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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
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:
Yes
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
Murmur of the Bees initially captivated me with its magical realist atmosphere, particularly in the first 100 pages. However, the narrative momentum stalled as the story delved deeply into historical events like the Spanish Flu, Revolution, and Great Depression. While these elements provided context, they overshadowed the magical aspects I craved.
The protagonist, an abandoned infant with a cleft palate who inexplicably attracts bees, held potential for a unique exploration of human-nature connection. Unfortunately, the connection with bees remained unexplained, leaving a sense of disappointment.
Overall, despite wanting to love this book for its initial promise, the lack of character development, a stagnant plot, and the overwhelming focus on historical events left me feeling like I read a skewed history lesson rather than a magical adventure.
The protagonist, an abandoned infant with a cleft palate who inexplicably attracts bees, held potential for a unique exploration of human-nature connection. Unfortunately, the connection with bees remained unexplained, leaving a sense of disappointment.
Overall, despite wanting to love this book for its initial promise, the lack of character development, a stagnant plot, and the overwhelming focus on historical events left me feeling like I read a skewed history lesson rather than a magical adventure.
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
sad
fast-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
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-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:
Yes
This book was just so beautiful; a story about love & loss & grief. The first 1/3 of the book was, as other reviewers describe, very confusing. We don't figure out exactly who the narrator is until quite a ways through, though there are little hints here & there. We know he has some connection to the characters, and also that he is telling the first part of the story from a point in time where he is not yet born. I thought the reveal of him as the narrator was perfect. It was like a lightbulb moment. Very nice.
The prose was beautiful, if a little bit disjointed; but honestly, I think it made the story that much more interesting, and also made sense if this is from the POV of an old man who was, in the first half, not yet alive; and in the second half, a small boy. The closing scene was a little bit ambiguous, and I think it may come across as unsatisfying. I'm not sure if I'm fully satisfied, but I'm not unsatisfied either, if that makes sense? As in, I think the story ended in a fine place.
Simonopio as a character was sooooo cool; I loved him. I loved how nuanced he was, how little he bothered with others' expectations or beliefs of him. I loved the "adoption" storyline, and also the parallels between him as a young boy always running off & never being able to stay put in a bed or in a house; and Francisco, who was the same way but to a different degree. He was so lovable, and also so protective. And the fact thathe cared so deeply about Francisco Jr. that he "let him go" because he knew that it was the best way to ensure a fulfilling life for the little boy he loved so much... while also making the space for himself to stay in Linares; he knew that was where he belonged. I am so glad they made their way back to each other in the end!
Also, the opening few chapters of this book are so amazing; I started this book in December of 2021 (now February 2024, lol) & ended up DNF'ing it for various reasons (its slow pace, for example, bc oh my it is quite a bit sloooooooooooow). But I was drawn so much to the opening chapters that I just had to reopen it, and I'm so glad I did. What a beautiful story of brotherhood and of family!
#proudmemberoftheSimonopiofanclub
The prose was beautiful, if a little bit disjointed; but honestly, I think it made the story that much more interesting, and also made sense if this is from the POV of an old man who was, in the first half, not yet alive; and in the second half, a small boy. The closing scene was a little bit ambiguous, and I think it may come across as unsatisfying. I'm not sure if I'm fully satisfied, but I'm not unsatisfied either, if that makes sense? As in, I think the story ended in a fine place.
Simonopio as a character was sooooo cool; I loved him. I loved how nuanced he was, how little he bothered with others' expectations or beliefs of him. I loved the "adoption" storyline, and also the parallels between him as a young boy always running off & never being able to stay put in a bed or in a house; and Francisco, who was the same way but to a different degree. He was so lovable, and also so protective. And the fact that
Also, the opening few chapters of this book are so amazing; I started this book in December of 2021 (now February 2024, lol) & ended up DNF'ing it for various reasons (its slow pace, for example, bc oh my it is quite a bit sloooooooooooow). But I was drawn so much to the opening chapters that I just had to reopen it, and I'm so glad I did. What a beautiful story of brotherhood and of family!
#proudmemberoftheSimonopiofanclub
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Gun violence, Sexual assault, Grief, Death of parent
Beautiful and weird and very Marquezian. It was a bit slow going until the latter third, but I really liked it. I didn't expect to, given how much Amazon was pushing the advertising (and the fact I got it for free), but it was surprisingly good
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
sad
slow-paced