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The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration Into the Wonder of Consciousness

Sy Montgomery

3.88 · Rating details · 29,267 ratings · 4,481 reviews

In pursuit of the wild, solitary, predatory octopus, popular naturalist Sy Montgomery has practiced true immersion journalism. From New England aquarium tanks to the reefs of French Polynesia and the Gulf of Mexico, she has befriended octopuses with strikingly different personalities—gentle Athena, assertive Octavia, curious Kali, and joyful Karma. Each creature shows her ...more

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Hardcover, 261 pages

Published May 12th 2015 by Atria Books

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Apr 09, 2015 Bethany Johnsen rated it it was ok

Shelves: arcs, science, non-fiction, animals, 21st-century

I'm kind of "eh" on this book. It bills itself as a "surprising exploration into the wonder of consciousness," I guess because it shares a few fun facts about octopus neurology (e.g. THEY HAVE NEURONS IN THEIR ARMS!) and references a few philosophers of mind (e.g. Thomas Nagel) in passing. Maybe it's the former philosophy major in me, but IMHO saying "Hmm, I REALLY wonder what it would be like to be an octopus! Can we even know?" does not qualify as an exploration into the wonders of consciousne I'm kind of "eh" on this book. It bills itself as a "surprising exploration into the wonder of consciousness," I guess because it shares a few fun facts about octopus neurology (e.g. THEY HAVE NEURONS IN THEIR ARMS!) and references a few philosophers of mind (e.g. Thomas Nagel) in passing. Maybe it's the former philosophy major in me, but IMHO saying "Hmm, I REALLY wonder what it would be like to be an octopus! Can we even know?" does not qualify as an exploration into the wonders of consciousness. (Also, the answer is NO. Very obviously no.)

I would have been less bothered by philosophical shortcomings if there was more actual information about octopuses. Many of the anecdotes are not that surprising to someone who knows anything about octopuses to begin with. There's something to be learned for sure, but most of the book is not educating you about octopuses. It's mostly a memoir of the author hanging out at an aquarium getting to touch octopuses, which is super cool, and also learning to scuba dive and swim with them. It wasn't that exciting just to read about it. The first chapter of this book was originally an article that went viral, and it seems like the amount of content here is more suitable for something article-length. As an octopus lover your time might be better spent watching a documentary or reading a different book.

Also, as an animal lover, I would have appreciated more consideration of the ethics of keeping wild sea creatures in tanks. The only mention of this occurs when Montgomery describes how a certain individual who catches wild octopuses for aquariums has no regrets because displaying octopuses to the public is necessary for people to care about their preservation in the wild. We don't actually get any evidence that this is true, and it seemed to me like a flip way to dismiss the very real concerns that I had when I learned about a young, growing octopus being kept in a dark 50-gallon tank with no mental stimulation, all because an older display octopus didn't die as early as anticipated. These are very intelligent animals (the main takeaway of the book)---they need stimulation! They hunt and explore in the ocean all day. It seems downright abusive. Other bad things happen to octopuses in the book that are unsettling, and left me wondering about the intelligence of our own species. ...more

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Mar 28, 2017 Wil Wheaton rated it it was amazing

It's such a beautiful book, such an incredible story. I already loved octopuses, but this book deepened and strengthened my love for them, and all cephalopods. It's an easy read, and by the time you're finished, you'll be asking yourself questions about consciousness, inter-species communication, and maybe even feeling a little more of a bond with the fishes who live in your aquarium ... I know that I did. ...more

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Oct 11, 2016 Petra-X Off having adventures rated it it was ok

Shelves: animals-ethology, 2016-150-reviews, medicine-science, 2016-read, dnf-or-never-read

I had previously read Journey of the Pink Dolphins: An Amazon Quest by this author and had to give it up because it contained very little fact, an awful lot of conjecture and far too much about Sy Montgomery who obviously finds the preoccupations of her spiritual soul far more fascinating than I do. So this time, wanting to read about octopuses I thought I would listen to the book. It was worse!

This is because the author read it herself and it's purpleness, it's fruitiness was increased by her e ...more

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Nov 23, 2017 Hannah Greendale rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: national-book-award-nominee, non-fiction, science, adult

Click here to watch a video review of this book on my channel, From Beginning to Bookend.

Although occasionally repetitive, The Soul of an Octopus is a tearful, informative, and memorable love note to octopuses - those strange yet wondrous creatures, intelligent and brimming with personality, that captivate and terrify in equal measure.
...more

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Oct 14, 2015 Jessica rated it did not like it

The only “surprising” thing about this “exploration into the wonder of consciousness” is that the author so thoroughly convinces us of Octopuses beauty, intelligence and individual personalities yet sees no conflict with keeping them captive, often in cruel conditions. Most of the Octopuses intimately investigated in the book were wild caught and are now captive in public aquariums, namely the New England Aquarium in Boston. They were not rescued due to an injury nor born in captivity and imprin ...more

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Mar 11, 2017 Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: animals

I had to read this book today because it was due back on Overdrive, so this is going to be a short review until I get my OWN paperback copy.

