Inventive, and readable, but I struggled with Paull's attempt to superimpose a classic "Hero[ine]'s Journey" on the realities of bee life.
OK, here's the deal. In this crazy, mixed up hive, a bee is born who will not be constrained by the limitations of traditional bee roles, in traditional bee society. A bee who will rise up the ranks of bee-ness to lead her people, I mean, bees ...
Hmmm. And you ask, Why did I struggle? Me too, but I'm going to have a go at it.
This is absolutely classic fantasy stuff: it's not too badly written, although I did find the artificiality of the dialogue (almost "gadzooks" and "prithee") got old very quickly.
To be honest, I found our Chosen One, Flora 717, a bit boring. Every step of her Journey -- her birth as "different," mentally and physically; the recognition of her differences (by the very creepy and so obviously EVIL Sage priestess); her unexpected production of eggs, against the Prime Bee Directive that only the Queen can breed*, etc etc, etc -- all just happened to her, rather than being the result of any agency, or sense that the authoritarian regime of her hive is "wrong."
One review I read described her as a "Zelig," and if you remember that 1983 Woody Allen movie, I think that's exactly right -- the bee who is always in the right place at the right time, who morphs (WHY?) into the bee who is needed to move the plot along, and give us a look into different areas of the hive, a taste of different bee activities and dangers. Flora is savant, warrior, mother, servant ... Food and wax producer. Philosopher and prophetess .... It's all a bit too much to swallow -- even with a spoonful of honey.
You've probably heard this described as "Watership Down" meets "The Handmaid's Tale." (Sometimes, "The Hunger Games," and I think there would be HOURS of fun & enjoyment in discussing which is the more apt dystopian fantasy.)
But I've actually been thinking more about the comparison to "Watership Down" (which I read a long, long time ago), and wondering why I remember WD as being more relatable ... and successful.
The bunny society is probably less rigidly hierarchical (and pheromone driven) than bees (and this, as fellow mammals, makes it easier to relate to, for the Gentle Reader).
But also, if I recall it correctly, the bunnies of Watership Down are a band of brothers -- yes, there is The One with the Big Ideas, the one who inspires and leads his mates. But no one bunny is required to be all things to all bunnies: as in all good team stories, there is the thinker, the weak but clever one, the brawler, the dreamer ...
While, in "The Bees," Flora 717 has to do it all, and I think that begins to creak, very quickly. (Also, I think, having everything from the unique bee perspective means that not all of the issues confronting Flora 717 and her hive are made clear, let alone how they fit with bee reality, and where we are straying into complete fantasy.)
But having said all that -- this would be an interesting and entertaining place to start if you want to know more about bees, and the threats that they face (for REAL). Coincidentally, before starting it, I attended a talk by a gentleman from local beekeepers, and I was pleasantly surprised at how faithful Paull is to the life-cycle, hierarchy, behaviour, and instincts that he described. For example, Flora 717's progress through different roles (nursery, sanitation, honey-production) is pretty close to reality (and not really "Chosen One"-ish at all). I would have liked to have Paull explain a little more -- in an afterword? -- about what details in the narrative are based on reality, and what are poetic licence.
* err, I must have missed something, but how were these eggs being fertilised? There was all sorts of nonsense with the drones, but unless Paull was being very cute, I never noticed that there was some Bee #MeToo going on ....
OK, here's the deal. In this crazy, mixed up hive, a bee is born who will not be constrained by the limitations of traditional bee roles, in traditional bee society. A bee who will rise up the ranks of bee-ness to lead her people, I mean, bees ...
Hmmm. And you ask, Why did I struggle? Me too, but I'm going to have a go at it.
This is absolutely classic fantasy stuff: it's not too badly written, although I did find the artificiality of the dialogue (almost "gadzooks" and "prithee") got old very quickly.
To be honest, I found our Chosen One, Flora 717, a bit boring. Every step of her Journey -- her birth as "different," mentally and physically; the recognition of her differences (by the very creepy and so obviously EVIL Sage priestess); her unexpected production of eggs, against the Prime Bee Directive that only the Queen can breed*, etc etc, etc -- all just happened to her, rather than being the result of any agency, or sense that the authoritarian regime of her hive is "wrong."
One review I read described her as a "Zelig," and if you remember that 1983 Woody Allen movie, I think that's exactly right -- the bee who is always in the right place at the right time, who morphs (WHY?) into the bee who is needed to move the plot along, and give us a look into different areas of the hive, a taste of different bee activities and dangers. Flora is savant, warrior, mother, servant ... Food and wax producer. Philosopher and prophetess .... It's all a bit too much to swallow -- even with a spoonful of honey.
