I came across this book The Bees by Laline Paull during the Literary Bloghop giveaway. Deb from The Book Stop was offering it as one of her giveaways and I was intrigued by the premise as it is narrated from the point of view of Flora 717, a worker bee!
The story begins with Flora’s awakening as she becomes conscious of her surroundings and who she is and what she is capable of doing. For not all bees are born equal in The Hive. Flora is a sanitation bee, one of the lowest kin and perceived by others as the most ugly, neither are they capable of speech. Except Flora. She has characteristics that are not like her kin and is fortunate being a mutant bee that she has been allowed to live.
The majority of the bees in the hive are female, except the Drones, the only male bees and the only kin who don’t work. The bee kins have names like Clover, Sage, Thistle. They mutter a mantra ACCEPT OBEY SERVE around the more senior sisters and priestesses, they do Devotions, are punished with Kindness, communicate what they have learned on the outside in the Dance Hall, including information about the dangers of the Myriad.
“The golden fragrance drew Flora on, until to her shock she realised she had passed unscathed through the scent-gates on the staircase to the highest level of the hive.”
Their talents and work include cleaning the hive, feeding the newborns with Flow, a substance some bees are able to regurgitate, foraging to collect nectar and pollen, working in the Patisserie, grooming the Drones and tending to the Queen.
The bees possess a collective consciousness and through it they can receive information from the Hive Mind and Energy and Love from their Queen; their thoughts are able to be read by others through their antennae, unless they close them down, which Flora begins to do increasingly as she crosses boundaries and experiences thoughts she knows could endanger her life and others, should any of the kin-sisters read them.
“Flora tucked her antennae sleek down her back as she advanced her speed. Never again would she leave her channels open in the hive, for any bee to grab and read. Sister Teasel was old and could no longer work efficiently – but Flora’s wings beat with a new strength. She felt she could fly a hundred leagues to serve her hive, and the sky streamed with all the scents rising from the wet earth – including mesmerisingly delicious nectar. Flora locked onto it.”
There are threats both within the Hive and outside. The beehive is like a cult, its members know their place, their role and their boundaries, however everywhere there are risks and dangers both outside and more dangerously, within. ACCEPT, OBEY, SERVE. They live in a symbiotic relationship that ensures the safe function and progression of the hive. When something threatens that relationship, their safe haven is no longer assured.
Laline Paull has channelled an incredible and yet what read like a totally credible life and universe within a beehive, from the perspective of Flora 717. I know little about the bee world, but the environment the author creates is fascinating, intriguing and imaginative with references to monarchy, spiritual devotion, universal instinct and power. It also contains a subtle environmental reference, one that will be recognised by nature lovers everywhere, without compromising the essence of great storytelling.
Labyrinth of Knossos, Crete
Intrigued by the book, I was also interested to learn that Laline Paull was inspired by a Bronze Age Minoan Palace.
“The Cretan Minoan civilization dates from 1700BC, and was very sophisticated and sexually egalitarian, if not biased towards women. It was an inspiration for translating a real beehive into a fictional landscape.” Laline Paull
This description of the Labyrinth at Knossos, the largest of the Minoan palaces, gives you an idea of the influence on Flora’s world.
“Knossos is the largest of the Minoan palaces, and like others it is an agglomeration of rooms clustered around a long, rectangular central court. Only the ruins of its foundations have survived, but these reveal a vast interconnected complex of small corridors, staircases and private rooms containing residential quarters, workshops, administrative areas and many different cult centres.” Christopher Berg, Amazeing Art: Wonders of the Ancient World
The Bees is an utterly captivating read and a masterful feat of the imagination, Laline Paull has the reader on a knife-edge, knowing the dangers Flora 717 faces, yet her discretions feel necessary and we will her to continue, to survive and overcome all the challenges she faces.
I started it slowly and have since read others did find it is a slow start, however once into it, I could not put it down, it has been one of the best and most original reads of 2014 for me.
Word by Word 
This is fascinating.
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It really is Valorie, I do hope you track down a copy, I am sure you will enjoy it and be wowed like I was.
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This book sounds worth the read just to experience the author’s creativity in writing a book from the point of view of a worker bee! I’m very curious about this one…
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That was exactly what drew me to it Naomi, not to mention the thumbs up from Margaret Atwood.
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Oh, I didn’t know about the thumbs up by M. Atwood! Another good reason to read it.
