The Ritual Master “Without bees, the flowers were just flowers, not blueberries, not bread and butter.”
― Maja Lunde, The History of Bees
Three stories, a central theme, a lesson to be learned : my second dystopian novel of the season, and probably the confirmation that Scandinavian writers are not afraid to look the ugly truth in the eyes in order to try and fix it.
The history of bees is Maja Lunde’s most famous novel, published in Norway in 2015 and the first in her Climate Quartet, along with The end of the Ocean, The last wild horses and The dream of a tree.
The story has three strands that connect past, present and future, around the activity of beekeepers. In 1852 England we meet William, a biologist and seed merchant who decides to build a new type of hive in order to facilitate beekeeping. In 2007 United States we follow a father and son story of fighting against modern farming and the destruction of entire bee colonies. And in 2098 China, we follow a woman who hand pollinates trees with tiny bird feathers, to imitate the bees that have long disappeared.
The story seems simplistic at times, the action keeps flowing in each timeline that keep alternating with every chapter. And yet, when coming to the end, the connections seem to appear as if by miracle. What was mistaken as absence of intrigue, was actually a very original way of graduating the intensity of the story. I enjoyed not only following the meanings but also observing the writing style of a Norwegian author that has proven her value over time. And I think that if I try and put this into the Scandinavian context I created with my Advent Calendar, I would say that out of all the novels I read, the Norwegian ones seem the most mystical. They don’t give out their meaning too soon, rather too late for the impatient modern reader. This was a lesson in trust for me, an invitation to discover an author and with the risk of generalization, a country’s literature, without comparing it to all my previous landmarks.
The shape of the bee came up on some page corners here and there, where I didn’t expect it mostly. In the beginning, I was startled each time I turned a page and there it was, as if ready to attack me. But as I kept on reading, each appearance became more and more soothing. Like learning to stand still when there is a bee dancing around you, and just observe the tiny miracle in front of you. A novel that joins suspense and meaning, to make us come out a little wiser on the other side. Like the character of Tao in this quote :
“Without knowledge we are nothing. Without knowledge we are animals. After that I became more focused. I did not want to learn solely for the sake of learning, I wanted to learn to understand.”
― Maja Lunde, The History of Bees
Until tomorrow, keep buzzing !
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