Remarkable Creatures: A Novel

"Girl with the Pearl Earring" was the only novel I had read by this author until now. Both of these novels have been book club selections and I am eager to discuss this one with my group next week. After reading this latest from Ms. Chevalier, I am definitely motivated to go back and read the rest of her work.Set in 19th century England, the story mainly takes place on the southern coast in a village called Lyme Regis. A financially comfortable, but not wealthy, family needs to find somewhere the three spinsters sisters may make their home since residing in London is beyond their means. The family members go on a tour of the country looking for an appropriate place to settle the sisters and the decision is made to relocate them to Lyme Regis. Elizabeth Philpot, the middle sister, is fascinated by the fossils to be found on the beach and in the rock formations abutting it. She meets the young daughter of the local cabinet maker who contributes to the family's income by selling the fossils she finds to tourists coming through the town. The lives of these two women and their shared interest in fossils provides the basis of the narrative. There are other supporting characters and secondary storylines, but the focus really is on the discovery of fossils and the impact these finds have on the scientific community. I had no idea this was based upon actual people and true events, but I now have the desire to travel there and see it all for myself.A part historical fiction, part literary fiction, and a small part romance, this novel will appeal to a wide variety of readers. The characters are incredibly drawn and fully fleshed out, even the more minor ones are terrific. The setting is so beautifully described that I could practically feel the sea spray on my face. The dialog is so well written and the voices are so clear that within just a sentence or two the reader knows who is speaking even without that person being identified. I give this book the highest praise since science isn't my thing and I am not particularly interested in fossils but I still thought the novel was fabulous. When a writer can write about a subject I am not particularly interested in and make me love the book - that's pretty amazing.Chevalier is a master of the language as well as a master story-teller. Great, great book!

Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier is a historical fiction novel based on the life of female fossil hunters Mary Anning and Elizabeth Philpot. Mary Anning was a working class young girl when she started finding fossils or "curies" (curiosities) with her father on the beaches at Lyme Regis, England, in the 19th century. Her father died and she continued to collect curies in order to sell them to support her family. Elizabeth Philpot, twenty years Mary's senior, was an unmarried gentlewoman who moved to Lyme Regis with two of her sisters. They were to "retire" there and live out their lives as spinsters. Mary and Elizabeth met and became friends because of their love of fossils.When Mary uncovered the first complete skeleton of an ichthyosaurus she originally thought it was some kind of crocodile - but this error was understandable. At this time most women had few rights and certainly a working class woman would never be educated or given credit for the practical, working knowledge she had - knowledge that surpassed that of many men who claimed to be experts at the time. Elizabeth helped to educate Mary and taught her how to label her fossils using Linnaean classification.Mary went on to discover another ancient marine reptile called a plesiosaur. All of this was before Darwin, so the idea of finding the remains of creatures that no longer existed in the world was a radical idea and not readily accepted by everyone.While fighting to make the male dominated paleontologists of the day recognize Mary's contributions to the field, Elizabeth says, "So be it. A woman's life is always a compromise. (pg. 26)" And while acknowledging that this is a work of fiction, Chevalier writes: "Remarkable Creatures is a work of fiction, but many of the people existed, and events such as Colonel Birch's auction and the Geological Society meeting where Coneybeare talked about the plesiosaur did take place.( pg 309, postscript)"Mary Anning was the inspiration for the tongue-twister "She sells seashells by the seashore."In Remarkable Creatures both characters voice in alternating chapters a first person account of their friendship and how their lives intertwined. Chevalier gives Elizabeth and Mary unique voices so it is immediately apparent who is talking in each chapter. It is a beautifully written account of two remarkable women and made for a compelling novel.

I love historical fiction, and this is one of the most enjoyable works I have ever read. The author has an unbelievable talent for putting the reader in the time and place she chooses. Early nineteenth century England comes alive with vibrant depictions of the lives of women, and in particular, two who find a deep and lasting friendship through their love of science and fossils of theretofore unknown creatures in our universe. Mary Anning begins searching for and researching fossils while still virtually a child. Although poor and unschooled, her reputation in this field grows as she does, and she consistently finds new creatures on and near the beaches of southern England, including what we learn is the ichthyosaurus and then the plesiosaurus. She is aided by a woman of higher social stature, Miss Elizabeth Philpot, herself a fossil hunter, who respects Mary's talents and comes to love her. Mary helps support her family by selling her "curies" and the creatures to museums and collectors - many of whom come to scour the beaches with her. There is hardship, love, angst, geological history, and Mary and Elizabeth's quest for Mary to be recognized as the true finder of these discoveries, a very difficult prospect for any woman at this point in history. This book was a joyous read and delightful departure from anything I have read of late. I can not recommend highly enough.

I enjoyed picturing Lyme on the seashore where local fossil hunter Mary Anning picked up curios to sell to London aristocrats on vacation to help her family eat. Females were still under the tutelage of males and not considered worthy of serious consideration. A well written story of a true happening. I could imagine myself hunting for fossils too.

What a fine book! Brought a whole new perspective to how we view our past.

Tra un Chevalier non delude mai. La sua serietà di ricercatrice e di scrittrice ancora una volta regalano una storia avvincente assolutamente documentata. Confesso che prima di leggerlo non sapevo niente sulla Jurassic Coast e sulla scoperta e ricerca dei fossili in Cornovaglia. Dopo la lettura ho proseguito le mie ricerche personali.Anche la vicenda umana delle due protagoniste è bella e raccontata con grande passione. da leggere.

地学や進化論に恐竜の化石の発見は大きな貢献をしたが、そこには女性の貢献もあった。しかし、19世紀のイギリスの男社会の中ではご多分に漏れず無視される。主人公は赤ちゃんの時に雷に打たれて助かった労働者階級のMary Anningで、借金を残して死んだ父親が近所の海岸の崖から化石を掘り出してわずかな金を得ていた後を継ぎ、家族と共に「化石発掘業」を細々と続けている。もう一人は、中産階級だが結婚できる持参金も美しさもないため、化石に情熱を注いでいるElizabeth Philpotで、この二人は化石の埋蔵現場で会うことになる。メアリーは未発見の珍しい化石を見つけ、それが収集家や研究者の目に留まるが、彼らは彼女の発見や助力を金で買って功績を横取りしたり無視したり、あるいは彼女のやさしさにつけ込んで無料で巻きあげる。Elizabethは若いMaryに嫉妬もするが、それを乗り越えて、インチキ化石を作成したと非難されて苦境に陥るメアリーを助けようとする。史実を土台にした歴史小説のジャンルに入ると思うが、近年、有名な学者や芸術家による女性の仕事の搾取・横取りが題材にされることがままあり、これもその一つの例とも言えるだろう。だからといってこの本の価値が下がることはない。筆者が膨大の研究を行ったことも明らかで、これらの化石が科学の発展に与えた影響も念頭に一読をお勧めしたい。

A very well written and interesting story of Mary Anning.. a rather forgotten hero in history.