This book made me cry!!! The creatures and the people both had me torn up at times.

I'm a wildlife lover and activist so I try to branch out into different books on creatures I know nothing about. I was worried this was going to be another textbook style read and I don't like those. This is about a woman (the author) who gets to study octopuses <--- (not oc ...more

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Mar 05, 2015 Diane S ☔ rated it really liked it

3.5 Though simply written I found this book to be both informative and delightful. I knew nothing about the octopus except for pictures in National Geographic, so this was all new to me. So surprising to learn how clever these creatures are, the variations in size, from six inches with 23 inch tentacles to the giants of the sea. How they use these tentacles like conveyors belts to feed, how they change colors based on mood, how they can show displeasure. How clever they are, escape artists, can ...more

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Mar 07, 2016 Dov Zeller rated it really liked it

Shelves: non-fiction, ecosystems, seas-and-skies, sciency-naturish

It was interesting reading other GR reviews about this book. Some folks complained it wasn't sciency enough, or that it claims to do things that it doesn't, finally, do.

I can understand folks' frustration with Montgomery's approach. For people looking for a hard-core science book, maybe this isn't the one. Montgomery is essentially telling the story of her journey of studying octopuses, which can't stop at the octopus, because they are part of a larger world. I think that's some of the message ...more

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Jan 06, 2015 Yodamom rated it really liked it

When I started this I expected a scientific journal watered down for the non scientific reader. I did not expect it to be a personal journal with some scientific facts thrown in. I was looking for more science, more facts then offered. I was a bit miffed at the personal moments, her diving lessons, her ear troubles, relationships of companions. I wanted more information on the octopus and it fascinating life. Fascinating they are, and there is so much more that we still are far from understandin ...more

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Sep 23, 2018 Montzalee Wittmann rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Soul of An Octopus by Sy Montgomery, and narrated by the author, is such a delightful book that warmed my heart and I didn't want it to end. I felt so entranced by the love of the sea life, especially these precious octopuses, that I felt I knew them. Warning, make sure you have tissue handy for happy times and grieving moments. This book was a true blessing! I felt so in touch with life, the universe, and my own personal thoughts after listening to this. It was a soothing balm for the soul!
Ofte ...more

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Feb 27, 2017 Scott rated it it was ok

Shelves: memoir, non-fic

Octopuses get a bum rap in popular culture. They've starred in numerous books and films, pulling sailors (and sometimes ships) into briny graves, lurking about in holes waiting to ambush unsuspecting divers and even attacking submarines. They've long been a shorthand for 'monster' - there's a reason Cthulhu has an octopus for a head - but these sensitive, smart beasties have been unfairly maligned.

Sy Montgomery's book, The Soul of an Octopus is an antidote to these negative perceptions, and does Octopuses get a bum rap in popular culture. They've starred in numerous books and films, pulling sailors (and sometimes ships) into briny graves, lurking about in holes waiting to ambush unsuspecting divers and even attacking submarines. They've long been a shorthand for 'monster' - there's a reason Cthulhu has an octopus for a head - but these sensitive, smart beasties have been unfairly maligned.

Sy Montgomery's book, The Soul of an Octopus is an antidote to these negative perceptions, and does an excellent job of showing how amazing and intriguing Octopuses are, and the relationships that humans can have with them. Beyond that, however, this book didn't live up to my expectations.

Have you ever watched a race where a runner lunges off the starting line, smashes world records for the first fifty meters then stumbles, trips and face-plants into a twisted heap before the halfway mark?

That’s a little how this book felt for me.

The first hundred pages of The Soul of an Octopus are amazing. While reading the first few chapters I was regaling friends with scintillating Octopus facts- their multiple hearts, the way their neurons are distributed throughout their limbs, seemingly giving each arm a mind of its own, the way they can taste with their suckers, and their impressive, curious intelligence. It was a torrent of engaging and fascinating facts, told with an interesting and empathetic voice.

I learned a lot (I’d always thought the plural of octopus was ‘octopi’ – how wrong I was…) and my existing interest in cephalopods (Octopuses, cuttlefish and the like) was fired way up. I was watching octopus videos online, thinking about visiting the local aquarium, and talking to my partner about making a snorkeling trip to a nearby pier known for its sealife - Montgomery had turned me into an octopus fanboy.

