Remarkable Creatures
Chevalier, TracySet in England in the early 19th Century, this is the story of remarkable creatures: Mary Anning and Elizabeth Philpot, passionate fossil collectors; and the fossils themselves, significant signposts in the developing understanding of evolution. Based on real characters and scientific events, this gentle paced story allows the reader to painlessly absorb an interesting history lesson. [Larger font]
Comments from Groups
Such an interesting subject brought forth many topics to discuss: male/female roles, fossils, Darwin, female clothing etc. Newport 003Group found the book very interesting from an historical perspective, including the effect of the finding of fossils on the church, the lot of women in those days and the stratification of society. We also enjoyed the writing style of the author. Nelson 007This was a unanimous discussion towards a very good book. A good author and book. Napier 021Most group enjoyed the book. Good story. Nicely developed characters. Lively discussion with mixed feelings regarding the history of fossils. Invercargill 017Great stroy enjoyed by all members. Well researched capturing that period of histoy in England. Tauranga 015
Pages
352
352
Year
2009
2009
Reviews
24-07-2023
Enjoyed by all.
24-07-2023
An enjoyable read, although some readers were uncomfortable with the melding of fact and fiction. Very well-written with issues of relationships, expectations and restrictions carefully described. Made us all realise how far women have come.
24-07-2023
A sweet, nice, easy and interesting read.
24-07-2023
Everyone enjoyed this interesting story.
24-07-2023
Very well-written, and an incredibly interesting topic, we learnt a lot about paleontology in the 1800s. Fabulous characterisation. Tracy Chevalier is a masterful writer who transports the reader. There is much to provoke thought and discussion - the class system, the role of women, life in the 1800s, what happened to unmarried women We really liked this book!
24-07-2023
As academic women, we found 'Remarkable Creatures' very interesting and realise how lucky we are not to live back then.
24-07-2023
We all enjoyed this book. The characters were richly drawn, the story well constructed, and we all learnt a lot.
24-07-2023
Lots of good discussion about fossils, religion, society, travel in the early 129th century, history and historical novels.
24-07-2023
Everyone enjoyed the book which is beautifully written. We all found it most interesting as regards the fossils and learned so much about the findings. We also found the questions helpful and would like to do more research. Where can we do this kind of fossil finding in N.Z
24-07-2023
A fascinating historical story brought to life. A very enjoyable read.
24-07-2023
Everyone in the group enjoyed the book to varying degrees. No one didn't enjoy it. It was quite a light read, that brought to light a topic and a time in history no-one in the group really knew about until now.
24-07-2023
Everyone thoroughly enjoyed this month's book. As we are an all female group, a lot of the discussion was around the treatment of women 200 years ago, also religion and science. Discussion was passionate with everyone contributing. Thank you - we enjoyed the book and sharing views and learning from each other.
24-07-2023
We enjoyed the book - provided lively discussion. A fairly easy read, but the issues of gender and religion were handled well.