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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
I little different style, but it wasn't bad. I liked it more as it went on. Of course I took forever to read it, so that might be why it was a little hard to get into at first. But I liked it at the end.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
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
This book was good. I'm not raving about it, but I enjoyed reading it. It took me a long time to get through it, partly because my time for reading has been limited and partly because it is a rather slow-paced book.
The only other book I have read by this author was The Harvester, which I loved. I can't say I loved this one as much. I rate it 4 stars in general, but in comparison to The Harvester, it only gets 3. There are still elements of the author's writing I enjoy such as her love and knowledge of nature. I know some readers find her too preachy, but I like it that way. Stratton-Porter had strong values, and she wasn't afraid to include them in her books. I applaud that.
The only thing that saddened me was how they used to view an illegitimate child, as if it didn't deserve as much love and appreciation as any other child. But that's how things were back then.
The only other book I have read by this author was The Harvester, which I loved. I can't say I loved this one as much. I rate it 4 stars in general, but in comparison to The Harvester, it only gets 3. There are still elements of the author's writing I enjoy such as her love and knowledge of nature. I know some readers find her too preachy, but I like it that way. Stratton-Porter had strong values, and she wasn't afraid to include them in her books. I applaud that.
The only thing that saddened me was how they used to view an illegitimate child, as if it didn't deserve as much love and appreciation as any other child. But that's how things were back then.
Although I have mixed feelings about this book, I will first of all say that it was a wholesome and peaceful reading experience. The author impresses her worldview deeply into the theme of this book. Our protagonist experiences the healing power of nature and the lessons to be learned from it in every chapter. You can feel the importance the writer places on respecting and experiencing nature in every facet of your life.
The story is a classic. A WWI soldier with a fatal wound that won't heal, escapes the captivity of the hospital system to wander about the great state of California. As he goes about his "Great Adventure" he experiences the healing power of nature and human kindness while serving as a bee keeper in the most providential of circumstances.
Those elements of the story are not altogether riveting, but they are entertaining enough to maintain your interest. However, the secondary plot of the book, his run in with the "Storm Girl" and his act of kindness on her behalf, leaves a lot to be desired. Without spoiling, I'll simply say that all is not as it seems and our protagonist faces some anxiety in the feeling that he was deceived. Of course he is able to overcome this feeling and find resolution, but frankly, the resolution is rushed and unrealistic. I was disappointed even before the conclusion happened because I realized there were only twelve pages remaining and the plot point that had been teased the entire book had not even begun to be put right.
To stay on the critique train, there was a lot of moral pontificating that was sometimes off-putting but does not interfere with the story. There were moments I would laugh and quote a section to Vivian due to how cringeworthy it was. The author would write things that were clearly from her own perspective but would place them in the mouth of a character who it made no sense coming from. She also consistently had her main character preach against the women of the day and their desire for independence paired with their lack of traditional values. There was a redeeming conclusion in the way she developed the character of Scout, a tomboy who did not want to be treated as either a girl or a boy. Near the end of the book our protagonist has a deep heart to heart with Scout and encourages her that being a girl does not restrict her ability to excel in the outdoor skills she adores and that there is no mold she must fit into other than being fully herself. It's well said and a very earned character resolution.
I was told my multiple people that this book is very comparable to The Shepherd of the Hills, after reading I can unequivocally disagree. The Keeper of the Bees could believably be an autobiographical tale you would hear from your great grandfather. It is not especially remarkable and is written in a fairly straight forward way. The Shepherd of the Hills is a story so layered in powerful meaning and humanity that it should stand in a category of its own. I would like to clearly separate the two books to ensure the Shepherd of the Hills is properly applauded.
To conclude my rambling, I enjoyed this book. It is an easy read that gives the reader a high level education on the practice of beekeeping. The author's love of nature is beautifully communicated through the book and I was inspired by her perspective on its healing ability. It also painted a dreamlike picture of life on the California coastline that made me want to pack up and move. I might not recommend this book, but I do think it was a worthwhile read.
The story is a classic. A WWI soldier with a fatal wound that won't heal, escapes the captivity of the hospital system to wander about the great state of California. As he goes about his "Great Adventure" he experiences the healing power of nature and human kindness while serving as a bee keeper in the most providential of circumstances.
Those elements of the story are not altogether riveting, but they are entertaining enough to maintain your interest. However, the secondary plot of the book, his run in with the "Storm Girl" and his act of kindness on her behalf, leaves a lot to be desired. Without spoiling, I'll simply say that all is not as it seems and our protagonist faces some anxiety in the feeling that he was deceived. Of course he is able to overcome this feeling and find resolution, but frankly, the resolution is rushed and unrealistic. I was disappointed even before the conclusion happened because I realized there were only twelve pages remaining and the plot point that had been teased the entire book had not even begun to be put right.
To stay on the critique train, there was a lot of moral pontificating that was sometimes off-putting but does not interfere with the story. There were moments I would laugh and quote a section to Vivian due to how cringeworthy it was. The author would write things that were clearly from her own perspective but would place them in the mouth of a character who it made no sense coming from. She also consistently had her main character preach against the women of the day and their desire for independence paired with their lack of traditional values. There was a redeeming conclusion in the way she developed the character of Scout, a tomboy who did not want to be treated as either a girl or a boy. Near the end of the book our protagonist has a deep heart to heart with Scout and encourages her that being a girl does not restrict her ability to excel in the outdoor skills she adores and that there is no mold she must fit into other than being fully herself. It's well said and a very earned character resolution.
