house.
This is why, more than anything else, Toba had no intention of joining the club at first.
Her emptiness was not sweet, but bitter.
At that time, it was the fifth anniversary of Eric's death.
It was a time when I was so sensitive that even the smallest thing would easily cause a scab to split open and blood to start flowing out again.
(Omitted) Toba stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror and dabbed the moisture from her face with her hand.
The Knit-Wits members were old friends, but being around them sometimes made me feel like I was a puzzle piece accidentally stuck in the wrong place.
--- pp.34~36
All octopuses are like that.
I remember the faces of all the people who stopped and looked into my tank.
It's easy to remember patterns.
At dawn, when the sun begins to rise, a pattern appears on the top of the wall, and I know how it changes from day to day as the seasons change.
If you want to listen, you can listen to anything.
You can hear the sound of the sea water crashing against the rocks and even tell when the tide outside this prison is turning low.
If I want to see, my eyes become more precise.
I know exactly who touched my tank just by the fingerprints they left on the glass.
It was easy to learn human letters and speech.
I know how to use tools.
You can also solve puzzles.
No one imprisoned here has this ability.
I have 500 million neurons, spread across eight arms.
Sometimes I wonder if one of my tentacles is more intelligent than a human brain.
--- pp.120~121
Terry ate with chopsticks so neatly and skillfully that it seemed almost natural for someone who grew up on a Jamaican fishing boat.
Young people learn anything easily.
--- p.146
When I first started this job, what I liked most was being able to be around marine life.
I liked having something to do, being able to keep busy, and being able to do it alone so I didn't have to worry about other people.
But now, cleaning alone felt strangely unfamiliar.
Cameron must have been here too.
Even Toba himself was surprised by this confident thought.
But he must be near California by now.
After cleaning under the tail, I walked down the dark hallway one last time.
I said hello to the bluegill.
“Goodbye, friends.”
Even as I walked down the empty hallway, bathed in a bluish light, to the storage room, the sound of my back echoed.
No one would say anything to her if she passed by without noticing the gum stuck to the floor.
No one expects a seventy-year-old Toba to clean thoroughly.
Still, we must do our best.
Besides, it's better than doing nothing.
Toba is the oldest employee at Sowell Bay Aquarium.
Every night she mops the floors, cleans the windows, and empties the trash cans.
Every two weeks, pay stubs are placed in lockers in the break room.
The $14 hourly wage is before taxes and deductions.
Unopened pay stubs are piled up in an old shoebox on top of the refrigerator.
Salaries are deposited into the Sowell Bay Savings and Loan Association account.
It was hard to believe that Toba, with his determined demeanor, was the figure of a hunched, thin, and small old man, heading straight for the supply warehouse.
--- p.16
"oh my god."
Toba shouted into the empty break room.
It was gum before, but now it's even food waste.
Toba picked up the packaging and threw it into the trash can.
Oddly enough, the trash can was a few steps away from its original location.
After pouring the contents into a large bag, I moved the trash can back to its place.
I organized the small table and chairs next to the trash can.
And then I saw it.
That.
Something in that corner.
--- p.20
A special smell tempted me tonight.
The protagonist of the sweet, salty, and delicious smell was found packed tightly in a white container in the trash can.
I don't know what it was, but it tasted good.
But it almost led to its downfall.
A cleaning woman.
She saved my life.
--- p.28
As the name suggests, Knit-Wits (knitting enthusiasts? Translator) started out as a knitting club.
It started 25 years ago when a few women from Sowell Bay got together to exchange yarn.
After the grown children left, it became a refuge from the bittersweet emptiness felt in the empty house.
This is why, more than anything else, Toba had no intention of joining the club at first.
Her emptiness was not sweet, but bitter.
At that time, it was the fifth anniversary of Eric's death.
It was a time when I was so sensitive that even the smallest thing would easily cause a scab to split open and blood to start flowing out again.
(Omitted) Toba stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror and dabbed the moisture from her face with her hand.
The Knit-Wits members were old friends, but being around them sometimes made me feel like I was a puzzle piece accidentally stuck in the wrong place.
--- pp.34~36
All octopuses are like that.
I remember the faces of all the people who stopped and looked into my tank.
It's easy to remember patterns.
At dawn, when the sun begins to rise, a pattern appears on the top of the wall, and I know how it changes from day to day as the seasons change.
If you want to listen, you can listen to anything.