And then… the content kind of dried up. As the book goes on less and less interesting octopus related information is presented. The discussion of scientific studies drops off, and the book mainly becomes a tale of the author’s friendship with several Octopuses in the Boston aquarium. While these relationships are interesting, it is the earlier section of the book, which blends the author’s experiences in with informative and compelling revelations about Octopus anatomy and behavior that gets the balance right.

In the later sections I found myself becoming bored, that most fatal of feelings for a reader, and I felt as though I was reading a memoir, rather than an exploration of ideas and science. I generally dig personal-journey-through-a-scientific/historical/political-minefield style books, where the author inserts themselves in the story, such as John Safran's Murder in Mississippi. I love the way a well-written personal story can sneak facts, debates, arguments and other tasty morsels into a book in ways that can trick my lazy brain into learning without even realizing it. Unfortunately, by about two-thirds in Montgomery's story starts to feel repetitive, and overall it lacks the depth of content I look for in books of this type.

After reading Montgomery's book I discovered that its beginnings are to be found in an article that the author wrote, an article that later became the first sections of this larger work. Considering how interesting the first section of The Soul of an Octopus is I can see how it would make a great article, and I can heartily recommend reading perhaps the first hundred pages. Beyond that point there was little to engage me, although if you like Montgomery's writing voice you may find her personal connection with several aquarium octopuses to be enough to sustain your interest.

This isn’t a bad book, it just isn’t what it could have been. Its starts out very strongly, but runs out of puff a fair way from the finish line. ...more

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May 07, 2015 Jailyn rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: memoir, 2015

I have a love hate relationship with this book. I listened to the audiobook, which was narrated by the author and she did a great job of narrating. The descriptions of the octupuses were beautiful and the discussions about their habits, emotions, and intelligence were very interesting.

But (and you knew this was coming), I don't think aquariums should catch or pay to catch animals from the wild for their exhibits. Even though the people in the book cared about their charges, in reading you could ...more

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Jun 15, 2015 Amy (Other Amy) rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: 2-stars-just-ok, 2016, reviewed, x-kindle, x-own-it, the-world-adores-and-i-do-not, memoir-etc, science, nonfiction, intelligence

The service is conducted in Tahitian, a language I don't understand. But I understand the power of worship, and the importance of contemplating mystery - whether in a church or diving a coral reef. The mystery that congregants seek here is no different, really, from the one I have sought in my interactions with Athena and Kali, Karma and Octavia. It is no different from the mystery we pursue in all our relationships, in all our deepest wonderings. We seek to fathom the soul. [...] But I am certa ...more

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Mar 15, 2015 Lisa rated it it was amazing

This was a lovely book—both fascinating and deeply kind, with a lot to interest a broad swath of readers. The science is accessible without being dumb, and at the same time Montgomery brings the octopuses (NOT octopi!) and their personalities (yes, they have 'em) really vividly to life. Plus I love reading about any interest that attracts the oddballs among us, and octopuses definitely seem to fall into that category—I guess I can count myself among those oddballs now. Thus ends any pulpo consum ...more

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Aug 07, 2015 Helen rated it did not like it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. *Spoiler alert of epic proportions*

The subtitle of Sy Montgomery’s The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness clearly states Montgomery’s purpose. And she starts her exploration off well enough. She’s meeting Athena, the New England Aquarium’s 40 pound, two and a half year old, octopus for the first time. Montgomery is charmed. I’m charmed. For “those who work with octopuses report seeing things that, according to the way we’ve learned the world normally wo *Spoiler alert of epic proportions*

The subtitle of Sy Montgomery’s The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness clearly states Montgomery’s purpose. And she starts her exploration off well enough. She’s meeting Athena, the New England Aquarium’s 40 pound, two and a half year old, octopus for the first time. Montgomery is charmed. I’m charmed. For “those who work with octopuses report seeing things that, according to the way we’ve learned the world normally works, should not be happening.” Montgomery proceeds to eloquently make her case; octopuses are intelligent, emotional beings with distinct personalities and memory.

So imagine my surprise, no my dismay, when she reveals that “in [her] quest to get to know an octopus better, [she] had been looking into acquiring one of [her] own.” Yes, Montgomery feels a need to possess an animal that she herself, in the very title of her own book, acknowledges possesses a soul. She goes on to say,“… whether you’re a person or a monkey, a bird or a turtle, an octopus or a clam, the physiological changes that accompany our deepest-felt emotions appear to be the same. Even a brainless scallop’s little heart beats faster when the mollusk is approached by a predator, just like yours or mine would do were we to be accosted by a mugger.” Or captured in your ocean home by a strange creature, and transferred to a barren tank in that creature’s otherwise uninhabitable living room.

