Remarkable Creatures
by Tracy Chevalier
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Description
When Mary Anning uncovers an unusual fossilized skeleton in the cliffs near her home on the English coast, she sets the religious fathers on edge, the townspeople to vicious gossip, and the scientific world alight. Luckily, Mary finds an unlikely champion in prickly Elizabeth Philpot, and in the struggle to be recognized in the wider world, Mary and Elizabeth discover that friendship is their greatest ally.Tags
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The Dinosaur Hunters: A True Story of Scientific Rivalry and the Discovery of the Prehistoric World by Deborah Cadbury
souloftherose Remarkable Creatures is a fictional account of Mary Anning and her fossils. The Dinosaur Hunters is a very readable factual account of the people hunting for fossils in the early 19th century which included Mary Anning.
20
Member Reviews
Being so far advanced in terms of paleontology from the setting here, it's amazing anyone had to wrestle with the idea of extinction, but wrestle they did. On the Origin of Species had yet to be published, but you can see the evidence for natural selection with every fossil found. Literal bones of creatures never seen by humans made everyone have fits to the point of willful denials and wishful thinking. The idea that "god" didn't keep track of every creature and especially cherishing humans was unthinkable despite the rise of Deism and the Enlightenment giving way to more flexible ideas. Sigh. In many ways we haven't progressed at all and so many are still bound by superstition and ignorance. But anyway...about the book. I like the way show more the story is told and the wry humor in Elizabeth's thoughts and observations. Both she and Mary Anning were real life historical figures, but because they lacked dangly bits (oh so important those) they were ignored, shunted aside, taken advantage of and ultimately forgotten. Very glad for Chevalier's research to bring them back to life in this way. show less
"We had heard about the girl struck by lightning, for people still talked of it years later. It was one of those miracles small towns thrive on: children seeming drowned then spurting out water like a whale and reviving; men falling from cliffs and reappearing unscathed; boys run down by coaches and standing up with only a scratched cheek. Such everyday miracles knit communities together, giving them their legends to marvel at. It had never occurred to me when I first met her that Mary might be the lightning girl. “Do you remember being struck?” Margaret asked. Mary shrugged , clearly uncomfortable with our sudden interest."
Many thanks to Autumn for introducing me to this alternative version of Harry Potter.
I am kidding, of show more course, but the thought of Mary Anning as a real-life HP using fossils as portkeys to be transported into a time so different that it might as well just be another world did appeal to me for quite some time.
Tracy Chevalier (author of Girl with a Pearl Earring) created a fictional account of the friendship of two women who not only existed in real life but who also changed natural history as we know it. And all this decades before Charles Darwin would publish that little known tome about the the origin of species.
So, who, I hear you ask, are the two women?
Well, the first one is Mary Anning, whom the Natural History Museum introduces as follows:
"The greatest fossil hunter ever known was a woman from Lyme Regis. Mary Anning's discoveries were some of the most significant geological finds of all time. They provided evidence that was central to the development of new ideas about the history of the Earth.
Mary Anning’s contribution had a major impact at a time when there was little to challenge the biblical interpretation of the story of creation and of the flood. The spectacular marine reptiles that Anning unearthed shook the scientific community into looking at different explanations for changes in the natural world. William Buckland, Henry de la Beche and William Conybeare were some of the many scientists who owe their achievements to her. By the time of her death, geology was firmly established as its own scientific discipline."
Not a bad feat for a woman who was a contemporary of Jane Austen's at a time when women were not allowed to contribute to scientific journals or indeed even enter the clubs and societies that were available for the scientifically minded.
What is even more astonishing is that Mary Anning had little education and spent most of her early years in abject poverty.
The second woman is Anning's friend, Elizabeth Philpot, an educated woman who, being a spinster, relocated with her sisters to Lyme Regis after the death of their father. In fact, reading her story strongly reminded me of the sisters in Sense and Sensibility - and yes there even is a military man who plays a crucial role in the lives of both women.
Anyway, spurned by the move to Lyme Regis, Elizabeth becomes a fossil collector, too, and befriends Mary.
"How can a twenty-five-year-old middle-class lady think of friendship with a young working girl? Yet even then, there was something about her that drew me in. We shared an interest in fossils, of course, but it was more than that . Even when she was just a girl, Mary led with her eyes, and I wanted to learn how to do so myself."
