Fellowship Point by Anne Elliott Dark
Scribner, 2022
592 pages
source: library ebook
Fellowship Point is a novel primarily about one life-long female friendship. It's also a multi-generational family tale set mostly in rural Maine, where the natural surroundings play an important role. One of the main characters is an author and her literary storyline added further to the novel's appeal.
This book grew on me as I turned the pages. The leisurely pace allowed a gradual reveal of personalities, backgrounds, and relationships. Characters seemed to grow richer with each added detail.
I thoroughly enjoyed the writing and my reading experience... until somewhere around 400 pages when the pace began to feel more plodding than leisurely. At that point, I became impatient and wished the author would move more quickly toward a resolution.
Despite the length and slow pacing, I still recommend this book. Read it when you have plenty of time to really sink into a novel and relax with it.
by Sy Montgomery, narrated by the author
Atria Books, paperback 2016 - 261 pages
HighBridge Audio, 2015 - 9 hours and 10 minutes
source: purchased paperback, hoopla audio
Who knew octopuses were so intelligent? I certainly didn't until I read Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. That novel piqued my curiosity... I needed to learn more about these amazing animals right away.
Montgomery's book was the perfect choice. Her journalistic style coupled with the interesting subject matter kept me turning the pages. She set out to learn more about octopuses at the New England Aquarium in Boston. She regularly spent time with octopus keepers and staff, and interacted directly with several octopuses over the years. Eventually she learned to scuba dive so she could interact with octopuses in the wild. Fascinating stuff!
There were two facts I found especially surprising. First, octopuses seem to have distinct personalities. For example, one may be playful and engaging, while another could be on the shy side. I also learned that octopuses require regular activities/ mental stimulation to prevent boredom. Evidently a bored octopus tends to become a destructive octopus!
Next up for me is a trip to a nearby aquarium. I'm also hoping we can visit the New England Aquarium in Boston before heading back to Florida!
This was a read/listen combination for me. I enjoyed the author's narration, but was glad I had a print copy to view the color photos. It's well worth the read in either format.
I am reading Fellowship Point now. I am enjoying it as well but wish it focused mostly on Agnes. It is rather slow. I am on the fence whether to return it to the library or not. Thanks for your review.
ReplyDeleteAnd wasn't Remarkably Bright Creatures just wonderful? I will have to look for The Soul of an Octopus now.
Sharon - Agnes was the more interesting character in my opinion, too. I considered quitting a couple of times in the middle, but am glad I stuck with it.... interesting resolution when it finally happened!
DeleteRemarkably Bright Creatures will be on my list of favorites in December. It was a read/listen combo for me and absolutely loved the audio version. The Soul of an Octopus was so interesting.
I did manage to finish this. Like you, I thought it was worth the effort for the ending.
DeleteSharon - It's a good thing the ending was so good... really did make it worth the effort. I would have been pretty mad if I'd waded through the slow parts only to get to an unsatisfying conclusion.
DeletePeter Godfrey-Smith's book "Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness" also has a great appreciation for this little-understood creature. It's also a good book
ReplyDeletebest... mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Mae - Thanks for the recommendation. I'll look for it!
DeleteFellowship Point will go on my list. I like long books and having said that, not sure I will be tackling Galbraith's 1,200 plus word novel which just came oout.
ReplyDeleteTina - Fellowship Point is long and it's easy to grow impatient with it, but I really enjoyed it overall. Don't think I'll be tackling the Galbraith any time soon!
DeleteThe Soul of an Octopus isn't my normal type of read but your review has me wanting to pick it up and read it.
ReplyDeleteWendy - The journalistic approach to The Soul of an Octopus made it even more appealing to me. I really like that style!
DeleteI really want to read The Soul of an Octopus. I loved How to be a Good Creature by Montgomery!
ReplyDeleteErin - This is the first I've read of Montgomery, but I will look into How to be a Good Creature. Thanks!
DeleteI need to get caught up on my reviews too. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteCindy - I just finished another book, so am already behind on reviews again, lol!
DeleteFellowship Point sounds like just the kind of book I enjoy - minus the slow pace for the last 20% of a long book. I appreciated reading your wonderful review. Have a wonderful week ahead!
ReplyDeleteJodie - Fellowship Point is slow all the way through, but it started bothering me more past the halfway point. Overall though, it's the type of story I tend to enjoy.
DeleteWe used to see octopus in the Chicago aquarium but then not. I think they didn't survive for whatever reason.
ReplyDeleteHarvee - Octopuses don't live very long... only about four years for giant Pacific octopuses. Many aquariums have a backup ready to go when they get close to the end of their life span.
DeleteThese sound interesting. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteYvonne - Hope your week is a good one, too!
DeleteI do love that you followed up Remarkably Bright Creatures with a nonfiction on a similar topic. I keep thinking about Marcelus.
ReplyDeleteHelen - I just loved the voice of Marcellus on the audio... and I'm still thinking about him, too!
DeleteI always enjoy Sy Montgomery’s books, she is such an interesting writer.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous - This was my first experience with Montgomery and I really enjoyed her style. I plan to look into her other books... had no idea she's written so many!
DeleteVicki - You're in for a treat with both octopus books!
ReplyDeleteI need to add The Soul of an Octopus to my TBR. I've seen so many reviews of the novel and it definitely has me curious about the octopus in general. I hope you are having a wonderful week.
ReplyDeleteKatherine - Hope you enjoy The Soul of an Octopus, too... I love it when nonfiction reads like a novel!
DeleteToday is our "rest" day after almost two weeks of travels (with two more to go), so I thought I'd catch up with my blog hopping.
ReplyDeleteFellowship Point sounds like a good read, but with 200 pages remaining when it started to drag for you, I wonder if I'd enjoy it on audio better than print.
I enjoyed The Soul of an Octopus, too! I want to read more by Montgomery.
Hope you're enjoying the final days of summer. We finally saw some blue sky here in Montana after several days of smoky haze!
Les - Looks like you and Rod are having a great trip! I've probably mentioned it before, but Glacier NP was next on our list when the pandemic curtailed travel. Since then, real estate transactions and getting settled in CT have kept up occupied. Hope we can start traveling again soon.
DeleteI've noticed a couple other bloggers have similar feelings about Fellowship Point... too long, but the ending made it worth it.
It feels like summer is nearly over here in NY, but I'm hoping we can eek out another week or two in CT. Enjoy the rest of your trip!
Really enjoyed reading your reviews of these two books. Both are on my ever-growing TBR list. I hope you can make it to the aquarium! I love aquariums and it's just so fascinating to see all those marine creatures!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Iliana. Our TBR lists really are ever-growing, aren't they? Both books are worthy of addition though. We're planning to go to the closer aquarium tomorrow... can't wait!
DeleteNice reviews. Fellowship Point seems just too long. My last long read was probably Pachinko a couple years ago and earlier the Goldfinch which was worth it! We recently watched My Octopus Teacher and it was fabulous. Have you seen it? We are late in seeing it as we didn't have Netflix. But octopus are special creatures.
ReplyDeleteSusan - Fellowship Point was too long! I considered putting it aside several times, but the characters kept me reading. I loved Pachinko, but have had The Goldfinch unread on my kindle for years! Maybe I'll add it to my 2023 Must Read list. We loved My Octopus Teacher... watched it almost immediately after reading Remarkably Bright Creatures and just before cancelling Netflix!
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