Fast-forward…Athena has died. Octopuses, we know from chapter one “live fast and die young. Giant Pacific octopuses are probably among the longest-lived of the species, and they usually live only about three or four years.” Thus, the aquarium is now home to Octavia, who is nearing the end of her life, and Kali, Octavia’s replacement who lives in a dark, 50 gallon barrel. The flower pot Montgomery had given her to hide in has been removed from her barrel for lack of space.

At which point Montgomery decides she needs to experience the ocean; would “love to be actually in the real ocean with them.” She wants to be in the very ocean home denied the same octopus she wants to be in the real ocean with. Huh.

Montgomery describes the ascent from her final dive: “I ascend with [Rob] slowly, like a dying soul reluctant to leave its body, and we watch the silver trail of our bubbles rising above us like shooting stars.” Is this how Kali felt on her final ocean ascent? Is this how Kali feels in her barrel right now?

Fast-forward again… after living in a dark 50 gallon barrel for roughly six months, Kali has finally been transferred to a new, temporary enclosure. The first night she escapes and dies; somewhat reminiscent of an only slightly less tragic escape scene at the end of Finding Nemo. Of the incident Montgomery and aquarium staff says:

"Kali was extremely lucky to have lived as long as she did. Most octopuses die as paralarvae. Only two in 100,000 hatchlings survive to sexual maturity – otherwise the sea would be overrun with octopuses. “And at least we know she had a good last day.” I said. “Yes,” said Wilson. “She had a day of freedom. And that she got out tells you a phenomenally inquisitive and intelligent creature wanted her freedom. We know, clearly, it must have taken a lot of effort to get out. A stupid animal wouldn’t do that.”
“She died like a great explorer,” I said. Like the astronauts who died blasting off in Challenger, or the brave men who perished in an attempt to find the source of the Nile, penetrate the Amazon, visit the poles, Kali had chosen to face unknown danger in the quest to widen the horizons of her world.
“Octopuses have their own intelligence that we can’t match,” Wilson said. “And hopefully we’ll learn from our mistakes. That’s the best we can do. After all,” he said, “we’re only human.”

I’m not convinced the comparison to astronauts and African explorers is valid. For those souls chose a life of adventure and Kali was not on a “quest to widen the horizons” of “her” world. She was on a quest to widen the horizons of an artificial world forced upon her. Nor am I convinced that Kali enjoyed one happy day. In Wilson’s own words, “…that she got out tells us…[she] wanted her freedom.” She didn’t get it.

Like Wilson, I too, hoped they would learn from their mistakes. So imagine my surprise when, eight days after Kali’s escape the aquarium has ordered another octopus off the internet. She will be named Karma. With no permanent tank for her, they put her in Kali’s dark prison barrel. Leaving me unclear as to what any of them have learned. Except that instead of planning ahead, and putting kindness before profit, when tragedy strikes we shrug our shoulders and claim we’re innocent…because we’re human.

I picked up The Soul of an Octopus because, ten years ago, I was utterly enamored with Mongtomery’s The Good Good Pig. My expectations were so high that the contrast between what I learned about the inner lives of octopuses, and the Stockholm Syndromesque relationships between they and their keepers became too disappointing, too enraging, and just too tiring. While I imagine Montgomery’s aim is to paint a portrait of herself and her aquarium colleagues as fighting the good conservation fight, she has unwittingly lumped her book in the same category of documentaries like Blackfish, and books like David Kirby’s Death at Sea World. ...more

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Aug 21, 2016 Hana rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2016-reads, animals-nature

A Giant Pacific Octopus

No still photograph can possibly capture the weird, other-worldly grace of these creatures, so here is a video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3m9i...

Do octopuses have souls? I remain agnostic on the subject of octopus souls but they most certainly have brains. They use tools and solve puzzles. They seem to play. They recognize and react to different humans--both by tasting them with their suckers, but also by seeing them with their remarkable eyes. Most of all, octopuses ...more

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Jan 18, 2019 Chris rated it it was amazing

Never thought I'd weep for an octopus. Not a spoiler: you will meet lots of octopuses in this moving memoir. (Also, among the myriad things I learned about this incredibly smart and empathetic animal is this: the plural is not octopi.) This is a lovely and wise book that will remind you of just how much we share with creatures that seem spectacularly foreign to us -- such as the octopus. ...more

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Dec 16, 2015 Olive Fellows (abookolive) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites-2016, favorites-all-time, animals

First nonfiction book to ever make me cry. This was informative, thought-provoking, and absolutely beautiful.

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Feb 16, 2019 aPriL does feral sometimes rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: chattering-class-favorite, science, academic-notations, non-fiction, illuminating

Until I read ‘The Soul of an Octopus’, by Sy Montgomery, talented amateur scientist (journalist) octopuses were almost not ever in my thoughts in any way. As I have learned in reading this book, this was a serious deficiency in my education.

