The Octopus and I in Aussie Readers

Apr 12, 2020 Michael Livingston rated it really liked it

This is another Australian book interested in non-human experiences (off-hand, I can think of Flames, From the Wreck and The Animals in That Country from recent years). Hortle sets short animal-focussed narratives alongside the main plot, which delves into lots interesting themes (the body, cultural practices, environmentalism, gender, power, hypocrisy). It's a really impressive debut. ...more

12 likes · Like · see review

Apr 10, 2020 Bree T rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, australian, contemporary, cultural, aww2020

This book has an absolutely beautiful cover and the picture here doesn’t really do it justice. It’s really eye catching and I knew I wanted to read this book from the moment I first saw that cover. The description only convinced me even more. I’ve read a couple of books set in Tasmania lately and quite a while ago, I read a book where a character used an octopus in demonstrations, until it became obvious she was going to lay eggs. So I knew a little bit about their life cycle and how they devote This book has an absolutely beautiful cover and the picture here doesn’t really do it justice. It’s really eye catching and I knew I wanted to read this book from the moment I first saw that cover. The description only convinced me even more. I’ve read a couple of books set in Tasmania lately and quite a while ago, I read a book where a character used an octopus in demonstrations, until it became obvious she was going to lay eggs. So I knew a little bit about their life cycle and how they devote themselves entirely to nurturing.

Lucy is from mainland Australia but moved to Tasmania over five years ago to work in marketing for a nature park featuring Tasmanian devils. She lives with Jem, who has a coveted abalone diving license inherited from his father. Jem loves a surf, Lucy loves to swim in the ocean, the two of them both seem very connected with their surroundings.

I thought a lot of this book was incredibly interesting, particularly the discussions and reflections on body image. Lucy had a procedure done after an illness and gave into the temptation to “improve” on what had existed previously, only to discover that she hated how it made her feel. And that was honestly, something I had not really considered before and I found a lot of the discussions on it and Lucy’s internal thoughts, very thought-provoking. Lucy has had a lot of things taken from her, including a signal of her ‘femininity’ and when the opportunity comes to reverse her “improvements”, she takes it. This causes some discord between her and Jem, who is upset he wasn’t consulted and struggling with his thoughts and feelings on the matter. He’s trying not to be insensitive and he’s well aware that some of his reactions are not what Lucy was hoping for, or expecting. The way in which she takes back and owns her new, ravaged body felt empowering and strong, even as it was confronting as Lucy explores her feelings along the way, often desperately pleased with her choice, sometimes questioning it.

There’s also a lot about the Tasmanian landscape, the unique wildlife, preservation and lifestyle. I’ve never been to Tasmania, despite living very close to it here in Victoria – I do want to go at some point in the future, but for me it’s the sort of trip to be done when you have the time to do it properly, and explore a lot of those rural spaces. Books like this one get me even more excited for a future trip, there’s so much beauty in the descriptions here and the author has even included some perspectives of the non-human variety, educating readers about octopus and seals. I particularly liked the playful beta-male seal and his determination to reconnect with his pup-friend. There’s also exploration of those who do not treat the local wildlife with respect, or follow the rules.

Which is I think, why I found one of Lucy’s decisions quite difficult to grasp. And I am sort of surprised at the depth of my disappointment in her as well. Why did that action matter so much to me, after her learning to pickle the octopus? Is it because her other action is forbidden? And so I tried to examine my own feelings about it as well – was it because I’m more used to octopus being prepared as food? Was it because the others were babies? Was it the senselessness of it? The descriptive callousness? Honestly, I’m not sure. I just know that I found that scene very off-putting and it definitely made me see Lucy in a different way to before (as did the scene with Harry). And even though Jem’s later actions are also abhorrent and the blasé attitude about it was rather disturbing, I was in agreement with his reaction when he finds out later what Lucy was involved in.

An interesting read, different from what I was expecting going in. I enjoyed the extra points of view, they were cleverly done.

***A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for the purpose of an honest review*** ...more

Like · see review