Remarkable Creatures
It was perhaps a mistake to begin Tracy Chevalier's work with Girl with a Pearl Earring. Indeed, Remarkable Creatures, in comparison, seemed to me quite bland.
Summary
It is 1810, in Lyme Regis, a small coastal town in England. Mary Anning, a young girl struck by lightning as a child, has an innate talent for finding fossils on the beach. Selling them is her family's livelihood. The family's standard of living depends on what they find on the beach: if they are unlucky for a few weeks, they may have to sell their furniture.
At the same time, Elizabeth Philpot, 20 years older, shares the narrative. She settled in Lyme for lack of money, but also because her brother considered that she would never have a husband. She is also an excellent fossil hunter, with a predilection for fish.
Soon, Mary Anning is recognized for her gifts by many amateurs, only men, who come from farther and farther away to admire her discoveries. Among them is William Buckland, a sympathetic man without any romantic aptitude, who takes Mary's heart and twists it, in addition to monopolizing many of Mary's discoveries and selling them to the highest bidder. This is just one symptom of the sexism and low credibility of women in science at the time.
Among Mary's discoveries, one has the potential to upset the scientific community: the ichthyosaur looks a bit like a crocodile, but does not correspond to anything we have known until now, and suggests the existence of extinct species... therefore abandoned by God. A revolutionary idea at the time, but one that will eventually be approved and confirmed by several specialists.
The story is based on a true story. Mary Anning and Elizabeth Philpot really existed. I didn't know that until the end. Had I known at the beginning, I would have been a little more forgiving.
Review
While the book was obviously well written, I had a hard time fully appreciating it. For example, I didn't realize until about halfway through the book that the narration was in two voices... (shame). I could see that sometimes the "don't" in the "don't...not" negatives were missing, probably to illustrate Mary Anning's childish speech, but I thought it was a writing or translation error. Let's just say the book dropped a lot in my estimation for nothing at that point. Then again, maybe the dual narration was just not clear.
The rhythm was slow. Often I like this style, I like meditative. But here I found it rather boring, which is why it took me so long to finish it.
As for the characters, I didn't get very attached to them. They were so far removed from me and my concerns that I had little empathy for them. The most touching part for me was when Mary gets her heart broken by her man.
Conclusion
Unfortunately, I don't have much interesting to say about this reading. It did not arouse much passion in me. It was acceptable entertainment, but nothing more.
Tracy Chevalier
Modern Romance