First of all, giant Pacific octopuses have been living near my home all my life in Seattle, a port city. I have walked and partied on Seattle’s beaches all of my life and ate seafood at restaurants with beachside tables on Seattle’s piers. The Seattle Aquari Until I read ‘The Soul of an Octopus’, by Sy Montgomery, talented amateur scientist (journalist) octopuses were almost not ever in my thoughts in any way. As I have learned in reading this book, this was a serious deficiency in my education.

First of all, giant Pacific octopuses have been living near my home all my life in Seattle, a port city. I have walked and partied on Seattle’s beaches all of my life and ate seafood at restaurants with beachside tables on Seattle’s piers. The Seattle Aquarium has a few octopuses, and some of them are Youtube stars. Secondly, the Aquarium catches them in Elliot Bay, just off the pier where the Aquarium was built. Third, the local diving clubs see them all of the time, posting videos of them, including one video of baby octopuses hatching from eggs, while their dying mother waves them on. The babies are cute as buttons, literally, being the size of tiny pearl collar buttons. Mom octopuses die shortly after the babies begin hatching because the moms starve themselves on guard duty while the eggs grow after being laid.

: (

They have been under my feet all my life, so to speak. I learned to look up only after I married my husband, a small plane pilot. Did you know the most beautiful clouds are in Seattle, huge, puffy, beautiful? I should have also been looking down, and out across the water, which often was within walking distance of my rented apartments. I certainly have owned boats, and had boyfriends with boats. My only excuse is the water is very very cold. And maybe, I am thick in the head. Why did I think on most days the bays, lakes, rivers and ocean near me were only for getting a tan?

o _ O

Octopuses are, like, A-listers of the aquatic world. They are powerful, smart, alpha dogs, or maybe like real black-ops guys - a Navy Seal Team? Hehe. They have to be, since their bodies are like pudding with muscles. They hunt to eat, mostly crabs, but things like to hunt for them, too. But once they reach their full size, watch out. They have been caught on video killing sharks.

Yeah. Sharks, man.

Below is a link to a talk given by the author, posted on Youtube. She reads from the book, so, you don’t really have to read the book, I guess, if you want the condensed version. It is as interesting as the book is. However, the book goes into more detail about many of the employees and volunteers who work with octopuses at the Boston New England Aquarium. The book also describes how the author learned to scuba dive, and the observations she made of sea life.

https://youtu.be/_N2yDf7_1oc

As I read the ebook, I discovered more videos by clicking on the links provided by the author in the back of the book in the Selected Bibliography section. They are excellent! people can be so generous. As the author notes, octopuses can be generous, too. When they get to know a person (they recognize individual humans!), they allow people to pet them, at least the ones they like. They have preferences. If they don’t like you, you might get hosed. Yes, they are slimy, but. Wouldn’t you give a body part to pet an octopus? Plus, they are playful, moody, and are able to escape from almost anything - covered tank or barrel, tied up plastic bag, jar with a lid screwed on (there are videos showing octopuses can unscrew lids from inside the jar- if there is a minimum of a one- or two-inch gap anywhere - only their beak doesn’t squish small. Being adventurous, they have been discovered outside of their tanks laying on aquarium floors drying out, or having taken up residence in other nearby fish tanks, which had been full of fish, somehow escaping from their own tank. However, the octopus may now be all alone in its new tank it chose as a new home, and all of those expensive rare fish have mysteriously disappeared. An octopus that is maybe forty pounds can drown you, too, as they are way powerful. Their bite can kill you as they can inject you with a neurotoxin which is flesh-eating. It is a good thing they almost never bite the hands that feed them, eh? But what they enjoy is grabbing their caretakers’ hands, arms, pulling lightly (sometimes not so lightly) with their suckers ( maybe up to 1500 of them, each capable of individual manipulation!), tasting, smelling, feeling you - and maybe liking it. What they like about us, well. Their caretakers like to assume they like us for our loving natures, right? However, they get bored easily, and they like toys. Maybe we are a toy? Given their clever hunting skills including the ability to change their appearance into anything - fish, rocks, sandy floors, their ability to flash colors like a disco dance floor to attract us, their enormous strength, I suspect we are interesting toys to them. At best. Caretakers, keep petting and caressing those octopuses when you feed them! They then have a reason to keep YOU around...

