Review: Of Bees and Mist by Erick Setiawan
Reviewed by Claudia R.
“Your mother, they said, lost all interest in your father three days after you were ejected out of her womb–you–that the thought of being touched by her own husband repulsed her to the core. One day, when your father demanded pleasure, she chased him from the bed like a flea and threatened to shear off his manhood if he so much as made another move. To retaliate, your father did what any degenerate would-found a perch between another woman’s legs.”
Once in awhile a book comes along that literally takes your breath away with it’s uniqueness, it’s velvety textured words, and a lushness of vivid anecdotal so sumptuous, that the mere knowledge it eventually will end, is painful torture.
Of Bees and Mist is that and more. A fairytale ‘domestic drama’, the tale begins with Meridia and her parents, Ravenna, her half-crazed mother, and Gabriel, her cold, stoic, evasive father. Due to a tragedy of the past, one Meridia can find no one to explain to her, she is left to raise herself. When a strange mist appears above their door, enveloping and stealing her father away at night, Meridia becomes determined to find out more about her past.
Not until Meridia meets and marries Daniel, and becomes a part of his seemingly gracious family, does she begin to learn about the reasons behind her parents’ odd and apathetic behavior towards her, and themselves. When Eva, her new mother-in-law reveals her own true nature, calculating and cruel, it’s too late. Suddenly Meridia finds herself fully enmeshed in a war of torn loyalties, lost loves, painful secrets, guilt, self destruction, debauchery and sorcery.
[amazonify]1416596259[/amazonify]Of Bees and Mist is hard to explain without divulging it’s secret magic. Written so cleverly, so deviously complex and metaphorically suffused, the reader can’t help but go back to previous chapters in order to savor ‘aha!’ moments as the tale unwinds through the lives of seven women and the men they love to hate.
Magical concealing mists, meddling bees, punishing, sudden physical deformities, ghosts and ghouls, seduction and destruction, Of Bees and Mist completely enthralls from page one until the very last sentence.
Meridia is formidable as the central character, and the pleasure of seeing her mature, grow and find her own place (and sanity) in the intricate, deceptive world she was born to, is boundless.
An absolutely gorgeous, sublime, must have-must read, novel. There truly is one word only, for Of Bees and Mist, and of Erick Setiawan’s writing prowess. Flawless.
Claudia lives on Cape Cod with her husband and two children. She entertains her passion for reading in between being a full-time Mom, aspiring writer, avid photographer & volunteer for Missie’s Closet, an emergency food & necessities pantry for the low-income in her area.
This book was provided free of any obligation by Simon & Schuster. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.