The story that Chevalier creates of the friendship of the two women is truly magnificent. The difference in age and class causes many obstacles for women to communicate and there are major rifts between them, which left me wondering how they would cope, how they would resolve their differences. And in the end, whether they would manage to be able to rely on each other when everything they had worked for was put at risk and depended on their friendship.
"I had discovered from conversations I’d had about fossils with the people of Lyme that few wanted to delve into unknown territory, preferring to hold on to their superstitions and leave unanswerable questions to God’s will rather than find a reasonable explanation that might challenge previous thinking. Hence they would rather call this animal a crocodile than consider the alternative: that it was the body of a creature that no longer existed in the world. This idea was too radical for most to contemplate. Even I, who considered myself open-minded, was a little shocked to be thinking it, for it implied that God did not plan out what He would do with all of the animals He created. If He was willing to sit back and let creatures die out, what did that mean for us? Were we going to die out too?"
Review first posted at http://brokentune.booklikes.com/post/1128421/remarkable-creatures show less
Many thanks to Autumn for introducing me to this alternative version of Harry Potter.
I am kidding, of show more course, but the thought of Mary Anning as a real-life HP using fossils as portkeys to be transported into a time so different that it might as well just be another world did appeal to me for quite some time.
Tracy Chevalier (author of Girl with a Pearl Earring) created a fictional account of the friendship of two women who not only existed in real life but who also changed natural history as we know it. And all this decades before Charles Darwin would publish that little known tome about the the origin of species.
So, who, I hear you ask, are the two women?
Well, the first one is Mary Anning, whom the Natural History Museum introduces as follows:
"The greatest fossil hunter ever known was a woman from Lyme Regis. Mary Anning's discoveries were some of the most significant geological finds of all time. They provided evidence that was central to the development of new ideas about the history of the Earth.
Mary Anning’s contribution had a major impact at a time when there was little to challenge the biblical interpretation of the story of creation and of the flood. The spectacular marine reptiles that Anning unearthed shook the scientific community into looking at different explanations for changes in the natural world. William Buckland, Henry de la Beche and William Conybeare were some of the many scientists who owe their achievements to her. By the time of her death, geology was firmly established as its own scientific discipline."
Not a bad feat for a woman who was a contemporary of Jane Austen's at a time when women were not allowed to contribute to scientific journals or indeed even enter the clubs and societies that were available for the scientifically minded.
What is even more astonishing is that Mary Anning had little education and spent most of her early years in abject poverty.
The second woman is Anning's friend, Elizabeth Philpot, an educated woman who, being a spinster, relocated with her sisters to Lyme Regis after the death of their father. In fact, reading her story strongly reminded me of the sisters in Sense and Sensibility - and yes there even is a military man who plays a crucial role in the lives of both women.
Anyway, spurned by the move to Lyme Regis, Elizabeth becomes a fossil collector, too, and befriends Mary.
"How can a twenty-five-year-old middle-class lady think of friendship with a young working girl? Yet even then, there was something about her that drew me in. We shared an interest in fossils, of course, but it was more than that . Even when she was just a girl, Mary led with her eyes, and I wanted to learn how to do so myself."
The story that Chevalier creates of the friendship of the two women is truly magnificent. The difference in age and class causes many obstacles for women to communicate and there are major rifts between them, which left me wondering how they would cope, how they would resolve their differences. And in the end, whether they would manage to be able to rely on each other when everything they had worked for was put at risk and depended on their friendship.
"I had discovered from conversations I’d had about fossils with the people of Lyme that few wanted to delve into unknown territory, preferring to hold on to their superstitions and leave unanswerable questions to God’s will rather than find a reasonable explanation that might challenge previous thinking. Hence they would rather call this animal a crocodile than consider the alternative: that it was the body of a creature that no longer existed in the world. This idea was too radical for most to contemplate. Even I, who considered myself open-minded, was a little shocked to be thinking it, for it implied that God did not plan out what He would do with all of the animals He created. If He was willing to sit back and let creatures die out, what did that mean for us? Were we going to die out too?"
Review first posted at http://brokentune.booklikes.com/post/1128421/remarkable-creatures show less
This wonderful work of historical fiction held me enthralled from beginning to end! The novel presents at its center the factual personage of Mary Anning, who became, in the early 1800s, a fossil hunter of great repute. Mary’s story, as the discoverer of the first ichthyosaur and plesiosaur fossils, among others, would be fascinating enough in its own right, but when you combine it with her station in life and the social issues that swirled through the scientific community of her day, the novel becomes a true tour de force.
