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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
It took me some time to get into the story. Once you begin to see the interconnection of the three families from past, present and future though, the story gets more and more interesting. There's so much I didn't know about bees! If there's one thing Lunde's novel teaches you it's the importance of bees for life on earth.
This book was okay. The pacing sometimes was weird and it felt like it was missing a lot of explaining sometimes. I was able to bond with the characters and I liked them most of the times but still, something didn´t quite feel right all the time. The ending though was quite good, which is the reason why I gave it 3 stars.
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
3.5. Alcune cose le avevo capite al volo. Peccato per il punto di vista di George che mi ha irritato come poche cose al mondo.
Alla fine però tutto si incastra, senza troppe forzature. Però mi aspettavo un po’ di più...
Alla fine però tutto si incastra, senza troppe forzature. Però mi aspettavo un po’ di più...
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I enjoyed the three storylines, though my favourite by far was that of Tao and the future of the planet.
2.5 stars
I finished it because I'm a sucker for alternating timelines and 19th century settings and want to know how the apocalypse plays out because that knowledge might come handy once. Also, as the daughter of a passionate beekeeper, I can't not stand behind anything promoting the conservation of bees and for that I loved this story.
But I have to say I had a hard-time connecting to the characters and can even barely remember the middle storyline of MAGA farmer and estranged son. The other two lines were fine, with the naïve English scholar and the eerily empty world of China post-Collapse. But even in those, there was little pulling you in. Maybe the goal of these stories was to paint a detailed image of some ordinary lives in which the bees are just a strange backdrop.
In the end I did not feel like I left with more than when I started reading the story.
I finished it because I'm a sucker for alternating timelines and 19th century settings and want to know how the apocalypse plays out because that knowledge might come handy once. Also, as the daughter of a passionate beekeeper, I can't not stand behind anything promoting the conservation of bees and for that I loved this story.
But I have to say I had a hard-time connecting to the characters and can even barely remember the middle storyline of MAGA farmer and estranged son. The other two lines were fine, with the naïve English scholar and the eerily empty world of China post-Collapse. But even in those, there was little pulling you in. Maybe the goal of these stories was to paint a detailed image of some ordinary lives in which the bees are just a strange backdrop.
In the end I did not feel like I left with more than when I started reading the story.
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
There were things about this book I expected to like. I have a particular interest in books about natural history, so I thought the focus on bees would be intriguing to me. I love a story told in a non-linear or non-chronological way, so I thought I would enjoy the three different stories told in alternating chapters. I was right about these things, but what I didn't realize was how much I would enjoy Maja Lunde's writing.
It's funny sometimes to read reviews on this site and realize that many, many people have perceived something about a book differently than you. I've read quite a few reviews of this book at this point and many mention that they didn't really feel like they connected with the characters, or that the characters seemed a little too one-dimensional. I suppose I understand where this critique comes from - the characters maybe are one-dimensional in a way, they may be able to be described through their most significant role and personality trait: the bitter academic, the stubborn father, the anxious mother. But I found while reading that Maja Lunde did such a beautiful job of making their thoughts and interactions come to life for me. She added the perfect little details that resonated for each character, so I guess I didn't mind the one-dimensionality.
I am always fond of a story where multiple separate threads overlap and come together at the end, and this one did not disappoint. I appreciated that Lunde did not choose to have this happen in a dramatic or all-consuming way, that it didn't feel like the coming together was an unexpected plot twist or big reveal, but simply a series of small moments of connection and recognition between the characters. It was lovely and I really enjoyed the experience of reading this book.
It's funny sometimes to read reviews on this site and realize that many, many people have perceived something about a book differently than you. I've read quite a few reviews of this book at this point and many mention that they didn't really feel like they connected with the characters, or that the characters seemed a little too one-dimensional. I suppose I understand where this critique comes from - the characters maybe are one-dimensional in a way, they may be able to be described through their most significant role and personality trait: the bitter academic, the stubborn father, the anxious mother. But I found while reading that Maja Lunde did such a beautiful job of making their thoughts and interactions come to life for me. She added the perfect little details that resonated for each character, so I guess I didn't mind the one-dimensionality.
I am always fond of a story where multiple separate threads overlap and come together at the end, and this one did not disappoint. I appreciated that Lunde did not choose to have this happen in a dramatic or all-consuming way, that it didn't feel like the coming together was an unexpected plot twist or big reveal, but simply a series of small moments of connection and recognition between the characters. It was lovely and I really enjoyed the experience of reading this book.
challenging
dark
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