This book is written alternately from the view of Mary and from the view of Elizabeth Philpot, a name who very few people would remember, but who was hugely instrumental in Mary’s success. One of the things I loved about this novel is that the author didn’t just revive a poorly known figure, she also saw to it that she gained some of the credit for her work at a time when she was almost invisible.

The problem with both Elizabeth and Mary is they were both women who had a fascination with something scientific and who never married. Elizabeth was a sad case of an unattractive woman who, having been unable to find a husband by 22, was rendered a spinster who would never marry and would only ever be a burden to her brother. She and her two sisters were moved to Lyme Regis to effectively get them out of the way of society, and it was there that she met Elizabeth – uncouth, uneducated, but with an incredible ability to spot fossils.

This book pokes at a lot of things which I really loved. From criticisms of 19th Century society to criticisms of Jane Austen, Chevalier strips the romanticism of the period bare. Elizabeth Bennett was truly privileged in comparison to Elizabeth Philpot – and I suspect the story of the latter was far more prevalent than Austen’s dewy eyed romanticism would have you believe. Also, of all of the men who appear in Remarkable Creatures, not one of them presents well. From the ignorant patronising airs of the churchmen who refused to acknowledge anything which could cast doubt on the Bible, and scorned the questioning of a mere woman, through to the arrogance of the other fossil hunters and the cruelty of characters like the Captain, who’s privileged status as a male gave him licence to do what he liked without any particular thought for the women he affected living beneath onerous societal conventions.

This is as much a book about science, Darwin, the shaking of belief, determination and passion as it is about feminism and success against all odds. I found myself at times angry, at other times saddened (and feeling very lucky to live when I do), and still at other times cheering for Elizabeth’s determination and Mary’s skill. I am so pleased that Chevalier thought to bring these two women to life, as they have both touched me in their separate ways.

The fascination with fossils and the questions they raise is one which ought to be done and dusted in the 21st century and it amazes me that there are still people with the ignorant attitude of the pastor in Remarkable Creatures. When something like nature is so beautiful and breathtaking in its age and development, why would anyone want to deny it? It just makes no sense. Oddly, reading this historical novel makes you realise that although we have come a long way since Mary and Elizabeth scoured the beaches of Lyme Regis for ‘curies’, we still haven’t come far enough.

Life has gone somewhat wrong for Ben Mercer. His wife has left him for a man who was their archaeology professor at university, taking his daughter and any plans for a future he may have had. Ben is aware that this is something that he invited – through his own behaviour towards her and the world in general. He escapes to Greece, not knowing where he is headed but finding himself drawn there thanks to his own archeological profession and a hope that if he runs far enough, the pain might go away.

Whilst he is killing time, working in a filthy back-street restaurant removed from the tourist district in Athens, Ebehard, a university collegue inexplicably shows up for a meal. Although they had never been close, Ben speaks to him and gleans that he is involved in a dig. That dig is searching for artefacts from ancient Sparta. Although he isn’t invited, Ben realises that that is what he was looking for. He applies for a position, and wins a place on the dig. Thus begins what he first sees as redemption and release, but what turns into a nightmare for Ben as he finds himself caught up with something he can’t escape from, and wants no part in.

There are two words I would use to describe this book. Gripping and poetic.

As a thriller, it achieved what it set out to do. Although saying a novel is atmospheric is somewhat cliched, the tension, emotion and sense of ‘being on the outside’ was palpable throughout this book.  Ben never really belongs with the group he meets on the dig in Sparta, and the author has managed to convey that sense even when the words suggested that he had been accepted and fitted in. I don’t know whether I felt that sense of being on the outside so clearly because I had experienced it in my life before, or because the author’s skill with words was such that you couldn’t avoid it. I suspect it is a combination of both. The climax to the book is breathtaking. As a reader, you feel as out on a limb as the protagonist. You are kept away from the secret for as long as Ben is, and you aren’t given any hint until he is faced with it in all of its horror.

Yet throughout, the tension is created in language that is beautifully poetic. Indeed, at times the paragraphs read like poetry rather than prose which, I think, helped create the atmosphere. I was incredibly impressed by this novel – Tobias Hill is an author with a true gift of language.

Rating: 9/10
ISBN: 978-0-571-21838-7
Publisher: Faber and Faber
Year: 2009
Date Finished: 14 February 2009
Pages: 352