It seems as if every factor was working to Mary’s detriment-she was poor, a member of the wrong faith, a member of a disrespected family, and more than anything else, she was a woman. Men tried to take credit for show more her discoveries and denied her membership in scientific societies. Yet when it came to the religious turmoil that her remarkable creatures excited, they were more than willing to let her bear the censure.
As a woman, I was drawn in by Ms. Chevalier’s warm and intelligent portrait of this most grounded of women. Mary Anning never tried to be more than what she was, a beach comber of incredible instinct who could see in the stone things other people missed. She wanted credit for her abilities and chafed at the attempts of those better educated and more renowned to claim her findings as their own or attempt to deny the veracity of her creatures.
In addition to Mary’s own story, a good deal of information regarding many famous men of the time, such as the geologist William Buckland, with whom she developed a special friendship, is shared. Also prominently featured in the novel is Elizabeth Philpot, a local spinster who was frequently known to be in Mary’s company as she hunted along the coast of Lyme Regis, and was herself a competent hunter and collector. The biographies of these people are solidly placed in the historical context of rapidly evolving scientific thought and discovery and the ensuing upheaval within the religious community as long-held doctrines began to be brought into question.
I listened to the audio, and while the audio was not at all bad, I really wish that I had read this one in print form, so as to fully experience the lovely descriptions of the English coastal area in which it is set. Whether you choose the audio or the print version you will not be disappointed-this is sure to be one of my top fiction books of the year. show less
It seems as if every factor was working to Mary’s detriment-she was poor, a member of the wrong faith, a member of a disrespected family, and more than anything else, she was a woman. Men tried to take credit for show more her discoveries and denied her membership in scientific societies. Yet when it came to the religious turmoil that her remarkable creatures excited, they were more than willing to let her bear the censure.
As a woman, I was drawn in by Ms. Chevalier’s warm and intelligent portrait of this most grounded of women. Mary Anning never tried to be more than what she was, a beach comber of incredible instinct who could see in the stone things other people missed. She wanted credit for her abilities and chafed at the attempts of those better educated and more renowned to claim her findings as their own or attempt to deny the veracity of her creatures.
In addition to Mary’s own story, a good deal of information regarding many famous men of the time, such as the geologist William Buckland, with whom she developed a special friendship, is shared. Also prominently featured in the novel is Elizabeth Philpot, a local spinster who was frequently known to be in Mary’s company as she hunted along the coast of Lyme Regis, and was herself a competent hunter and collector. The biographies of these people are solidly placed in the historical context of rapidly evolving scientific thought and discovery and the ensuing upheaval within the religious community as long-held doctrines began to be brought into question.
I listened to the audio, and while the audio was not at all bad, I really wish that I had read this one in print form, so as to fully experience the lovely descriptions of the English coastal area in which it is set. Whether you choose the audio or the print version you will not be disappointed-this is sure to be one of my top fiction books of the year. show less
Tracy Chevalier’s Remarkable Creatures is a highly enjoyable read. Set against the scientific world of Regency England before Darwin, it is the story of the friendship between two unlikely companions and fossil hunters. A spinster who is dependent on her brother for support, Elizabeth Philpot reminds me of a character from a Jane Austen novel. Working class Mary Anning is more like someone out of Dickens. Together they explore the world of 19th century paleontology, support each other, quarrel, and take on the patriarchal scientific community (in their own humble way). As with the other two Chevalier novels I’ve read, there are no glaring anachronisms in her historical fiction. I also love how she focuses on people from history who show more are barely known, instead of royalty; I also appreciate her focus on material culture over politics and battles. I have little interest in fossils, but in Remarkable Creatures, I felt like I was right there with Mary and Elizabeth exploring the wind-swept beaches of Lyme Regis.
What would have made this book great is if there were illustrations of the fossils. I read Chevalier’s Girl with the Pearl Earring with my Vermeer book at my side, so I was thrilled that her Lady and the Unicorn was illustrated. Chevalier and her publisher should take a close look at Barbara Hodgson’s books (eg: Hippolyte’s Island) and learn from her example. show less
What would have made this book great is if there were illustrations of the fossils. I read Chevalier’s Girl with the Pearl Earring with my Vermeer book at my side, so I was thrilled that her Lady and the Unicorn was illustrated. Chevalier and her publisher should take a close look at Barbara Hodgson’s books (eg: Hippolyte’s Island) and learn from her example. show less
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.This is the second novel I have read about the fossil hunter Mary Anning. The other was Curiosity by Joan Thomas. If you want to only read one book about this woman then I would recommend this book over Curiosity which was rambling and unfinished as far as I was concerned.
