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The Bees
- Narrated by: Orlagh Cassidy
- Length: 10 hrs and 16 mins
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The Bees
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Summary
The Handmaid's Tale meets The Hunger Games in this brilliantly imagined debut.
Born into the lowest class of her society, Flora 717 is a sanitation bee, only fit to clean her orchard hive. Living to accept, obey and serve, she is prepared to sacrifice everything for her beloved holy mother, the Queen.
But Flora is not like other bees. Despite her ugliness she has talents that are not typical of her kin. While mutant bees are usually instantly destroyed, Flora is removed from sanitation duty and is allowed to feed the newborns, before becoming a forager, collecting pollen on the wing. She also finds her way into the Queen's inner sanctum, where she discovers secrets both sublime and ominous.
But enemies are everywhere, from the fearsome fertility police to the high priestesses who jealously guard the Hive Mind. And when Flora breaks the most sacred law of all her instinct to serve is overshadowed by an even deeper desire, a fierce love that will lead to the unthinkable....
Laline Paull's chilling yet ultimately triumphant novel creates a luminous world both alien and uncannily familiar. Thrilling and imaginative, The Bees is the story of a heroine who, in the face of an increasingly desperate struggle for survival, changes her destiny and her world.
Critic reviews
“ The Bees” is one wild ride. A sensual, visceral mini-epic about timeless rituals and modern environmental disaster. Paull's heart pounding novel wrenches us into a new world.” (Emma Donoghue, author of Room)
“This is a rich, strange book, utterly convincing in its portrayal of the mind-set of a bee and a hive. I finished it feeling I knew exactly how bees think and live. This is what sets us humans apart from other animals, that our imagination can allow us to create a complete, believable world so different from our own.” (Tracy Chevalier)
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What listeners say about The Bees
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Alice in England
- 15-08-18
Beautiful & Unique
I've read this book before but loved it so much I bought this audio version too. It's read really beautifully, and the characters sound so convincing. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing the story again, and the performance was so immersive. Loved it!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Lanky
- 07-01-21
Not the dystopian novel you might think
This is a superb story. Epic in its proportion and Greek in its lust and tragedy. A grand education on life in the hive, told from the perspective of one gifted but lowly sanitation worker. I loved it!
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Redyakyak
- 29-05-20
Not what I was expecting.
I have to say I really enjoyed this book, I love an underdog story. But so much for bees being kind and caring, the society hierarchy is surprising.
Sad in parts, shocking in others but plenty to keep your attention throughout.
I have listened to this story many times now, and still puck up differ things each time.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Caroline+Kats
- 07-03-18
complicated
very well written but complicated to keep track of who was who and not much actually happens so I flagged in the middle. reminded me of Handmaid Tale with bees!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sparkest
- 13-09-15
A richly attuned nature fantasy of a bee hive
A genius piece of writing, imaginative with magnificent descriptions of the senses, particularly smell which in the English language are rather limited, but expressed seamlessly in an engaging way. Timely too, with the current demise of bees.
Orliagh Cassidy narration was outstanding her identification with the different members of the hive and predators.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Guy
- 28-04-18
Fascinating and gripping
This booked hooked me from the first chapter. A story set in a bee hive with rules and regulations reminiscent of those in a handmaids tale.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mr McD
- 27-10-21
A wonderful read, beautifully written, truly unique.
A wonderful read, beautifully written, truly unique. Would highly recommend this fabulously edgy fictional Bee drama.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Henry
- 03-08-19
not what I expected but pleasantly surprised
I was expecting a human dostopian future novel - but this is far from it.
unlike anything I've read before.
I simply loved this book. Great story of nature with sci-fi undertones.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- N16
- 25-01-16
Brilliance
Like a cross between Watership Down and Animal Farm but better and different and wonderfully enchanting. Also educational!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- KittyB
- 08-06-15
Darkly Wonderful and Very Clever
What did you like most about The Bees?
I loved how clever and imaginative Laline Paulll was in how she narrated a story about a seemingly alien world, that of the bees and their hive, yet, at the same time Lalline kept the story empathic. The bees where anthropomorphised but in such as way so as not to be twee or simple. I felt reminded of Orwell's famous Animal Farm whilst listening to this book. There did appear to be issues going on in the hive and with Flora the main character that could equally be likened to issues in general with society and gender today.
What was one of the most memorable moments of The Bees?
The tale of the bees does have some dark moments which I think will stick in my mind for some time, one of these would be the terror of the fertility police, and Flora's panic coupled with excitement when she holds her egg for the first time. Additionally, on a lighter note, I did enjoy the magic of the Queen's library!
Have you listened to any of Orlagh Cassidy’s other performances? How does this one compare?
No, but I felt that Orlagh's performance was very good throughout.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
I really enjoyed this book and at times I could not stop listening to it.
Any additional comments?
This is an excellent book, and it is very unique. I doubt I will ever look at a bee in the same way again!
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