The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus

A Novel

De: Emma Knight

Narrado por: Saskia Maarleveld

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER | READ WITH JENNA BOOK CLUB PICK AS FEATURED ON TODAY

“Undeniably delicious.”—The New York Times

“A spellbinding debut about friendship, motherhood, first love, and the choices that bind us. . . I couldn't put it down!”—Carley Fortune, #1 New York Times bestselling author of This Summer Will Be Different

A witty, atmospheric, and brilliantly told novel that offers compelling portraits of womanhood, motherhood and female friendship, along with the irresistible intrigue surrounding an extraordinary British family

Arriving at the University of Edinburgh for her first term, Pen knows her divorced parents back in Canada are hiding something from her. She believes she’ll find the answer here in Scotland, where an old friend of her father’s—now a famous writer known as Lord Lennox—lives. When she is invited to spend the weekend at Lord Lennox’s centuries-old estate with his enveloping, fascinating family, Pen begins to unravel her parents’ secret, just as she’s falling in love for the first time . . .

As Pen experiences the sharp shock of adulthood, she comes to rely on herself for the first time in her life. A rich and rewarding novel of campus life, of sexual awakening, and ultimately, of the many ways women can become mothers in this world, The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus asks to what extent we need to look back in order to move forward.

©2025 Emma Knight (P)2025 Penguin Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

”Undeniably delicious . . . . A tantalizing yet quietly touching debut about inheritance, emerging sexuality and what it truly means to come into one’s own.”—The New York Times

”A witty novel about navigating independence and complicated relationships.”—People

“An amazingly accomplished debut.”—Oprah Daily

realistic personalities to the sea creature

the relationships between characters and the way personalities and histories played out over time. colorful details of surroundings

Boring. DNF.

OMG. Usually I can’t wait to get back to an audio book. This was SO BORING. I quit with 5 hours to go, and at 1.4 speed. Do yourself a favor. Don’t.

Well written and excellent and performances by the narrators, but shallow story.

What was the point of the novel? The story was not worthy of a novel. Very weak premise.

the story was real and perceptive

What a beautiful reading of a lovely story. A story of coming of age amongst the familiar and unfamiliar. Read on and discover this lovely story and may be a little of yourself.

Captivating

The author wraps you in a journey where you are invested and can’t wait for the next chapter. Must read!

Beautifully written, beautifully narrated

This is a really good listen. The narrator is a phenom and the story is unusual. It really hooks you.
Delightful characters.

Nice twist!

Love the voices of the narrator! Saskia is amazing! The story captures the reader and couldn’t stop reading. Great female characters full of empowerment and tenderness loved it

Characters

Tedious repetitive episodes but writing was good. Description of graduate students was accurate. Plots with different characters kept it interesting.

Incredible writing!

I loved the study into friendships and family roles that aren’t always what they seem.

Odd Title

Characters are compelling and mystery realistic. Sweet friends are undergrads in Scotland. Multi generation story links Canada and Britain.