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It certainly sounds like an unusual and adventurous novel. What an interesting find about the bronze age palace as well! Seems like as well as telling a compelling story it must have meaning about being an anonymous individual in a larger society. Thanks for the interesting review!
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You have to read it Eric, there is so much more than I have alluded to, but it’s a journey that must be taken by the reader, so I don’t want to give anything away, but you are absolutely right. It is also important in terms of evolution. I really hope you read it, I know you’ll find even greater layers of meaning to it!
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I agree, sounds fascinating! Putting it on my list. Thanks, Claire.
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Great! I found it utterly fascinating and now I want to know what it’s really like inside a hive! Would love to see an interview with the author and a bee specialist. I hope it wins a big prize and everyone gets to hear about it, I am sure this book will have endurance.
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Sounds like essential
reading in this period of confusion in Democracy
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Well there’s no doubt this is a must-read. When I first started reading your review I thought to myself, “Wow, Flora could be a member of the Untouchables caste in India”. But clearly there’s so much more to this story. This is obviously the book you told me about when I commented on your last post. This may just jump the line — not sure I can wait too long to start reading this book. Thanks Claire 🙂
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You know I thought the very same thing, about the Indian caste The Untouchables and then after finishing the book, I started reading about the author and discovered her parents were both first generation immigrants from India, though she was born and raised in the UK and read English at Oxford. She is also a successful screenwriter, which perhaps explains why it is such an accomplished debut. i can’t wait to see what she writes next.
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I cannot wait to read this. I know I can count on you to let me know if she writes more 🙂
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She is certainly one I will be watching and I doubt it will be long before she finishes her second, she’s working on it now.
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I’m interested in the fact she’s a screenwriter. That would bring a whole other layer to her writing.
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Yes, on her website she mentions a play she wrote that would make a great film and I thought, it would make a great novel too! A very accomplished writer with a fabulous imagination and great research skills, what more could a reader ask for! 🙂
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More books 🙂
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I started reading this with one cynical eyebrow raised, but by the end you had me completely hooked. Sounds absolutely fascinating – one for the TBR! Thanks for a brilliant review!
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To be honest I bought it as a gift for someone else, but decided to have a peek before wrapping and guess what? Could not put it down. Brilliant IMHO.
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Even though the two books are nothing alike, the premise of this one reminded me of a murder mystery I read a few years ago, which was told from the point of view of the sheep whose shepherd was killed. Both sound equally odd when you summarize them in one sentence, but I have no doubt that this one is as good as the murder mystery. I’ll have to check this one out; thanks for the review.
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Wow, I know what you mean, what was the name of the murder mystery you read?
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It was Leonie Swann’s Glennkill. The English title doesn’t do the book justice: Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Story.
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Thank you so much, as a sheep farmers daughter, I’m just going to have to read this!
Three Bags Full makes me laugh, do you know the nursery rhyme that it is based on? I think it is the first one I learned as a child, every child ina country school learned ‘Baa Baa Black Sheep’ and Three Bags Full is a line from that famous nursery rhyme. I am guessing there is a black sheep in the story? And an interesting metaphor.
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Great review, Claire. It sounds as if this book has much to say on the role of individuals within a larger society.
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Yes, and the challenges of breaking outside those roles dictated by society, monarchy, class. It is fascinating and compelling story and a brilliant metaphor, incredibly original and will stay with me a long time.
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Beautiful review, Claire! Loved it! I want to read the adventures of Flora, the bee. i also loved the picture of the book on your Christmas decorations – so beautiful!
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Thanks Vishy, Flora is an amazing protagonist and Laline Paull has an incredibly rich imagination. No pollen or nectar on the tree, but I thought it the best place to put The Bees book, especially as it is a present, I just hope the intended recipient of this book isn’t looking!
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🙂
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Hawks…now bees… The animals can be very instructive!
BTW…the mantra sounds very familar,..accept,obey, serve!
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Well the Hawk was a true story and a great one at that, and recognised not long after I read it, by the judges of that esteemed literary award The Samuel Johnson Prize.
I should like to predict that this one absolutely should win a prize too, if not an esteemed prize, at least a prize for an outstanding debut! You read about it here first! 🙂
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You have read some winners and TOP listed books this year, chapeau!
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I won this book recently, you’ve made me incredibly intrigued to read it now (the synopsis didn’t blow me away).
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AS I mention above, I bought it more for a friend, not thinking it was really my kind of book, but was riveted once I got into it. I have read very reviews so not sure how others find it, but I think it is an original and compelling read. Would love to know what you think of it!
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