The book also has an Index section and photographs. There never are enough photos! Of course, I am now a major fan of octopuses. They can kill sharks. Sharks. Holy shit. ...more

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Jan 16, 2020 Darwin8u rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020, nonfiction, science

"Soul is the fingerprint of God."
- Sy Montgomery

description

I love octopuses. Sy Montgomery loves octopuses. I would love to discover a logical expression that would allow me, however, to love Sy Montgomery's book on Octopuses. The dialogue was plastic and the book was just too mawkish and too, for me, focused on the human experiences with the octopuses and not enough on the SOUL or the OCTOPUS.

An octopus has 3 hearts, perhaps I just have none. Could be the case. Could also be true that I am not the target ...more

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Oct 27, 2017 Cody rated it it was amazing

The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery is an entertaining, highly personal, and very informative look at the intelligence and consciousness of one of the worlds most fascinating animals. Thinking of intelligent creatures on our planet, it's quick to point to the ability of chimpanzees to learn sign language or German shepherds in policing and military environments to sniff out bombs, but an Octopus is an even more intriguing subject on the matter. Octopuses are invertebrates, but who thinks of ...more

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Oct 21, 2015 Lisa See rated it it was amazing

I had read an op ed by the author, Sy Montgomery, and felt compelled to buy the book. Who know I would be so captivated?

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Apr 23, 2015 Lauri rated it it was amazing

I loved this book. Actually, I've loved all the books I've read by Sy Montgomery. She writes beautifully, and she has an amazing ability to create a nonfiction book that is a real page turner. Through Sy's visits to the New England Aquarium and the Seattle Aquarium, and through her scuba adventures in the wild (which truly were adventurous), you'll learn a lot about octopuses (apparently, the plural is NOT octopi, as I had previously thought), and you'll enjoy every minute of it. Although octopu ...more

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Sep 15, 2017 Gabrielle rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: philosophy, read-in-2017, reviewed, non-fiction, own-a-copy, biographies-and-memoirs, science-bitch

I love octopuses. I have always found them fascinating, graceful and absolutely beautiful in that utterly alien way. Their otherness actually inspired one of my favorite tattoos, a Pacific octopus on my left leg, that coils around my ankle and foot (which subsequently led to my getting bombarded with octopus-themed stuff every birthday and Christmas – from shower curtains, salt and pepper shakers, mugs, purses, bottle of booze that happen to have a cephalopod on the label; you name, I got it). T I love octopuses. I have always found them fascinating, graceful and absolutely beautiful in that utterly alien way. Their otherness actually inspired one of my favorite tattoos, a Pacific octopus on my left leg, that coils around my ankle and foot (which subsequently led to my getting bombarded with octopus-themed stuff every birthday and Christmas – from shower curtains, salt and pepper shakers, mugs, purses, bottle of booze that happen to have a cephalopod on the label; you name, I got it). The love story with cephalopods started when I read an article about those fascinating little creatures, and learned some astounding facts: they have the ability to change color (according to mood or environment), they are experts at escaping tight spaces (capable of squeezing their entire bodies through tiny tubes!), they have extremely sophisticated eye structures, problem-solving intelligence, use their tentacles to taste their environment and have three hearts! They are such a strange animal and they inspired me and caught my imagination.

When I heard of this book, I immediately wanted to read it, even knowing that it wouldn’t be a hard-science book and more of a personal memoir with the general “What I learned hanging out with a bunch of octopuses” kind of thing. The question of the consciousness, awareness of the world and personality is a very intriguing topic, but it’s also rather metaphysical. I was afraid of the book being a bit more wishy-washy than I was looking for…

Let me reassure you, the book is very informative: Montgomery spent time with a lot of experts, aquarists and octopus-handlers (for lack of a better word), who shared their knowledge and experience of working with the fascinating little creatures. I learned a bunch of new things, that built on what I was already aware of when it comes to octopuses: they each have distinct personalities, are incredibly curious, strong and very creative. Not unlike other “smart” animals, they need a lot of stimulation or they will get bored and find - often destructive - ways of alleviating their boredom. They can be playful, stubborn, friendly… and they can run!

“The Soul of an Octopus” is also very well written (though the prose is a tad more purple than I had expected!), and spends a lot of time exploring the questions of “animal” intelligence, perception and inter-species interaction. This is all very interesting, but I do wish there had been a bit more science and a tad less philosophy. I already share the author’s sense of wonder and deep affection for the little creatures, so every passage discussing how wonderful they are was basically preaching to the choir. I appreciate the respect she has for the octopuses she encounters, how she really treats them like individuals. Her observation about the possibility that they observe us just as much as we observe them is a tantalizing idea: we can’t begin to imagine how they must perceive and understand their interactions with us and what it means to them, but it’s an interesting exercise of mind to ponder that question.

That means that this book is more anecdotal than anything else, which is fine because Montgomery has a palpable tenderness for her subject, and she expresses inspiring compassion towards all the squishies she gets to meet. That makes her book a very charming and entertaining read, but it also felt somewhat superficial. I feel like she could have added more biology and observational data instead of waxing poetic about consciousness, to make the book a little more thorough.