Mary Anning was a poor girl raised in Lyme Regis on the shore of the English Channel. The cliffs and beaches around Lyme Regis were known for being a good source of fossils and the whole Anning family hunted for fossils which they sold to tourists. Then Mary Anning's brother found the remains of a much larger creature than anything that had been found before. By this time three Philpot sisters were living in Lyme Regis, having had to find somewhere more reasonable to show more live once their parents died and they were left with an income of 150 pounds per annum. Elizabeth Philpot had befriended Mary as she was also interested in fossils. Elizabeth loaned the money to hire two quarry workers to extract the rock containing the creature from the cliff. Mary cleaned it up and it was sold to the local lord. Mary became obsessed with finding more of these creatures and went on to find quite a few which were classified as ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs and pterodactyls. These discoveries rocked the established thought about the creation and age of the earth and lead to profound changes in geology, religion and science in general. Mary did not initially get much acknowledgement as the finder of the creatures but eventually her name became known and celebrated. Elizabeth Philpot, as a collector of fossil fish, was acknowledged by the British Museum when she donated some specimens but as a woman she could not join the Geological Society. Women were still second class citizens throughout this period.
I really enjoyed some of the details that Chevalier included in the book that showed the state of society at the time. There was a rigid class system and Mary was decidedly lower class. In a small town like Lyme Regis she and the Philpots could interact in public but they would never entertain each other. Mary could not enter the Assembly Rooms where the upper classes danced and played cards. Mary could dream of marrying one of the gentlemen that came to hunt fossils but it could never happen. The quality of her discoveries was so astonishing that she was eventually able to transcend the class barriers. show less
Mary Anning was a poor girl raised in Lyme Regis on the shore of the English Channel. The cliffs and beaches around Lyme Regis were known for being a good source of fossils and the whole Anning family hunted for fossils which they sold to tourists. Then Mary Anning's brother found the remains of a much larger creature than anything that had been found before. By this time three Philpot sisters were living in Lyme Regis, having had to find somewhere more reasonable to show more live once their parents died and they were left with an income of 150 pounds per annum. Elizabeth Philpot had befriended Mary as she was also interested in fossils. Elizabeth loaned the money to hire two quarry workers to extract the rock containing the creature from the cliff. Mary cleaned it up and it was sold to the local lord. Mary became obsessed with finding more of these creatures and went on to find quite a few which were classified as ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs and pterodactyls. These discoveries rocked the established thought about the creation and age of the earth and lead to profound changes in geology, religion and science in general. Mary did not initially get much acknowledgement as the finder of the creatures but eventually her name became known and celebrated. Elizabeth Philpot, as a collector of fossil fish, was acknowledged by the British Museum when she donated some specimens but as a woman she could not join the Geological Society. Women were still second class citizens throughout this period.
I really enjoyed some of the details that Chevalier included in the book that showed the state of society at the time. There was a rigid class system and Mary was decidedly lower class. In a small town like Lyme Regis she and the Philpots could interact in public but they would never entertain each other. Mary could not enter the Assembly Rooms where the upper classes danced and played cards. Mary could dream of marrying one of the gentlemen that came to hunt fossils but it could never happen. The quality of her discoveries was so astonishing that she was eventually able to transcend the class barriers. show less
Historical fiction based on the lives of real people, amateur paleontologists Elizabeth Philpot and Mary Anning, in the early 1800s in Lyme Regis, England. Elizabeth is an educated lady who has relocated from London, and Mary is a working-class daughter of an impoverished cabinet maker. They become unlikely friends, bonding over their love of fossils and searching for them by the sea. When Mary unearths a skeleton of what appears to be a large crocodile, it ultimately leads to their interaction with well-known male paleontologists of the day.
The narrative alternates perspectives between Elizabeth and Mary. They are based on real people and Chevalier writes them into life, complete with obsessions and idiosyncrasies. The two women face a show more number of obstacles, including a male-dominated society that minimizes the role of women and church officials that do not support the concept of extinction. The reader can feel a sense of injustice when Mary is not even given credit for discovering the skeleton. The period is portrayed beautifully. I particularly liked how the authors shows the tremendous gap in scientific knowledge at the time the fossils are initially discovered.