You can hear the sound of the sea water crashing against the rocks and even tell when the tide outside this prison is turning low.
If I want to see, my eyes become more precise.
I know exactly who touched my tank just by the fingerprints they left on the glass.
It was easy to learn human letters and speech.
I know how to use tools.
You can also solve puzzles.
No one imprisoned here has this ability.
I have 500 million neurons, spread across eight arms.
Sometimes I wonder if one of my tentacles is more intelligent than a human brain.
--- pp.120~121
Terry ate with chopsticks so neatly and skillfully that it seemed almost natural for someone who grew up on a Jamaican fishing boat.
Young people learn anything easily.
--- p.146
When I first started this job, what I liked most was being able to be around marine life.
I liked having something to do, being able to keep busy, and being able to do it alone so I didn't have to worry about other people.
But now, cleaning alone felt strangely unfamiliar.
Cameron must have been here too.
Even Toba himself was surprised by this confident thought.
But he must be near California by now.
After cleaning under the tail, I walked down the dark hallway one last time.
I said hello to the bluegill.
“Goodbye, friends.”
--- p.507
Publisher's Review
The moment you think there is no more hope in life,
Strange and lovable adults and an octopus are coming to save you!
In Sowell Bay, a small town 30 kilometers from Washington State, there is a very special 'aquarium'.
This place, with its old, domed roof covered in dried bird droppings and moldy patches, may seem insignificant at first glance, but in reality, a very mysterious being lives here.
Marcellus is an octopus that feels inflammation and anger towards humans.
Highly intelligent, adept at disguising himself, and able to read, he flexibly waves his eight arms, each with 500 million neurons, as he observes the world beyond the glass tank.
The octopus seems to know a lot and understand the ways of life, but his only flaw is that he only has 160 days left to live (the average lifespan of an octopus is about 4 years).
And in this old aquarium, there is a 70-year-old night cleaner named Toba who works more diligently than anyone else, sweeping and cleaning every nook and cranny that people don't see.
One day, Toba finds an octopus outside the tank, its entire body entangled in a pile of wires and unable to move.
A special friendship develops between the two as Toba rescues him.
When Octopus Marcellus learns of a painful secret buried deep in the ocean by Grandma Toba, he decides to uncover it for his friend...
Sowell Bay is a small and cozy town, so news of a stranger visiting or someone getting injured at work quickly spreads throughout the town.
Although they are nosy and annoying people, the villagers take care of each other.
Ethan, the supermarket owner, lends a helping hand to Cameron, an unemployed young man who has been fired from his job, dumped by his girlfriend, and kicked out of his home with no money; Barb, who comes running to give him food when he says he's sick; and Avery, the free-spirited mother and owner of a paddle shop who bravely raises her teenage son on her own and gives out $20 bottles of organic Vaseline for free to customers in need. These people, each brought together by unavoidable circumstances, learn to live together while embracing their wounds big and small against the backdrop of an aquarium.
In this place where there is much talk and much trouble, there are lives where people, each enduring the heavy burden of life, lean on each other and protect each other.
There, there is a rough but human-loving octopus, a grandmother who knows how to deeply care for others, and a village community that accepts strangers rather than rejects them; they all draw each other together as stickily as the tentacles of an octopus.
Let's join in the comfort and emotion that the octopus and the grandmother offer.
Perhaps, after crying and laughing, you will eventually fall in love with these two.
And maybe one day you'll understand the grumpy, humorous, and lovable octopus.
Octopus Marcellus's humorous encouragement and support!
The person next to you right now is your precious friend.
Unlike mammals, which have billions of neurons (nerve cells) in their brains, octopuses have more than two-thirds of their neurons distributed in their arms.
Each of its eight arms moves independently based on autonomous judgment, and even has its own personality.
Shelby Van Pelt, who happened to see a video of a giant Pacific octopus escaping from its tank, created the captivating character who wound up in the deep sea and ended up at Sowell Bay Aquarium.
The author created the character of the giant Pacific octopus Marcellus by imagining a scene where an octopus trying to escape from its tank suddenly becomes angry at humans who are struggling to stop it.
As we read through the human world seen through Marcellus's eyes and the secrets that can never be understood from a human perspective, readers come to recognize ourselves and life in a strange way.
The people who first experienced this are the main characters of this book, the people of Sowell Bay village.
