Pelion Branch Library - Spine Crackers Book Club discussion

How does Montgomery describe the different personalities that the octopuses have? Do you agree with her assessments of the attributes? Can you relate to the emotions that she interprets them to have?

The author does a lot of personification with the different octopuses. She suggests they are kind, motherly, playful and a number of human characteristics. It reminds me of my husband narrating for our dogs. This reminds me that the author feels the same love for an octopus as I do for my dogs, and in that way it is understandable that she does see the different personalities.

Her descriptions of the personalities of all the sea life I found novel. I don’t think many people would have considered it possible for species so different from ourselves to have human-like personalities. She really brings them into a new light and the concept interests me. I’ll definitely take pause before eating seafood, especially octopus. I’d like to learn more now that I’ve read this book.