This book weaves together history, science, unconventional women, and a solid storyline, so it is no surprise that I enjoyed it tremendously. It vividly portrays the thrill of discovery and inspired me to research the people behind the story. I have read three of Chevalier’s novels and this one is my favorite by far. show less
The narrative alternates perspectives between Elizabeth and Mary. They are based on real people and Chevalier writes them into life, complete with obsessions and idiosyncrasies. The two women face a show more number of obstacles, including a male-dominated society that minimizes the role of women and church officials that do not support the concept of extinction. The reader can feel a sense of injustice when Mary is not even given credit for discovering the skeleton. The period is portrayed beautifully. I particularly liked how the authors shows the tremendous gap in scientific knowledge at the time the fossils are initially discovered.
This book weaves together history, science, unconventional women, and a solid storyline, so it is no surprise that I enjoyed it tremendously. It vividly portrays the thrill of discovery and inspired me to research the people behind the story. I have read three of Chevalier’s novels and this one is my favorite by far. show less
Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier is a historical fiction novel based on the life of female fossil hunters Mary Anning and Elizabeth Philpot. Mary Anning was a working class young girl when she started finding fossils or "curies" (curiosities) with her father on the beaches at Lyme Regis, England, in the 19th century. Her father died and she continued to collect curies in order to sell them to support her family. Elizabeth Philpot, twenty years Mary's senior, was an unmarried gentlewoman who moved to Lyme Regis with two of her sisters. They were to "retire" there and live out their lives as a spinsters. Mary and Elizabeth met and became friends because of their love of fossils.
When Mary uncovered the first complete skeleton of an show more ichthyosaurus she originally thought it was some kind of crocodile - but this error was understandable. At this time most women had few rights and certainly a working class woman would never be educated or given credit for the practical, working knowledge she had - knowledge that surpassed that of many men who claimed to be experts at the time. Elizabeth helped to educate Mary and taught her how to label her fossils using Linnaean classification.
Mary went on to discover another ancient marine reptile called a plesiosaur. All of this was before Darwin, so the idea of finding the remains of creatures that no longer existed in the world was a radical idea and not readily accepted by everyone.
While fighting to make the male dominated paleontologists of the day recognize Mary's contributions to the field, Elizabeth says, "So be it. A woman's life is always a compromise. (pg. 26)" And while acknowledging that this is a work of fiction, Chevalier writes: "Remarkable Creatures is a work of fiction, but many of the people existed, and events such as Colonel Birch's auction and the Geological Society meeting where Coneybeare talked about the plesiosaur did take place.( pg 309, postscript)"
Mary Anning was the inspiration for the tongue-twister "She sells seashells by the seashore."
In Remarkable Creatures both characters voice in alternating chapters a first person account of their friendship and how their lives intertwined. Chevalier gives Elizabeth and Mary unique voices so it is immediately apparent who is talking in each chapter. It is a beautifully written account of two remarkable women and made for a compelling novel.
See Tracy Chevalier's website for examples of the fossils.
http://www.tchevalier.com/index.html
Highly Recommended; http://shetreadssoftly.blogspot.com/ show less
When Mary uncovered the first complete skeleton of an show more ichthyosaurus she originally thought it was some kind of crocodile - but this error was understandable. At this time most women had few rights and certainly a working class woman would never be educated or given credit for the practical, working knowledge she had - knowledge that surpassed that of many men who claimed to be experts at the time. Elizabeth helped to educate Mary and taught her how to label her fossils using Linnaean classification.
Mary went on to discover another ancient marine reptile called a plesiosaur. All of this was before Darwin, so the idea of finding the remains of creatures that no longer existed in the world was a radical idea and not readily accepted by everyone.
While fighting to make the male dominated paleontologists of the day recognize Mary's contributions to the field, Elizabeth says, "So be it. A woman's life is always a compromise. (pg. 26)" And while acknowledging that this is a work of fiction, Chevalier writes: "Remarkable Creatures is a work of fiction, but many of the people existed, and events such as Colonel Birch's auction and the Geological Society meeting where Coneybeare talked about the plesiosaur did take place.( pg 309, postscript)"
Mary Anning was the inspiration for the tongue-twister "She sells seashells by the seashore."
In Remarkable Creatures both characters voice in alternating chapters a first person account of their friendship and how their lives intertwined. Chevalier gives Elizabeth and Mary unique voices so it is immediately apparent who is talking in each chapter. It is a beautifully written account of two remarkable women and made for a compelling novel.