You've probably heard this described as "Watership Down" meets "The Handmaid's Tale." (Sometimes, "The Hunger Games," and I think there would be HOURS of fun & enjoyment in discussing which is the more apt dystopian fantasy.)
But I've actually been thinking more about the comparison to "Watership Down" (which I read a long, long time ago), and wondering why I remember WD as being more relatable ... and successful.
The bunny society is probably less rigidly hierarchical (and pheromone driven) than bees (and this, as fellow mammals, makes it easier to relate to, for the Gentle Reader).
But also, if I recall it correctly, the bunnies of Watership Down are a band of brothers -- yes, there is The One with the Big Ideas, the one who inspires and leads his mates. But no one bunny is required to be all things to all bunnies: as in all good team stories, there is the thinker, the weak but clever one, the brawler, the dreamer ...
While, in "The Bees," Flora 717 has to do it all, and I think that begins to creak, very quickly. (Also, I think, having everything from the unique bee perspective means that not all of the issues confronting Flora 717 and her hive are made clear, let alone how they fit with bee reality, and where we are straying into complete fantasy.)
But having said all that -- this would be an interesting and entertaining place to start if you want to know more about bees, and the threats that they face (for REAL). Coincidentally, before starting it, I attended a talk by a gentleman from local beekeepers, and I was pleasantly surprised at how faithful Paull is to the life-cycle, hierarchy, behaviour, and instincts that he described. For example, Flora 717's progress through different roles (nursery, sanitation, honey-production) is pretty close to reality (and not really "Chosen One"-ish at all). I would have liked to have Paull explain a little more -- in an afterword? -- about what details in the narrative are based on reality, and what are poetic licence.
* err, I must have missed something, but how were these eggs being fertilised? There was all sorts of nonsense with the drones, but unless Paull was being very cute, I never noticed that there was some Bee #MeToo going on ....
I read this is both audio and print, with audio first. The audio was narrated as though a Disney animation, very childlike voices and characterization. So, I tried the print book. Even without the voices, it was childishly written, reminded me of a fairy tale and not one for adults. Quit both books without finishing. By the way, I am a beekeeper.
What a BUZZ-worthy book. Some of you may BEE interested in my review!
Okay, disclaimer: I hate bees. Like, I am terrified of them and they are my least favorite creatures on earth, so I'm happy to admit that may have colored my view on this book. If you're into bees try reading this. You may like it!
In terms of less biased criticism, the pacing of this book was really weird and Flora 717 came off as pretty flat. Also, and I know this is getting back to the bee thing, but I found this book really hard to take seriously when the main characters were bees. You can write animal protagonists really well (Hi, Watership Down) and in a way where the story weaves in well with the animal spaces. This felt like a weirdly written dystopia that did a find-replace with "person" for "bee", changed the setting and they called it a day. Even outside of that though, this plot wouldn't have really worked with human protagonists so...I guess I'm just not sure what the author was going for. Also the ending of this book is bananas. It just goes completely off the rails.
In summary, I'm happy to admit I am the opposite of the target audience for this book so try it if you like! For me the mix of not-great plot and bees (I hate bees) was just too much to overcome.
Okay, disclaimer: I hate bees. Like, I am terrified of them and they are my least favorite creatures on earth, so I'm happy to admit that may have colored my view on this book. If you're into bees try reading this. You may like it!
In terms of less biased criticism, the pacing of this book was really weird and Flora 717 came off as pretty flat. Also, and I know this is getting back to the bee thing, but I found this book really hard to take seriously when the main characters were bees. You can write animal protagonists really well (Hi, Watership Down) and in a way where the story weaves in well with the animal spaces. This felt like a weirdly written dystopia that did a find-replace with "person" for "bee", changed the setting and they called it a day. Even outside of that though, this plot wouldn't have really worked with human protagonists so...I guess I'm just not sure what the author was going for. Also the ending of this book is bananas. It just goes completely off the rails.
In summary, I'm happy to admit I am the opposite of the target audience for this book so try it if you like! For me the mix of not-great plot and bees (I hate bees) was just too much to overcome.
The Bees by Laline Paull is a wildly imaginative debut novel. First and foremost, it is actually and truly about bees! The main characters are bees with some wasps in villainous supporting roles. You can read it literally and gain an understanding of a bee hive OR You can read it figuratively as a dystopian society in a human context. Either way, the fast-paced book grabs your attention from beginning to end.
Read my complete review at: http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2014/06/the-bees-novel.html
Read my complete review at: http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2014/06/the-bees-novel.html
