Structure

The Soul of an Octopus is, for the most part, a chronological account of Montgomery’s experiences at the New England Aquarium. Embedded within that account are accounts of biological research, Montgomery’s conversations with friends, diving trips, and other experiences tangentially related to octopuses and other aquatic creatures. The narrative entails a very dynamic plot development, but the conceptual development is less fast-paced, lingering on the same themes throughout. Such motifs as consciousness, the animal nature of humans, and octopuses’ gentle monstrosity come up in the same form throughout the narrative, reinforced by each occurrence rather than developed.

The chapters are very evenly distributed, each one almost exactly 30 pages long. In the middle of the book, there are images of Karma, Octavia, Myrtle, Kali, some of the other New England Aquarium residents, as well as photos from the diving trips in Mooréa. Half the chapters...