The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd

I finished this over the weekend and what a delight! I'd heard reports of the general love affair book clubs were having with it and for that very reason I think I avoided it. Not on the basis of any intellectual or cultural superiority but because so often I am disappointed with the few themes that seem to be continually recycled and rehashed in the books that get snapped up by reading gurus and book stores.

This novel was a breath of fresh air. I suspect neither the structure nor the plot were particularly innovative but the use of bee keeping as a way of moving the story along was clever. So often I find authors use something like bee keeping as a way of structuring the plot unimpressively. It tends to look contrived and self conscious as though it provides the novelist (and the story) more credibility. But in this novel, it was used interestingly and strategically. I was genuinely interested in the detail Monk Kidd provided about this issue and enjoyed relating the information with the story.

While the characters were empathetic and likeable, I must say none fascinated me. The were solid and shiny characters and I was in the mood to like the people I was reading about.

Above all, it was Monk Kidd's writing which provided me with such delight. Sentences can be taken and read on their own and give as much meaning as they hold within a paragraph or page or chapter. I'm a fast reader and I know I tend to skim read (although I often try very hard not to) but with this novel, I had no impetus to move quickly through the page.

I thoroughly recommend this book. Choose a slow weekend in late spring, early autumn, opt out and sit down with this book, honey toast with lots of butter and a big mug of tea.