Reviews

• “[T]he novel smartly relies limitedly on its ecological-disaster framework and instead gains its best footing in the quiet and intimate relationships it depicts between its characters. At times, it’s easy to forget you’re reading a novel exploring the consequences of a species extinction—instead, you’ve become invested in the lives of the people whose stories it follows. ”

• “Lunde’s exploration of the tension between human instinct and the need for selflessness couldn’t be more timely.”

• “An all-consuming novel.”

• “The life of the bees are described tenderly and poetically (…). If you harbor a little David Attenborough- nature fan within, it’s exceptionally thrilling with this peek into a world, that silently operates alongside us humans. /…/ Thoughts are quickly drawn to a couple of other authors that masterfully have played with both dystopian horror and spine-tingling biological research – British author A.S Byatt and Canadian author Margaret Atwood. (…) Both these authorships are permeated by a sharp, feminist gaze and a gender perspective wherein (some) men are destructive and un-selfaware hurricanes that shatter the world around them. The same holds true here in Maja Lunde’s work. /…/ [I was often] moved by the descriptions of nature’s unfathomably intricate mechanisms—and especially the passages on the lives of bees—that are truly beautifully and skillfully written.”

• “A great novel (…) woven together with epic flair.”

• “Impressive. /…/ Maja Lunde’s multi-faceted novel about life before and after an ecological disaster is a tour de force.”

• “Read it, just read it (…) and become wiser, become richer, become more afraid. All served on a honey-sweet foundation of top-notch entertainment. /…/ What a debut!”

• “The History of Bees is a valuable literary cry for help on behalf of nature.”

• “Fiction, fact, predictions, a touch of science fiction, and the reading experience itself skillfully intertwine into a story that, after reading, makes you have a completely different attitude towards honey.”

• “The History of Bees is a multifaceted work. Lunde’s text flows beautifully and her lively descriptions bring the worlds of the novel to life.”

• “A visionary novel.”

• “An important theme in an excellent, gripping novel.”

• “In [The History of Bees], the Norwegian author masterfully weaves together centuries and plot lines into a significant piece of environmentally conscious prose.”

• “Maja Lunde skillfully intertwines the fate of bees and three families.”

• “Three truly wonderful stories from three eras (…) a successful debut by Maja Lunde.”

• “The hit novel of the year.”

• “[B]rilliantly written.”

• “A book that shakes you to the core.”

• “A perhaps prophetic novel that will resonate long after reading.”

• “The settings portrayed in the novel are impressively visual and each character is perfectly naturally rooted in his or her own era and environment.”

• “One can easily understand the buzz.”

• “She does everything right. /…/ She paints on a broad canvas, the topic is highly important and the language is both comprehensive and precise.”

• “A fascinating and brilliantly written novel that elegantly moves between the various stories and timelines. /…/ Touching stories about family ties and father-son relationships.”

• “A highly accomplished novel. Skillfully executed, nicely composed.”

• “Maja Lunde aims high, lands firmly, and resonates widely with her debut novel. /…/ A novel many will want to read in one sitting or two, only to then sit down and think in-depth about life, the world, and the future. It is rare. And well-executed.”

• “[Lunde’s] debut novel will captivate many readers, not only in Norway.”

• “An impressingly well-written and composed story. A lovely story about the relationship between parents and children, about great expectations and broken dreams, loss and hope.”

• “Maja Lunde creates stories that move and engage, while also shining the light on a global catastrophe.”

• “A brilliant and beautiful novel.”

• “Intensely thrilling.”

• “Beautiful and moving.”

• “The History of Bees is complex and very well-written, not to mention suspenseful like a psychological thriller.”

• “I would describe The History of Bees as a mix between The Hunger Games and Margaret Atwood’s brilliant MaddAddam trilogy. It centers around the possibility of a global environmental disaster, but is also filled with sensitive portrayals of parent-child relationships.”

• “Skillful and intriguing.”

• “An amazingly interesting, intriguing, and multi-faceted story.”

• “A constantly intriguing page-turner.”

• “Fans of Cloud Atlas and Never Let Me Go will love The History of Bees.”

• “Dystopian and electric, this book is set to blow minds everywhere.”

• “Imagine The Leftovers, but with honey.”