See Tracy Chevalier's website for examples of the fossils.
http://www.tchevalier.com/index.html
Highly Recommended; http://shetreadssoftly.blogspot.com/ show less
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ThingScore 50
Unless you have a deep and unabiding passion for fossils, you'll want to leave this specimen alone.
added by Shortride
Giant marine reptiles are not the only remarkable creatures in this book. Chevalier turns a warming spotlight on a friendship cemented by shared obsession and mutual respect across profound class fissures; a friendship between two women who were indirectly responsible for several male careers and ultimately (partially, very indirectly) for Darwin's insights. She also gives it what Darwin show more himself considered mandatory in a novel, a happy ending - or happy enough. show less
added by kathrynnd
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Author Information
27+ Works 42,940 Members
Tracy Chevalier was born on October 19, 1962 in Washington, D.C. After receiving a B.A. in English from Oberlin College, she moved to England in 1984 where she worked several years as a reference book editor. Leaving her job in 1993, she began a year-long M.A in creative writing at the University of East Anglia. She is the author of several novels show more including The Virgin Blue, Burning Bright, Remarkable Creatures, and The Last Runaway. Her novel Girl with a Pearl Earring was made into a film starring Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Some Editions
Awards and Honors
Series
Belongs to Publisher Series
Work Relationships
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title*
- Strane creature
- Original publication date
- 2009
- People/Characters
- Elizabeth Philpot; Mary Anning; Colonel Birch; William Buckland; Margaret Philpot; Henry De la Beche (show all 12); Charles Lyell; Henry Hoste Henly; William Conybeare; Molly Anning; Joseph Anning; Louise Philpot
- Important places
- Lyme Regis, Dorset, England, UK; England, UK; Dorset, England, UK; London, England, UK
- Dedication
- This is for my son, Jacob
- First words
- Lightning has struck me all my life.
- Quotations
- 'but dying was no drama. Dying was cold and hard and painful, and dull. It went on too long. I was exhausted and growing bored with it.'
I felt like a stocking turned inside out.
Then I opened my eyes, and it feels like they haven't been shut since.
I feel an echo of the lightning each time I find a fossil, a little jolt that says, "Yes, Mary Anning, you are different from all the rocks on the beach." That is why I am a hunter: to feel that bolt of lightning, and that di... (show all)fference, every day.
Mary Anning leads with her eyes.
And so I am stuck with my strong jaw that puts people off, set in stone like the fossils I collect.
But Fanny couldn't think like that and would hold on to her fear. I've met plenty of others the same—frightened of what they don't understand.
He made me feel an idiot, even when I knew he was a bigger one than I.
By March Margaret had always faded like a threadbare nightgown worn for too long.
It was hard arguing with Mr. Buckland, for his enthusiasm ran roughshod over everything.
There were so many stars now that I couldn't count them. I felt very small, pinned to the ground under the knowledge of them all.
My life led up to that moment, then led away again, like the tide making it's highest mark on the beach and then retreating.
"Everything is so big and old and far away," I said, sitting up with the force of it. "Good help me, for it does scare me."
It is not easy to let someone go, even when they have said unforgivable things to you.
Collectors have a list of items to be obtained, a cabinet
of curiosities to be filled by others' work. They might go
out onto the beach sometimes and walk along, frowning
at the cliffs as if looking at an exhibition ... (show all)of dull paintings.
They cannot concentrate, for the rocks all look the same to them: quartz looks like flint, beeflike bones. They find little more than a few bits of broken ammonite and belemnite and call themselves experts. Then they buy from the hunters what they need to make up their list. They have little true understanding of what they collect, or even that much interest. They know it is fashionable, and that is enough for them.
Hunters spend hour after hour, day after day out in all
weather, our faces sunburned, our hair tangled by the wind,
our eyes in a permanent squint, our nails ragged and our
fingertips torn, our hands chapped. Our boots are trimmed
with mud and stained with sea water. Our clothes are filthy by the end of the day. Often we find nothing, but we are patient and hard-working and not put off by coming back empty-handed. We may have our special interest - an intact brittle star, a belemnite with its sac attached, a fossil fish with every scale in place - but we pick up other things too, and are open to what the cliffs and beach offer us. - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)We are silent together, each in her own world, knowing the other is just at her back.
- Original language
- English
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
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