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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Wonderful story..it feels slow, in a good way. A relaxed pace.You come to love the characters without realizing. I cried my way through the last few chapters.
I read this for a book club that I love; if this hadn't been for book club, I'm not sure I would have finished.
What I appreciated: brotherly love, magic realism, a pandemic side story that was really delightful
What I struggled with: very slow pace; pattern of chapters referencing something big that's about to happen, then ending on a "cliffhanger" that didn't leave me on the edge of my seat, but instead left me annoyed (see the note about "very slow pace"); really limited character arcs; supposedly about a family + town's connection to land and Mexican history, but all about a wealthy family without any critical look at what this means for repping town history + with very little sympathy/empathy/development for poor characters (although, again, there's almost no character development overall); big opportunity for disability rep sadly squandered by limiting this to a character being in a near-total service role to the wealthy family that "takes him in," but never really treats him like a member of their family
What I appreciated: brotherly love, magic realism, a pandemic side story that was really delightful
What I struggled with: very slow pace; pattern of chapters referencing something big that's about to happen, then ending on a "cliffhanger" that didn't leave me on the edge of my seat, but instead left me annoyed (see the note about "very slow pace"); really limited character arcs; supposedly about a family + town's connection to land and Mexican history, but all about a wealthy family without any critical look at what this means for repping town history + with very little sympathy/empathy/development for poor characters (although, again, there's almost no character development overall); big opportunity for disability rep sadly squandered by limiting this to a character being in a near-total service role to the wealthy family that "takes him in," but never really treats him like a member of their family
Brilliant! I only wish I could read this in the original language. I found it very difficult to begin this story, stayed 3 times before I could embrace it. I’m so glad I did, it is so poetic, so beautifully translated and so I assume so beautifully written.
I love reading stories where I have no education of the background of events taking place. I love learning about history in such a unique way. The Murmur of Bees did exactly that. It was set in Northern Mexico amidst the Spanish Flu pandemic and the Mexican Revolution, talk about a double whammy of a history lesson. It opened with a nursemaid finding a boy literally swarmed in bees. The bees, his protectors, his magic are constantly with the little boy. The book dips in and out of storylines of the family who adopted the boy. While very elegantly written, it could be difficult to follow at times but the prose was very lovely.
And a story that comes full circle is one of my favorite types and this story, truly leads back around. 4 stars, audio.
And a story that comes full circle is one of my favorite types and this story, truly leads back around. 4 stars, audio.
The Murmer of bees was absolutely amazing! I was hooked as soon as I began and it was the perfect mix between magic and realism. I loved how authentic every character was and how they each had thier own unique timeliness and stories to tell. The author did an amazing job connecting each story and point of view, even if they were confusing at first, everything sorted itself out and left me wanting more.
It was a beautiful and emotional book. Very unique, colorful, and evocative.
If you can push through the first quarter of this book, I think you will be happy that you stuck with it. At first, I wasn't sure I wanted to finish it, but soon it took on a magical turn and I needed to know the whole story.
Mexican magical realism with bees, easy sell to me but ended up being more hard hitting emotionally than I thought. War and revolution. Violence and assault and murder. Epidemic and disability. And a lot of emotions about family
I don't feel like enjoyed is the right word for this book but I'm glad to have read it. It's very well constructed. The audio narration adds a whole other level of immersion that is wonderful.
I don't feel like enjoyed is the right word for this book but I'm glad to have read it. It's very well constructed. The audio narration adds a whole other level of immersion that is wonderful.