Of Bees and Mist: A Novel

This book was strange. The setting was beautiful and the author had a real talent at imagery; places and characters came vividly to life in my mind. Parts of this tale were enchanting and magical, while other parts were so heavy-handed with metaphor that I found myself irritated. I'm usually a fast reader, but this book took me weeks to finish because I wasn't drawn into the story. Not terrible, but nothing I feel the need to gush about or recommend to friends.

Of Bees and Mist, a debut novel by Erick Setiawan, has been labeled as a fable that chronicles the lives of three generations of woman under one family tree. A fable it is. There are magical elements peppered throughout the novel - staircases that grow and shrink depending on the emotional state of the climber, mirrors that reflect one's true self, etc.... Additionally, there is symbolism galore. The two major symbolic elements being the bees and the mist. At first, this is a unique twist to the same old story - unloved girl meets boy, falls in love, gets married, clashes with mother-in-law, etc... - ; however, as the novel progress, the incessant droning of the bees became too much for me.

At the core of this novel lies a severely dysfunctional family. Love is either non-existent or couched in falseness. Yes, there is first love and the attempt to really love but, I think it falls flat and is not really accomplished.

I was also disappointed in the ending. Namely, with regards to one of the recurring characters. I do not feel that we, the readers, truly understand what she was meant to represent. I was fortunate to read an advance copy of this book through the Barnes and Noble First Look program and participate in an on-line discussion with the author. From that discussion, I expected an outcome to this loose end. Sadly, I didn't get it.

On a positive note, Mr. Setiawan provides vivid descriptions of each locale and develops several of the characters to some extent. I say several because, as in real life, some things never change. His use of imagery is nice.

If you enjoy magical realism or are interested in discovering a new voice in the literary world, you may want to read this novel; otherwise, go away from the mist.

I adored this book. It's utterly transportive, plaintive, and thoughtful. The world is well constructed and encompassing. The story is complex, and the characters fascinating - their struggles with themselves and each other, and the difficulties of intertwined relationships, come together to make an unforgettable story. I have reread this a couple of times since I bought it (which was only a couple of years ago) and I am always touched by it. If you're looking for fantasy that's really something different, definitely give this a try.

This book is captivating from the first chapter. The author wraps you in a cocoon of folklore and reality as two people unite in a passionate love while their parents seek to destroy it and nurture it like no other. Trapped between their own history and their possible futures together, the characters weave in and out of reality in the adult version of a universal truths dealing with love and hatred, life and death, loneliness and relationships.

I found myself reading the entire second half in one sitting to relieve the tension created. At the center of the story is the conflict between Meridia, a very young bride raised in a tense household wrapped in magical mists, and Eva, her powerfully manipulative mother-in-law. The author admits that the novel is not set in any particular real time or place and freely blends and reimagines elements of different mythologies. The result is a story in which wholly realistic emotions and fully drawn characters mix with and are represented by magical elements. It is also in many ways a coming-of-age novel for both Meridia and Daniel, her teenaged husband, as they seek to establish independence and to move from a child's infatuation to a grown up's love.

Erick Setiawan has brilliantly woven together a tapestry of psychologically captivating characters in a world as vivid and real as our own. He has seamlessly intertwined an almost surreal landscape full of mythos and superstition with the stark purity of basic human relations. And in so doing, he has created a world we can believe in. A real world with real people experiencing real issues.

Meridia is a heroine to cheer for. She is strong and brave, and as the reader watches her grow and change, their passion for her success also grows. Mr. Setiawan knows the human soul and his portrayal of women is both edifying and profound. By the end, the reader is both delighted and satisfied, because they have experienced the journey of life, with all it's highs and lows, and seen the truth, power, and dignity of love and forgiveness.

This book had a really unique magical quality to it that I didn't expect. Primarily identified using bees and mist (hence the name) there is an entirely new and complex layer added to the story. I don't really know how to describe it, but the magical layer is added into an already extraordinary story, making it that much more alluring and exciting. I mean there's this one weird part where a girl becomes pregnant at the hands of a weird pig beast...and as unappealing as that sounds..it's truly written so well that until you think about it later, you don't even realize it. Lots of family drama in this one, particularly a mother-in-law to end ALL mother-in-laws.

I was directed to the book because it was suppose to be similar to Alice Hoffman's work, but it's definitely not. I couldn't put this book down, only because I couldn't quite figure out how I felt about it until the end. Setiawan's writing was incredibly confusing to me. It was often hard to tell if the detail's in his book were metaphor or had actually happened. Interesting idea, but poor execution.

I was strolling the bookstore looking for a new, interesting read and found this book. I read the sleeve and was hooked immediately. This is a story that draws you in and keeps you reading until it's done. I enjoyed it immensely and would recommend it to anyone!

I'm immediately drawn into Setiawan's style of writing. The story captivates my attention and intrigues me into wanting to know more about the characters.

