Remarkable Creatures (Tracy Chevalier)

Book Synopsis
In the early 1800s, a windswept beach along the English coast brims with fossils.  From the moment she's struck by lightning as a baby, it is clear Mary Anning is marked for greatness. When she uncovers unknown dinosaur fossils in the cliffs near her home, she sets the scientific world alight, challenging ideas about the world's creation and stimulating debate over our origins. In an arena dominated by men, however, Mary is soon facing prejudice from the academic community, vicious gossip from neighbours, and the heartbreak of forbidden love. Then - in prickly Elizabeth Philpot, a fossil-obsessed middleclass spinster - she finds a champion and a rival.



Ups
I have been a big fan of Chevalier ever since reading her debut book, the Girl with a Pearl Earring. Alas her last book, Burning Bright, received a savaging from reviewers, and rightly so. But  now she has shown her mettle by bouncing back with what may well be one of her best novels.

Mary and Elizabeth were real people, and it is said the tongue twister 'She sells seashells by the sea shore' is attributable to Mary. However this is not just their story, or even a story about dinosaur fossils and evolution theory in the early 19th century. Sure, these are the obvious themes in the book, and very well told they are, in Chevalier's beautifully flowing, simple style. To me the undercurrents in this book were even more unforgettable - two self-taught women challenging the position of women in society; the struggle between the religious and scientific communities about the origins of our existence; and how a shared passion can transcend class and gender - all of which scandalous concepts in those days.

This book has been described as 'Jane Austen meets Darwin' - which I found very apt. Not only was it set in the Austen era, there were so many little touches in the book that reminded me of Austen's novels, particularly Sense and Sensibility (three unmarried sisters, banished to live in a small cottage on a windswept shore, when their brother and his new wife take over their comfortable mansion. Sound familiar?). It considers all the Austenish concerns of that era (marriage, etiquette, social mobility) and there are even references to Austen in the novel.

An extraordinary story, wonderfully told. Full of period detail. A great gentle read.

Downs
Some readers may find the amount of artistic license in this book frustrating - so this novel is really not for you if you are looking for a strict biography of Mary Anning. I personally am a big fan of the historical fiction genre, so I did not mind the author's imaginative license, or the love story thrown in. 

The book is told in first person, and alternating chapters are told from Mary's and Elizabeth's points of view. I think this was a great idea, however I could not differentiate between the voices of Mary and Elizabeth. I would have expected the differences in their class, age, education and upbringing, language, even accent to be much more recognisable. However, this is a minor criticism in what is otherwise an exceptional book.

Rating
Language & Style - 9 / 10
Memorability - 8 / 10
Re-readability - 6 / 10
Pageturner factor - 7 / 10

Overall - 8 / 10