To overcome the inevitable big and small wounds in life, the townspeople, who try to live uprightly on their own path without any help, deviate from their path and connect with others, and to let them know about the warm miracle and happiness that occurs, the octopus Marcellus beckons frantically and sometimes goes on life-threatening adventures.
Through the process of sea creatures and humans who seemed to be inseparable overcoming the limitations of language and truly communicating, and a 70-year-old grandmother and a 30-year-old youth understanding each other across generations, readers come to realize that if we break down the wall of "I," a wide space called "we" awaits us.
Even now, somewhere in the ocean, he is laughing at the bored and stuffy humans, saying, “Why can’t humans use the millions of words they have to tell each other what they want?” (page 80), and then he comes up to you and nudges you with one of his eight arms and says, “Humans.
Generally stupid and foolish.
But sometimes, they become surprisingly intelligent creatures” (page 540), which might be a humorous encouragement.
So, let's open the first chapter and meet the world's most grumpy, yet humorous and lovable octopus friend.
Characters
Marcellus “Humans.
Generally stupid and foolish.
But every once in a while, it becomes a surprisingly intelligent creature.” The giant Pacific octopus.
After being seriously injured in the deep sea, he received treatment at Sowell Bay Aquarium.
Toba Sullivan: “It’s time for us to part ways, my friend.” A 70-year-old woman who cleans the aquarium at night.
Cameron: "Western Washington is the wettest place in the country, and Simon Brings will soon be showering us with cash." Aquarium part-timer.
He gets fired from his job, gets dumped by his girlfriend, and comes to the village of Sowell Bay.
Lee Sun: “Kids need to be told sometimes.
Well, actually, it's not just the kids, it's everyone." The boss of the big-mouth supermarket Shopway and the biggest lover.
Aunt Jean: “Letting someone go can be a very difficult thing.” Cameron’s aunt.
Avery: “I figured no matter what choice I made, my life was going to be ruined,” says Avery, who runs a paddleboard shop and raises her teenage son.
Terry: “I think you’ve had plenty of opportunities already.
Opportunities I never knew existed.
“You must have missed it all,” said Sowell Bay Aquarium director.
Barbara Vanderhoof, Janice, and Mary Ann: “Everyone changes, even old people like us.” Members of the knitting group Knit-Wits.
I have had a long relationship with Toba.
Recommendation
A novel that conveys happiness and an incredibly delicate story.
Impressive and warm.
- The Washington Post
It's a charming story about an old man who befriends a quirky octopus.
- 『Kirkus Review』
A miraculous friendship that transcends boundaries.
The townspeople are all flawed and a little strange, but you find yourself growing fond of them.
As you read, you will find yourself rooting for them.
- Book page
Great books about loss illuminate the darkness of loss.
- Marie Claire
Strange and lovable adults and an octopus are coming to save you!
In Sowell Bay, a small town 30 kilometers from Washington State, there is a very special 'aquarium'.
This place, with its old, domed roof covered in dried bird droppings and moldy patches, may seem insignificant at first glance, but in reality, a very mysterious being lives here.
Marcellus is an octopus that feels inflammation and anger towards humans.
Highly intelligent, adept at disguising himself, and able to read, he flexibly waves his eight arms, each with 500 million neurons, as he observes the world beyond the glass tank.
The octopus seems to know a lot and understand the ways of life, but his only flaw is that he only has 160 days left to live (the average lifespan of an octopus is about 4 years).
And in this old aquarium, there is a 70-year-old night cleaner named Toba who works more diligently than anyone else, sweeping and cleaning every nook and cranny that people don't see.
One day, Toba finds an octopus outside the tank, its entire body entangled in a pile of wires and unable to move.
A special friendship develops between the two as Toba rescues him.
When Octopus Marcellus learns of a painful secret buried deep in the ocean by Grandma Toba, he decides to uncover it for his friend...
Sowell Bay is a small and cozy town, so news of a stranger visiting or someone getting injured at work quickly spreads throughout the town.
Although they are nosy and annoying people, the villagers take care of each other.
Ethan, the supermarket owner, lends a helping hand to Cameron, an unemployed young man who has been fired from his job, dumped by his girlfriend, and kicked out of his home with no money; Barb, who comes running to give him food when he says he's sick; and Avery, the free-spirited mother and owner of a paddle shop who bravely raises her teenage son on her own and gives out $20 bottles of organic Vaseline for free to customers in need. These people, each brought together by unavoidable circumstances, learn to live together while embracing their wounds big and small against the backdrop of an aquarium.
