Laline Paull

Shortlisted for the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction 2015 Longlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize for New Fiction 2015 Enter a whole new world, in this thrilling debut novel set entirely within a beehive.

The Bees

Flora 717 is a sanitation worker, a member of the lowest caste in her orchard hive, where work and sacrifice are the highest virtues and worship of the beloved Queen the only religion. But Flora is not like other bees. With circumstances threatening the hive's survival, her curiosity is regarded as a dangerous flaw, but her courage and strength are assets. She is allowed to feed the newborns in the royal nursery and then to become a forager, flying alone and free to collect nectar and pollen. A feat of bravery grants her access to the Queen's inner sanctum, where she discovers mysteries about the hive that are both profound and ominous. But when Flora breaks the most sacred law of all–daring to challenge the Queen's preeminence–enemies abound, from the fearsome fertility police who enforce the hive's strict social hierarchy to the high priestesses jealously wedded to power. Her deepest instincts to serve and sacrifice are now overshadowed by a greater power: a fierce maternal love that will bring her into conflict with her conscience, her heart, and her society–and lead her to perform unthinkable deeds. Thrilling, suspenseful, and spectacularly imaginative, The Bees and its dazzling young heroine will forever change the way you look at the world outside your window.

A Novel

Ryan Mateyk

I don't really know what to say but this book just didn't do it for me, between the exceedingly gruesome descriptions to the many bizarre passages ("but surely my noble groin will draw great interest"... a little cocky there, bee). Bees, man.

edith w.

Of course, Paull is not actually talking about bees here, and we all know that. The allegory works though and from the get-go, you know that you are reading about class and gender and race and all of the inequalities therein. This is a wonderfully nuanced story. Alas, though, it does trail off, and it is overly-descriptive throughout. Nonetheless, you cannot fault it for its innovation. 

Conclusion: keep it on the back burner, but do read it.

Belle

A fun story made better by setting it in the unfamiliar world of a beehive. A bit trite and predictable at times but still a fun read. 3.5 rounded up.

Sonja H

Wow, was für ein Buch. Anfangs war ich ja skeptisch: was kann man über Bienen wohl so lesen? Ob es wie "Biene Maja" ist? Weit, weit davon entfernt. Die Autorin bringt uns die Welt der Bienen, die sprechen können, das Wohl der Heiligen Mutter und des Stockes über ihr eigenes stellen und ein sehr komplexes und gefährliches Leben führen, näher, als man es sich vorstellen kann. Man hat das Gefühl, das Surren der Flügel zu hören, den Nektar zu riechen, den Jonig zu schmecken, man betritt mit det Protagonisten Flora neugierig jeden noch unentdeckten Winkel des Bienenstocks, kämpft mit ihr, hofft mit ihr. Diese Geschichte birgt so viele Aspekte in sich, das man sie in einer Rezension gar nicht alle zur Sprache bringen kann. 
Dieses Buch könnte eines meiner Lieblingsbücher werden, und davon hab ich nur wenige! Unbedingt lesen!!

Deniz Hasanzaadeh 

Seems like I didn’t find the joy in reading this as others. It rather seemed to be boring to me. I had to finish it to write a report for my job, or else I would have left it unfinished. 
The story itself is a good idea; but for a short story probably. The ending was also not that much of a surprise and you could have guessed it half way through the book.

Cindy

It took me a while to finish this, because it was so weird. Weird as in "it took forever for my puny li'l brain to comprehend what was going on". It's an interesting concept, in the sense that there's a dystopian society based off natural apian behavior, but The Bees lacks the sort of conviction that makes dystopian novels compelling or gripping. I'm still not sure what kind of statement Paull is trying to make or what kind of story she wants to tell, and as such, it's difficult for me to really say that I enjoyed it. I get the impression that if this story were narrated by humans and did not take place in a beehive, I'd have passed it off as a shade similar to Divergent (a "special" "misfit" protagonist bucks against the traditions of a compartmentalized world order).

Tori Carrillo

I really enjoyed this book. It was one that I couldn't put down because I wanted to know what would happen next. Really great character development and very well researched. Kind of a watership down idea where you really have to immerse yourself in the idea of the main character being a bee in a hive but if you can allow yourself to do this the book is fantastic. The author did a good job of mixing some mythical ideas with plenty of great scientific/biological research about bees allowing for the story to feel fantastical but also realistic enough. Makes you open up your eyes to the creatures and things buzzing around you.

Born into the lowest class of her society, Flora 717 is a sanitation bee, only fit to clean her orchard hive. Living to accept, obey, and serve, she is prepared to sacrifice everything for her beloved holy mother, the Queen. But Flora is not like other bees. Despite her ugliness she has talents that are not typical of her kin. While mutant bees are usually instantly destroyed, Flora is removed from sanitation duty and is allowed to feed the newborns, before becoming a forager, collecting pollen on the wing. She also finds her way into the Queen's inner sanctum, where she discovers secrets both sublime and ominous. But enemies are everywhere, from the fearsome fertility police to the high priestesses who jealously guard the Hive Mind. And when Flora breaks the most sacred law of all her instinct to serve is overshadowed by an even deeper desire, a fierce love that will lead to the unthinkable.

cygnoir

I knew from the first chapter that I would be desperately sad to finish this book, and I am. It is a gorgeous, thoughtful story with compelling characters and an emotional, satisfying conclusion -- and Paull did this all not with humans but with bees. Brilliant work.

Sam White

The Handmaid’s Tale meets The Hunger Games in this brilliantly imagined debut set in an ancient culture where only the queen may breed and deformity means death.

Flora 717 is a sanitation worker, a member of the lowest caste in her orchard hive where work and sacrifice are the highest virtues and worship of the beloved Queen the only religion. But Flora is not like other bees. With circumstances threatening the hive’s survival, her curiosity is regarded as a dangerous flaw but her courage and strength are an asset. She is allowed to feed the newborns in the royal nursery and then to become a forager, flying alone and free to collect pollen. She also finds her way into the Queen’s inner sanctum, where she discovers mysteries about the hive that are both profound and ominous.

But when Flora breaks the most sacred law of all—daring to challenge the Queen’s fertility—enemies abound, from the fearsome fertility police who enforce the strict social hierarchy to the high priestesses jealously wedded to power. Her deepest instincts to serve and sacrifice are now overshadowed by an even deeper desire, a fierce maternal love that will bring her into conflict with her conscience, her heart, her society—and lead her to unthinkable deeds.

Thrilling, suspenseful and spectacularly imaginative, The Bees gives us a dazzling young heroine and will change forever the way you look at the world outside your window.

The Bees

Reviews