However, just as quickly as I'm pulled in, I began to wonder things about the story that are never answered. First off, what era does it take place in? The main character, Meridia, has a nurse who takes her to the Cinema Garden. In America children have nannies who take them to the park, so my first impression is that the story must take place in Europe. When Meridia gets married, her dowry comes complete with meters of fabric and lace, instead of yards, thus further suggesting the European setting. Yet, an expectant couple paint one room in blue and another in pink, suggesting America where those colors are connected to a boy or girl; and, the mothers are called "mama" and not "mum" as they would be in Europe. The currency gives no clue as they are only described as coins. There is not enough description of the clothing to put them in an appropriate time period. Knee length skirts and sleeveless dresses might be reminiscent of the 1920s and beyond; yet outdoor markets where one buys food on a daily basis, a time when brides are given dowry's and women are matched up with their husbands, suggests a time period much earlier. I honestly spent the entire book trying to figure out when and where the story takes place. The descriptions given the characters are also confusing. A woman is described as having almond eyes, suggesting she is Asian, yet this is not said outright and her family appears to be Jewish because of their names such as Elias, Daniel and Noah, and the fact that they are jewelers. However, when one relative dies they have a wake, something associated with Catholicism.

The time, place and people where not the only confusing parts about this novel. I couldn't tell if it is supposed to be a fantasy or a horror story, or just about a woman who imagines things in her mind. The mist surrounds people who are cool to one another and who have mislead their loved ones. Whether the mist actually exists or not is part of the confusion. The bees are heard whenever Meridia's mother-in-law, Eva, speaks, or rather badgers, those around her. Again, whether these bees are actually seen or heard by anyone other then Meridia is not clear. The only thing that appears to be clear, but not crystal clear, is that Meridia has a friend that no-one else can see. Whenever Meridia looks into a particular mirror she sees ghosts, or does she? Maybe she's seeing figments of her imagination or just what she thinks of herself. The story becomes more and more convoluted as it progresses. A fascinating story quickly becomes discouraging when I can't believe the direction the story is taking.

One of the most disturbing aspects of this novel is that the women are despicable characters. The faults of the men are excused as having been brought upon by the women in their lives. For instance, while Meridia's mother, Ravenna, has a case of postpartum depression, her husband, Gabriel, starts an affair with another woman, blaming Ravenna for closing him out. Ok, I can assume, although it is never proven, that this story takes place before we knew postpartum depression even existed, but the rift between the two goes on for their entire lives and is accepted by all as having been the fault of the wife. There's more, but I won't give away the entire plot. At some point in the story I began to feel that the author must have felt quite put upon in his life by women because he cuts none of them a break by casting them all into a life of horror and contempt. For that reason alone, I can't recommend this book to anyone.

Setiawan would perhaps be better off writing a more realistic fictional story as his writing style is lyrical and easy to read. Because of this, I am giving the novel two stars. However, his stories would be enhanced if he researched a specific era and geographical region and described his stories around it. Otherwise, his improbable books would be better off starting with: "Once upon a time, in a far away land..."

I picked this up at the library not expecting much. I was extremely wrong. This is one of those great books that has several layers to it. This is also the first book that I liked so much that I actually slowed down my reading pace so it wouldn't end as quickly.

I purchased this book because it was supposed to have been a work of magical realism, because it promised to be a love story, and because it was about bees and mist. What a wonderful title. What a disappointing book.

As other reviewers have noted, the characters in the book don't evoke any empathy. Not only that, the vast majority of them seem to have no motivation for their actions. Why is Eva so hateful? I read the entire book, and I don't know.

Even the magical elements have no sense of purpose. I could definitely buy into a world where people's emotions and behaviors are represented by insects and mists, but I could never determine why only certain people seemed to be affected by these tendencies. And why do these choices seem to be so deliberate? I love magic in a book, but it should seem magical, not like a calculated plot device. Every time the bees or the mists would appear, it seemed as though the words THIS IS A SYMBOL! should have been plastered across the page.

The book reads as a magical realist exploration of how to successfully run a business. If I had been reading this book to discover how to operate a successful jewelry shop, I would have been blown away. But I bought it because I wanted to feel the sense of wonder that I associate with great magical realism. And that is in no way what I got.

the good points the writer used vivid imagary and wrote well, the bad in my opinion i disliked this book and didnt finish it i had no interest in any of the characters. it left me with an opressive depressive feeling. to all of you who DID like good for you.

I started and stopped this book several times.I found it very difficult to follow and I tried to restart several times but could not get interested in it.I found this book did not grab my interest and I was unable to really enjoy reading it.I ultimately finished reading about half of it but could not get interested enough in it to finish it.

One of the single most consistently depressing books I've ever read.
Page after page after page of sadness, bad luck, bad spirits, harpies and just about constant angst.
The writer is good and exceptionally descriptive, however.... even as I hated (with a passion) this book, I couldn't just shut the spine and be done.
It was like watching a train wreck and you can't take your eyes off of it.
I was reading it for 3 days, because I couldn't take all the depression at once, and each of those three days I was angry with the book.

Definitely not for me.

This was a wonderful story with magical elements. A young girl is treated coldly by her father and forgettfully by her mother. She loves them but knows something isn't quite right. A myterious mist envelops thier house and keeps it cold. She meets a young man and is thrilled to be loved. Then she has to deal with her mother in law. I loved this story and its fairy tale quality. Don't miss it.

I was entranced by the story and the writing. It reminds me of Isabel Allende's work in some ways, as it blends the worlds of the real and the spirits. At the same time, Erick Setiwan's book is not derivative.
This is the story of a woman's life, as she finds out all the secrets of both her family and her husband's family. It is also the story of Meridia's struggle against her mother-in-law, a selfish and evil woman.
Although it is imaginative, the story resonates with the issues of love and trust and divided loyalty -- issues that often arise in real relationships.

I've read this book twice now, and enjoyed it both times. It's one of the best books I've read this year.