Bought second-hand to read. I was doubtful about this as I didn't appreciate Girl with a Pearl Earring, but I happened to be in dire need of reading matter and decided to give it a go. I liked the lively voices of both Elizabeth and Mary, one dry, a bit caustic, and the other unschooled but sharp and passionate. The romance with The Man was unavoidable, I suppose, but not the most interesting part of the story. Not knowing much about the Blue Lias fossils, I read about them with interest and hope the author got the facts straight.

To be released.

Two women facing prejudice from the scientific establishment while hunting for fossils - this sounds interesting.

Book description:
On the windswept, fossil-strewn beaches of the English coast, poor and uneducated Mary Anning learns that she has a unique gift: "the eye" to spot fossils no one else can see. When she uncovers an unusual fossilized skeleton in the cliffs near her home, she sets the religious community on edge, the townspeople to gossip, and the scientific world alight. After enduring bitter cold, thunderstorms, and landslips, her challenges only grow when she falls in love with an impossible man.

Mary soon finds an unlikely champion in prickly Elizabeth Philpot, a middle-class spinster who shares her passion for scouring the beaches. Their relationship strikes a delicate balance between fierce loyalty, mutual appreciation, and barely suppressed envy, but ultimately turns out to be their greatest asset.

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The picture in this journal entry is a drawing by William Conybeare of the first vertebrate fossil Mary Anning found in 1811. The picture appeared in the Transactions of the Geological Society of London, in 1824.

I LOVED Remarkable Creatures! After I started reading, I couldn't put the book down, and actually read the whole book in one sitting. I only paused between chapters 4 and 5 to call my friend and gush that I'm so excited about this book that I can't sit still, but I can't read if I don't sit still. :) It's pretty rare that I'm this excited about a book!

I had never heard of Mary Anning before reading this book, and didn't know much about early fossil discoveries either, even though I'm very interested in these things (the reason I picked this book up now was because I visited the Finnish Museum of Natural History yesterday). I'm glad I could learn about this piece of history in such an entertaining way. The author did describe Mary Anning's life pretty faithfully (excluding the personal relationships, of course), but from wikipedia I gathered that the real Mary Anning had more friends than the fictional character. The only thing that would have made the book better for me would have been if the two main character's had been more than friends to each other (I kind of expected this based on the back cover text) but oh well, instead they had to be interested in the same men.

For me, the best parts of this book were definitely all the fossil hunting, and also getting a glimpse of the collectors, who assembled the objects we can see in museums today. I also enjoyed reading about what it was like to be a woman in the early 19th century - I hadn't really thought about how restricted the movement of upper class women was, not being allowed to go out on the street alone. It was frustrating to see how the men who purchased Mary's findings took all the glory and the scientific merit, and there was nothing Mary could do. I'm glad that her work is recognized today.

I'm glad I'll be visiting London again in June, because I will definitely head out to the Natural History Museum to look at Mary's fossils. Hopefully someday I'll be able to see Elizabeth Philpot's fish collection at the Oxford University Museum too.

Next I'll give this book to my friend to read, because he became interested in it after my rave review on the phone.

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The picture in this journal entry is a letter written by Mary Anning, dated December 26th, 1823. In the letter Mary describes the second species of fossil vertebrate she found.

I'm giving this book to my friend, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

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The picture in this journal entry is a drawing by William Buckland, depicting the second species of fossil vertebrate Mary Anning found.

Received from CandyDarling a few days ago.

I liked Remarkable Creatures being as historical as it is. It felt pretty credible in the sense that things could have really happened as they did in the story (and as we know, many parts of it did happen). As I am myself interested in dull things like science and engineering, it was pleasant to read a story of people who are possessed by such dullness as fossils (which I too found interesting before, and even more now). The book was also very educational in presenting the cruelness of social inequality.

Giving this to a friend.

Received this from koodaaja a year ago and finally finished reading it. It was an easy read in terms of how it is written and of its subject which I found interesting. For me though, the beginning was hard to wade through. The end half of the story had plenty of tension and character of which I would have preferred in the beginning as well. Having said that however, the book is definitely worth a read. The whole story is fascinating, not any less because it is mostly based on true events.

Sending this as a surprise RABCK to pippis. Happy reading!

A surprise wishlist book in the mail makes a dull Wednesday a whole lot better! Thank you ever so much, CandyDarling & xoagop! You did manage to scare me to think I had won the March book sweeps...thank heavens not *phew*

Remarkable Creatures was a near-perfect summer read. History, archeology, independent female characters..but then the very distinguishable Chevalier storyline. The women have to fall desperately in love and become wretched creatures, they have to be victims in their situations. Did Mary and Elizabeth really have to fall out, just to make the plot more dramatic? The made-up events and imagined (romantic) events only frustrated me, and it's not the first time with Chevalier's books. Her repetative narration bores me, but the facts and background research in the books, the way she enlivens history makes em well worth reading. It's a shame she didn't include M&E's cooperation on the discovery of cuttlefish ink sacks and the reviving of the ink to the book - altogether the women's friendship was depicted quite poorly, without feelings.
Edit: One more thing I forgot to mention earlier: If in reality all the sisters collected fossiles, why were Mary and Margaret depicted as being afraid or hating fossiles and never setting a foot to the beach (other than to swim)?

Book's off to LiskoMiettinen whom I tagged on Finnish forum tag game! Hope you enjoy it as much as the rest of us!

Thank you for sending this book.

One of my favorite authors. So I think I will like this. Hope this is not hard to read.

I loved the book. Nice to get this book keep going on its journey. Happy reading!