In this place where there is much talk and much trouble, there are lives where people, each enduring the heavy burden of life, lean on each other and protect each other.
There, there is a rough but human-loving octopus, a grandmother who knows how to deeply care for others, and a village community that accepts strangers rather than rejects them; they all draw each other together as stickily as the tentacles of an octopus.
Let's join in the comfort and emotion that the octopus and the grandmother offer.
Perhaps, after crying and laughing, you will eventually fall in love with these two.
And maybe one day you'll understand the grumpy, humorous, and lovable octopus.
Octopus Marcellus's humorous encouragement and support!
The person next to you right now is your precious friend.
Unlike mammals, which have billions of neurons (nerve cells) in their brains, octopuses have more than two-thirds of their neurons distributed in their arms.
Each of its eight arms moves independently based on autonomous judgment, and even has its own personality.
Shelby Van Pelt, who happened to see a video of a giant Pacific octopus escaping from its tank, created the captivating character who wound up in the deep sea and ended up at Sowell Bay Aquarium.
The author created the character of the giant Pacific octopus Marcellus by imagining a scene where an octopus trying to escape from its tank suddenly becomes angry at humans who are struggling to stop it.
As we read through the human world seen through Marcellus's eyes and the secrets that can never be understood from a human perspective, readers come to recognize ourselves and life in a strange way.
The people who first experienced this are the main characters of this book, the people of Sowell Bay village.
To overcome the inevitable big and small wounds in life, the townspeople, who try to live uprightly on their own path without any help, deviate from their path and connect with others, and to let them know about the warm miracle and happiness that occurs, the octopus Marcellus beckons frantically and sometimes goes on life-threatening adventures.
Through the process of sea creatures and humans who seemed to be inseparable overcoming the limitations of language and truly communicating, and a 70-year-old grandmother and a 30-year-old youth understanding each other across generations, readers come to realize that if we break down the wall of "I," a wide space called "we" awaits us.
Even now, somewhere in the ocean, he is laughing at the bored and stuffy humans, saying, “Why can’t humans use the millions of words they have to tell each other what they want?” (page 80), and then he comes up to you and nudges you with one of his eight arms and says, “Humans.
Generally stupid and foolish.
But sometimes, they become surprisingly intelligent creatures” (page 540), which might be a humorous encouragement.
So, let's open the first chapter and meet the world's most grumpy, yet humorous and lovable octopus friend.
Characters
Marcellus “Humans.
Generally stupid and foolish.
But every once in a while, it becomes a surprisingly intelligent creature.” The giant Pacific octopus.
After being seriously injured in the deep sea, he received treatment at Sowell Bay Aquarium.
Toba Sullivan: “It’s time for us to part ways, my friend.” A 70-year-old woman who cleans the aquarium at night.
Cameron: "Western Washington is the wettest place in the country, and Simon Brings will soon be showering us with cash." Aquarium part-timer.
He gets fired from his job, gets dumped by his girlfriend, and comes to the village of Sowell Bay.
Lee Sun: “Kids need to be told sometimes.
Well, actually, it's not just the kids, it's everyone." The boss of the big-mouth supermarket Shopway and the biggest lover.
Aunt Jean: “Letting someone go can be a very difficult thing.” Cameron’s aunt.
Avery: “I figured no matter what choice I made, my life was going to be ruined,” says Avery, who runs a paddleboard shop and raises her teenage son.
Terry: “I think you’ve had plenty of opportunities already.
Opportunities I never knew existed.
“You must have missed it all,” said Sowell Bay Aquarium director.
Barbara Vanderhoof, Janice, and Mary Ann: “Everyone changes, even old people like us.” Members of the knitting group Knit-Wits.
I have had a long relationship with Toba.
Recommendation
A novel that conveys happiness and an incredibly delicate story.
Impressive and warm.
- The Washington Post
It's a charming story about an old man who befriends a quirky octopus.
- 『Kirkus Review』
A miraculous friendship that transcends boundaries.
The townspeople are all flawed and a little strange, but you find yourself growing fond of them.
As you read, you will find yourself rooting for them.
- Book page
Great books about loss illuminate the darkness of loss.
- Marie Claire
GOODS SPECIFICS
- Date of issue: March 29, 2023
- Page count, weight, size: 556 pages | 742g | 140*210*35mm
- ISBN13: 9791191248975
- ISBN10: 1191248976
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