Insightful, charming and interesting, but not quite enough to fully satisfying this octopus enthusiast. ...more

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Oct 28, 2018 Melissa (Mel’s Bookshelf) rated it liked it

Shelves: audiobooks, non-fiction

This was an enjoyable book about a couple of friendly octopuses (yes that is the correct plural term, I looked it up!) and an extremely enthusiastic octopus-loving author.

Sy Montgomery also narrates the audio version of this non-fiction memoir about her time at the New England Aquarium with these octopuses over a period of a few years. Why a few years? Because they only live to be a few years old. Did I teach you something new? Because I had no idea they had such short lives! This book really ta This was an enjoyable book about a couple of friendly octopuses (yes that is the correct plural term, I looked it up!) and an extremely enthusiastic octopus-loving author.

Sy Montgomery also narrates the audio version of this non-fiction memoir about her time at the New England Aquarium with these octopuses over a period of a few years. Why a few years? Because they only live to be a few years old. Did I teach you something new? Because I had no idea they had such short lives! This book really taught me a lot that I had no clue about, nor would I have particularly cared about prior to listening if I'm honest.

But wow, octopuses are pretty amazing creatures. For such a short life, they make quite an intelligent package. And I am amazed at their ability to manoeuvre themselves through extremely tight spaces!

Did you know that octopuses need a lot of intellectual stimulation and can solve complex puzzles? It blew my mind how strange these creatures are!

As fascinating as some of these octopus facts were, this book however, didn't amaze me. I enjoyed it and found it fascinating at times, but I feel maybe it would have been a bit better with some visuals, as a documentary or something. I'm not sure if there are any visuals in the paper version, I couldn't find any files in the audio one.

What did I think of the audio?
I enjoyed the narrator, and I always give extra points when an author narrates their own work and does a good job!

Something about it just fell flat for me. I'm not sure exactly what it was. I was expecting/hoping to get completely WOWed about the consciousness aspect, and sure it had some very interesting moments and theories, but I was left feeling slightly underwhelmed. There was a lot of the authors speculations about the motives behind the behaviours of the octopuses.

It did however inspire a video search of octopuses on YouTube and I found some AMAZING documentaries and videos and was blown away by some of them. I wouldn't have even thought to look them up prior to reading this book.

Would I Recommend The Soul of an Octopus?
It was an enjoyable, educational and somewhat touching story. It didn't grip me as I was expecting, but I still enjoyed it and it inspired me to want to learn more about these creatures. If you like this kind of book then I am sure you will enjoy it too.

* I purchased The Soul of an Octopus at my own expense on audible.com ...more

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Sep 11, 2017 Katie Ziegler (Life Between Words) rated it really liked it

Shelves: non-fiction

I never in a million years thought I would feel a kinship or a keen interest in Octupuses. I did not go into this book fascinated with Octopuses; I read it because it claimed to explore consciousness and the soul. A topic I'm fascinated with given my grandmother's diagnosis and long and losing battle with Alzheimer's Disease. In fact, in terms of the subject matter of this book, I'm still not sure I'd really want to commune with an octopus in the same way as the author. For a hot second I imagin ...more

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Mar 31, 2020 Claudia rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: science, shreds-of-life, auto-biography-memoir, biology

The title is somehow misleading: it is more of an exploration into the author’s feelings and her excitement when meeting an octopus. The very few scientific data could be easily found on Wikipedia and the writing style is, to put it mildly, childish. But then I read that the author wrote some children’s books also – aha, so there’s the explanation.

But on the other hand, it was a light and mostly ok read. Nothing new about octopodes* if you have seen a documentary or two about them, but I enjoyed ...more

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Feb 01, 2017 Ms.pegasus rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: ecosystems-nature, nonfiction

Is it possible to weep for an octopus' death?

Sy Montgomery combines scientific inquiry with her own moving meditations on the purpose of life, the perception of time, and the possibilities of connection in this book. Her subject is the giant Pacific octopus, and she relates her intimate interactions with four of them, residents of the New England Aquarium in Boston. When she touches her first, an octopus named Athena, she is surprised. “...[H]er head is silky and softer than custard. Her skin i Is it possible to weep for an octopus' death?

