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domicspinnwand's review against another edition
4.0
Hat mir gut gefallen, aber irgendwie habe ich nach den ersten 50 Seiten ein bissle gebraucht, um richtig hereinzufinden. Die Story spielt in den amerikanischen Südstaaten der 60ger Jahre und hat mich ein bissle an "The Help" erinnert. Allerdings wird hier ausschliesslich das Leben einer eher unkonventionellen schwarzen Familie beschrieben - aber so ansprechend, dass man die Damen gerne kennenlernen würde. Und ich hatte nachher extrem Lust auf Honigkuchen, Honigbrot und Bienenwachskerzen... ;-)
inherentlysleepy's review against another edition
3.0
Oh boy. This is a tough book to review. It was recommend by a friend and seeing it has many good reviews I thought I was in for a ride. I can't really say only one solid thing as this little novel is kind of all sorts. Bear with me.
I liked it in the beginning, thought it had potential. The prose was decent. But it lost me about halfway, right after Lily and Rosaleen settled in the Pink House with August, June, and May; exactly when Lily started her friendship with Zach.
I thought overall the story lacked conviction and intensity, even though the most controversial, interesting, and most relatable topics of this generation are included, (racism, child abuse, mental health, suicide) it feels as though the narrative grazes it only on the surface. It tackles a LOT of issues but whenever there's an interesting turn of events that could otherwise hold the entire story strong, Sue Monk Kidd simply pulls away on to yet another uneventful narration. This got me a little frustrated, but mostly bored. Like a buzzing bee, it just droned on and on for the most part. Take action, woman! Not to mention the plot timeline was a tad confusing too.
When it comes to characters, there's something far-fetched about all of them. It's either they're devilishly evil (whites) or saintly good (blacks). There's no grey area here, folks. No pun intended. If there's one good white character, this person was only in the background like less than a white noise, even. If there's one black antagonist that showed at least a slight indignation towards a white girl all so suddenly living in a black family's house aside from June who sooner rather than later had a change of heart, well, there's none. All of them literally accepted Lily with an open arms of a longing mother to love and care for her lost child. Lily's suspiciously sudden appearance never even changed the course in the Calendar sisters' habitual living, let alone an arousal of concern from the Daughters of Mary for the sisters' safety. Throughout the 200+ pages it never did once convince me that Lily is just a 14-year old girl. I can't really tell what or who she is. Also, all the POC don't speak nuthin' anyone like a black person do with their jargons n' slangs in the 60's? Really? I've seen many American films to let me know otherwise. And talk about that ending. Phew!
I'm thinking, it'd be a lot more fascinating if the narrative was told from say August's POV or June's, or literally anyone's but Lily.
I feel like this should be a heartwarming read. But after my heart is still as cold as May's lifeless hands (i smelled it coming from a kilometer away and was rather annoyed than sad 'cause she's the only character I liked besides Rosaleen. Annoyed too because it was very predictable). It's a nice beach read if you're not looking for something heavy, or that requires a lot of attention and mental hullabaloo.
The Secret Life of Bees, though holds a promise to be a modern classic, missed a lot of opportunities to be one, fell short, and simply became one among the overrated books out there.
I liked it in the beginning, thought it had potential. The prose was decent. But it lost me about halfway, right after Lily and Rosaleen settled in the Pink House with August, June, and May; exactly when Lily started her friendship with Zach.
I thought overall the story lacked conviction and intensity, even though the most controversial, interesting, and most relatable topics of this generation are included, (racism, child abuse, mental health, suicide) it feels as though the narrative grazes it only on the surface. It tackles a LOT of issues but whenever there's an interesting turn of events that could otherwise hold the entire story strong, Sue Monk Kidd simply pulls away on to yet another uneventful narration. This got me a little frustrated, but mostly bored. Like a buzzing bee, it just droned on and on for the most part. Take action, woman! Not to mention the plot timeline was a tad confusing too.
When it comes to characters, there's something far-fetched about all of them. It's either they're devilishly evil (whites) or saintly good (blacks). There's no grey area here, folks. No pun intended. If there's one good white character, this person was only in the background like less than a white noise, even. If there's one black antagonist that showed at least a slight indignation towards a white girl all so suddenly living in a black family's house aside from June who sooner rather than later had a change of heart, well, there's none. All of them literally accepted Lily with an open arms of a longing mother to love and care for her lost child. Lily's suspiciously sudden appearance never even changed the course in the Calendar sisters' habitual living, let alone an arousal of concern from the Daughters of Mary for the sisters' safety. Throughout the 200+ pages it never did once convince me that Lily is just a 14-year old girl. I can't really tell what or who she is. Also, all the POC don't speak nuthin' anyone like a black person do with their jargons n' slangs in the 60's? Really? I've seen many American films to let me know otherwise. And talk about that ending. Phew!
I'm thinking, it'd be a lot more fascinating if the narrative was told from say August's POV or June's, or literally anyone's but Lily.
I feel like this should be a heartwarming read. But after my heart is still as cold as May's lifeless hands (i smelled it coming from a kilometer away and was rather annoyed than sad 'cause she's the only character I liked besides Rosaleen. Annoyed too because it was very predictable). It's a nice beach read if you're not looking for something heavy, or that requires a lot of attention and mental hullabaloo.
The Secret Life of Bees, though holds a promise to be a modern classic, missed a lot of opportunities to be one, fell short, and simply became one among the overrated books out there.
ray_jca's review against another edition
2.0
I had to read this book for english and..................sorry but really not my style and I found it painful to read.
terryma90's review against another edition
5.0
This book is AMAZING! I would have never picked up if not for my book club and man, it’s one of my favorite books of all time *drops mike*.
montsegc90's review against another edition
5.0
Todo de este libro es bello, la prosa, la historia, los personajes, me enamoré de las "calendar sisters", del misticismo de las abejas y la virgen morena. Mi nombre viene justo de la virgen de Montserrat, que le apodan la morenica, y siempre venía a mi mente cuando la mencionaban. Guardo este libro con mucho cariño en mi corazón.
bumble_bia_'s review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
salmonite's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
vickibicky's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
103115's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0