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internationalreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
A very heavy-handed metaphor. I loved Sidi and I would read about his daily life forever. The second half of the book seemed like a totally different book, with the plot picking up and random characters coming out of nowhere.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Murder, Violence, Abandonment, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Gun violence, and War
voela321's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I ordered this in my quest to read books from international authors. This book is set in Tunisa after the Arab Spring Uprisings. This is a story of poor people fighting for democracy but easily overwhelmed by evil fundamentalists. It holds many parallels to what is happening in the US with Christian nationalism. The evil takes over by first enticing and then controlling the people. In a subplot a bee keeper fights to discover what has killed his beloved bees and finds it is Asian Murder Hornets also imported by the goods the evil fundamentalists use to entice the people. A brief but unresolved story indeed. We are all still waiting to see how it ends.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Murder, Religious bigotry, and Violence
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
The Ardent Swarm was a short but impactful read. Written by a Tunisian author and set in a remote mountainous village in North Africa, it is the story of Sidi, a devoted beekeeper. He is devastated to discover that some of his hives have been destroyed by a hornet he has never seen before. When he returns to his village, and then ventures into the capital city to learn more about the hornet in order to save his “girls”, he notices some marked changes, with obvious parallels to what is happening to his bees.
This delightful read was a parable, an allegory exploring the rise of religious fundamentalism in North Africa. I really enjoyed watching the two storylines play out side by side, picking up the similarities and metaphors.
One of the things I liked about this story was it’s warmth. There was a strong community spirit as friends and other rallied around Sidi, doing what they could to help him to save the bees.
It is a little slow to start but definitely worth persevering with. The writing and translation are beautiful, it highlights the wonder and value of bees, as well as the fragility of democracy. The Arab Spring got a lot of news time in the west but since then news interest has waned. This little gem ha some of the answers as to what’s happened since.
This delightful read was a parable, an allegory exploring the rise of religious fundamentalism in North Africa. I really enjoyed watching the two storylines play out side by side, picking up the similarities and metaphors.
One of the things I liked about this story was it’s warmth. There was a strong community spirit as friends and other rallied around Sidi, doing what they could to help him to save the bees.
It is a little slow to start but definitely worth persevering with. The writing and translation are beautiful, it highlights the wonder and value of bees, as well as the fragility of democracy. The Arab Spring got a lot of news time in the west but since then news interest has waned. This little gem ha some of the answers as to what’s happened since.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Murder, Colonisation, and Police brutality
jentrythelibrarian's review
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
A beautiful novel about resilience, extremism, and community.
Content Warnings
Minor: War and Murder
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