Sy Montgomery combines scientific inquiry with her own moving meditations on the purpose of life, the perception of time, and the possibilities of connection in this book. Her subject is the giant Pacific octopus, and she relates her intimate interactions with four of them, residents of the New England Aquarium in Boston. When she touches her first, an octopus named Athena, she is surprised. “...[H]er head is silky and softer than custard. Her skin is flecked with ruby and silver, a night sky reflected in the wine-dark sea. As I stroke her with my fingertips, her skin goes white beneath my touch. White is the color of a relaxed octopus....” (Location 104)

Montgomery's book is not a didactic scientific tome. Instead, she intersperses fascinating facts into a lyrical narrative of discovery. Octopuses have more neurons than a rat. The neurons are distributed throughout the tentacles. Motor control ranges from delicate exploration to a crushing grip. Each sucker can flex like a gentle kiss or pinch like a vice. The octopus smells and tastes through its skin.

Montgomery notices Athena looking at her face while tasting her arms. Should she allow Athena to taste her face? Bill Murphy, senior aquarist, responds with a decisive “No.” The suckers could easily pull her eye out.

An octopus named Octavia demonstrates remarkable camouflage abilities. Three layers of skin comprising three types of cells enable shifts to multiple colors, patterns and textures, a canvas of liquid iridescence.

This book is special, however, because Montgomery encounters so many examples of octopus personality: curiosity, memory, preferences, trust, playfulness, intelligence, and even deception. There is something tragic about an animal so like us in many ways having such a short lifespan — only 3-4 years. It lives a solitary life, hoarding its secrets. When born it is the size of a grain of rice. It grows, explores, learns, breeds and then, its life cycle completed, it becomes lethargic, senescent and dies. Montgomery's writing arouses a feeling of profound awe.

The parallel story Montgomery tells is of the dedicated staff that attends these creatures. Montgomery describes them with such vividness that you feel you know them enough to greet them on the street. In the outside world their interests and individuality make them anomalies; in the aquarium they are part of a tight empathetic family. The memories they share with these octopuses are stored like a string of precious pearls.

One interviewee likens the octopuses, caught from the wild, as ambassadors from their world to ours. It's an apt metaphor. Montgomery describes numerous occasions when adults as well as children are converted from uninvolved gawkers to sympathetic and curious admirers. The octopuses, in turn, seem curious about both the visitors and their environs, designed with painstaking attention to naturalism and security in mind. In addition, one of the most challenging tasks is designing puzzles to stave off octopus boredom. Would the octopus choose to give up its freedom to experience these unknown adventures? Of course, to even ask such a question is to lapse into anthropomorphism. Yet, I like to think that these octopuses live and die without regrets.

So, returning to my opening question, if we weep, it is perhaps not from grief over the octopus as much as grief over the unfathomable mystery of life for all of us.

NOTES: Just learned of an intriguing video playing on Netflix: https://www.freetheocean.com/journal/... ...more

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Jul 25, 2015 Caren rated it really liked it

Shelves: adult-nonfiction

Sometimes, when the news from the human world is just too depressing, I like to escape into a book about the natural world. This book allowed me a look into a world entirely unknown to me, the oceanic world of octopuses (and yes, it is 'octopuses', not 'octopi'). Most of the octopus friends the author introduces live in aquariums, in particular, the New England Aquarium. They have short lives, usually just three years (and that is in captivity), but they are truly amazing, intelligent creatures. ...more

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Jan 28, 2021 MissBecka Gee rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audio-books, ctown-bookclub-choices, 2021-books-i-read, audible-credits

You can feel the passion & excitement from the author as she narrates the book.
I enjoyed all the bits surrounding octopuses and learning new stuff about these amazing creatures.
I was less enthused by the weird (and unnecessary in most cases) human stories.
I don't care about the people you work with and their personal stories that are completely unrelated to octopuses.
Tell me more about the octopuses!!!
Decent book, but lots of filler stuff that had it been left out, I think this book would have ...more

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About Sy Montgomery

Sy Montgomery

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Part Indiana Jones, part Emily Dickinson, as the Boston Globe describes her, Sy Montgomery is an author, naturalist, documentary scriptwriter, and radio commentator who has traveled to some of the worlds most remote wildernesses for her work. She has worked in a pit crawling with 18,000 snakes in Manitoba, been hunted by a tiger in India, swum with pink dolphins in the Amazon, and been undressed b ...more

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“If you took the monsters' point of view, everything they did made perfect sense. The trick was learning to think like a monster.” — 32 likes

“I’ve always harbored a fondness for monsters. Even as a child, I had rooted for Godzilla and King Kong instead of for the people trying to kill them. It had seemed to me that these monsters’ irritation was perfectly reasonable. Nobody likes to be awakened from slumber by a nuclear explosion, so it was no wonder to me Godzilla was crabby; as for King Kong, few men would blame him for his attraction to pretty Fay Wray. (Though her screaming would have eventually put off anyone less patient than a gorilla.) If you took the monsters’ point of view, everything they did made perfect sense. The trick was learning to think like a monster.” — 16 likes

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