I was told my multiple people that this book is very comparable to The Shepherd of the Hills, after reading I can unequivocally disagree. The Keeper of the Bees could believably be an autobiographical tale you would hear from your great grandfather. It is not especially remarkable and is written in a fairly straight forward way. The Shepherd of the Hills is a story so layered in powerful meaning and humanity that it should stand in a category of its own. I would like to clearly separate the two books to ensure the Shepherd of the Hills is properly applauded.
To conclude my rambling, I enjoyed this book. It is an easy read that gives the reader a high level education on the practice of beekeeping. The author's love of nature is beautifully communicated through the book and I was inspired by her perspective on its healing ability. It also painted a dreamlike picture of life on the California coastline that made me want to pack up and move. I might not recommend this book, but I do think it was a worthwhile read.
Great read. Heart-warming. Loved the character development.
Oh man, so many thoughts.
First of all, the Purple House Press edition of Keeper of the Bees is probably the most gorgeous paperback book I've ever seen.
Secondly, I have very mixed feelings about this story. As a lifetime fan of Girl of the Limberlost, I recognized Gene Stratton Porter's eloquent voice immediately. Her nature themes and human descriptions are iconic and absolutely beautiful. However, this story doesn't have the smooth flow of her earlier works. There are several mysteries developed the course of the first 350 pages. And all of them are unveiled within the last 25 pages. It was a lot of very slow build up for a very rapid-fire conclusion. It was slightly less satisfying than it might have been otherwise, if we'd had just a bit more time to absorb so much information. Additionally, the conclusion is a bit TOO convenient. It wraps up a bit too perfectly for the main character, meanwhile the neighbor and friend is left with a heartbreaking burden and shame that isn't resolved nicely.
The side story of Jean/Scout is precious and extremely memorable. And I love how, even in this old book, we are encouraged that gender-norms are not what define a person, but also that we are each perfectly made the way we are.
I can understand why this book went out of print for a time. There is a lot of what would be perceived as racism today (ex: the red, yellow, and brown boys and girls in Molly's "Americanism" class). However, for the time, this book would probably have been considered progressive, as they're presented as being "fully American, with all the rights and responsibilities thereof". Furthermore, the heavy-handed moralizing of sexual purity for a young woman would be considered pretty "intolerant" by today's standards. Nonetheless, I agree with the character's views completely.
Oh, it bothered me that baby-Jamie ends up being such a footnote to the story, almost disposable. The way GSP handled that thread broke my heart a little.
I absolutely loved the bee-lore in this book and the (possibly romanticized) healing power of nature and diet.
First of all, the Purple House Press edition of Keeper of the Bees is probably the most gorgeous paperback book I've ever seen.
Secondly, I have very mixed feelings about this story. As a lifetime fan of Girl of the Limberlost, I recognized Gene Stratton Porter's eloquent voice immediately. Her nature themes and human descriptions are iconic and absolutely beautiful. However, this story doesn't have the smooth flow of her earlier works. There are several mysteries developed the course of the first 350 pages. And all of them are unveiled within the last 25 pages. It was a lot of very slow build up for a very rapid-fire conclusion. It was slightly less satisfying than it might have been otherwise, if we'd had just a bit more time to absorb so much information. Additionally, the conclusion is a bit TOO convenient. It wraps up a bit too perfectly for the main character, meanwhile the neighbor and friend is left with a heartbreaking burden and shame that isn't resolved nicely.
The side story of Jean/Scout is precious and extremely memorable. And I love how, even in this old book, we are encouraged that gender-norms are not what define a person, but also that we are each perfectly made the way we are.
I can understand why this book went out of print for a time. There is a lot of what would be perceived as racism today (ex: the red, yellow, and brown boys and girls in Molly's "Americanism" class). However, for the time, this book would probably have been considered progressive, as they're presented as being "fully American, with all the rights and responsibilities thereof". Furthermore, the heavy-handed moralizing of sexual purity for a young woman would be considered pretty "intolerant" by today's standards. Nonetheless, I agree with the character's views completely.
Oh, it bothered me that baby-Jamie ends up being such a footnote to the story, almost disposable. The way GSP handled that thread broke my heart a little.
I absolutely loved the bee-lore in this book and the (possibly romanticized) healing power of nature and diet.
If you like to learn about bees, read this book. If you like to learn about a man’s heart and mind, read this book. If you like to read about children with pluck, read this book. If you like prosey descriptions of oceans and sand and flowers, read this book. If you like to read of love, read this book.
I was a big fan of Porter's "Girl of the Limberlost" as a teenager and was happy to stumble on this later (1925) novel: it is a pleasant curiosity, most engaging in spite of the old-timey preoccupation with "God's laws" and moral purity. We get lots of stereotypical insights into the character of Scotsmen (and women!), enthusiastic support for orange juice, tomato juice, salt-water swimming and sunshine to cure the WWI wound incurred by the main character, which stubornly refused to heal until he found himself in the healthful bee-groves of California. But we also get a fine suspenseful story, a very gentle romance, and a sympathetic character who refuses to bend to societal gender norms: a most interesting mix! The twist at the end is improbable but I still waited for it with baited breath. A nice change of pace for me.
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
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
100 years ago, but many social problems of today.
Wow. So much more than I foolishly expected. What a wonderful story.