Early Chapters, 1-9

[dhaupt]

First of all, I am really liking the novel, was it what I expected - when are they ever and since I'm keeping with the reading schedule and have only read through chapter 9 I'll keep my comment about what it reminds me of until later.

I see Meridia's nurse as a very protective force almost to the point of being obsessive about it in regards to the germ/infection paranoia. I think she wanted to tell Meridia what really happened when she saw the light that she dreams about, because she was very up front with every thing else when Meridia confronted her.

Meridia disappears in her house because she's seen as insignificant and like all abuse when you're told long enough that you don't matter you start to believe it.

i think the fight between the mists and the ghost demonstrates very well the troubled marriage not only in the abstract but allowing the readers to see how this troubled child deals with her very dysfunctional household. Meridia slowly realizes as she grows up that the mists and the ghost represent her parents unhappiness.

Right now if I had to describe the mists I would say they are camouflage for her father's flight and return to the house, but I may change my mind later on when I learn more.

Hannah is the nick of time girl who shows up just when Meridia is growing up and realizes just how odd she is and wants to fit in but doesn't know how, Hannah is the catalyst for Meridia's transition from child to young woman. 

[dhaupt]

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Linda10 wrote:

Hello, everyone!  Well, the day is finally here!  There are already a number of things I would like to post just based on the five posts I've read so far.

But -- I am going to start at the very beginning (and I do mean beginning) with the cover of the book.  Did any of you find the hidden pictures?  Did you find the two sets of eyes?  How about the baby?  Or the diamond ring?  Or the spade or shovel?  Or what appears to be perhaps the fawn that we read about in chapter six?

This may sound silly; but as soon as I saw this, I thought, "We are in for a nice surprise if someone put this much into just the cover!"

Hi Linda, and thanks. No I didn't notice that because I'm one of those readers who don't really judge a book by it's cover, so I don't usually really notice covers. But thanks to a heads up first looker now I do see it and I have to say I really agree with you about it.

[booksJT]

This  is novel is what I expected after watching the video. I haven't read anything of this genre to compare it to. This is the first time I am reading this type of genre.

Meridia's nurse was her protector from the outside elements of the house. Because Meridia was so sheltered all her life her nurse was there for her. The nurse probably was going to tell her what happened to her at birth and the change of the climate in the house.

Meridia disappears in her own house because of the friction between her parents. The house is protecting her from seeing the truth about her parents.

This fantasy fight demonstrate it well. When the husband would leave there would be a change in the color of the mist each time. When the mother was upset she seemed to forget her daughter was even around.

Meridia is upset and confused and  tries to find the answer to what caused all this.

The ivory mist guarded the front door of the house. When Gabriel would return home the next morning there was a blue mist that would surround him.  When Gabriel left the house there would be a yellow mist surrounding the house. The mist could be  the smoke screens her father uses to enter and leave the house without any one following him.

Meridia persisted in asking the mists questions about the story about her parents. Eventually they  all surrendered to her questions accept the yellow mist which was not as accommodating.

Hannah is her imaginary friend that is going to help  her enjoy what the outside world has to offer. She doesn't show in the mirror because she is figment of Meridia's imagination.

[Shadowwolf36]

I am reading according to schedule, slowly and methodically (so unlike how I normally read) in order to not miss anything and still I am missing things. It may take several readings to really catch all the nuances this books seems to have....I am however starting to believe that Meridia really does not exist (but I have not read past chapter nine). The loss of a child tends to split families apart which would explain the split between Ravenna and Gabriel. Is the house cold generally when Meridia is around?  Perhaps there is some kind of parallel universe going on....because the book is fantasy, there is so much that could happen since none of it has to match real life in any way...it is a trip that I am enjoying...

[chris227]

Of Bees and Mist is nothing like I expected.  However, it has me absolutely captivated.  I am glad I waited until this weekend to start because I found it hard to stop after only 9 chapters and can't wait to pick it up again!  At this point I can't think of any novels to compare it with.  The only other books I can think of with ghosts and mystical things is Harry Potter and I don't think this book is anything like that!

As for the nurse initially I was put off by her.  Making the poor girl stay inside and pile on amountain of clothes outside just seemed ubsurd.  She has a hard enough life inside the house let her have some fun when she's out of it!  A little later though my feelings began to change.  She is only trying to protect Meridia. She knows Meridia goes unnoticed by her paremts and feels sorry for the girl.  She is trying to protect her feelings and her physical being.  We definitely know that strange things occur inside the house but I can't quite get a handle on what happened the night with the flash of light.  I think that her mother (probably) or father threw the lamp at the other and acciudently hit Meridia with it and this is what the nurse was going to tell her.  I am probably way off the mark though! 

I think Meridia vanishing is just a metaphor for how horrible a relationship exists between the members of the family.  Meridia is totally ignored by her parents, possibly because she is a reminder of the days when they were in love?  She feels as if she is totally invisible because her parents she has no closeness or love in her life.

The mist, too, I can't quite get a handle on.  I think the imagery is great but what exactly is the mist, I don't know.  I think the episode of Ravenna fighting the mist was wonderful.  We finally were able to see a more human (though ghostly) side to Ravenna.  She was completely torn apart by Gabriel's infidelity and still, eighteen years later struggles to understand why her husband would be unfaithful to her.  I think the mist in front of the door is a symbol of the resnetment that reigns in the house, the mist that follows Gabriel is a symbol of his desire for his mistress even though he knows it is wrong, and the mist that follows him home is a symbol of his guilt.  The mist totally enshrouds those who enter it and makes it difficult to get out, just as people are sometimes locked inside their emotions and unable to move forward.

As Meridia watched her mother fight with the mist she sees how much her mother has suffered and she begins to feel sorry for her.

Hannah was a refuge for Meridia.  Meridia found in her closeness, happiness, and love.  Things that had been absent from her life for a long time.  I was under the impression that Hannah was real until she was not reflected in the mirror.  Could it be that Hannah was merely an imaginary friend?  I don't think so I think she was real and her not showing up in the mirror was Meridia's knowing that her friend would soon have to move away and disappear fom her life.

May I again say how wonderful I think this book is.  The writing is beautiful, the symbolism is wonderful and vivid, and the characters are extremely well depicted.  Though we don't know too much about all of the characters, what we know, is what Meridia knows.  I can't wait to continue with the reading and hear everyone elses thoughts!

[DSaff]

Yes, I found the images on the cover, and made a list of them in the book. It was fun looking for the objects. LOL You will also find one bee on the front cover and a bird on the back. I am wondering why there is only one bee. hmmmmm

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Linda10 wrote:

Hello, everyone!  Well, the day is finally here!  There are already a number of things I would like to post just based on the five posts I've read so far.

But -- I am going to start at the very beginning (and I do mean beginning) with the cover of the book.  Did any of you find the hidden pictures?  Did you find the two sets of eyes?  How about the baby?  Or the diamond ring?  Or the spade or shovel?  Or what appears to be perhaps the fawn that we read about in chapter six?

This may sound silly; but as soon as I saw this, I thought, "We are in for a nice surprise if someone put this much into just the cover!"

 

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[hookedonbooks09]

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Linda10 wrote:

Hello, everyone!  Well, the day is finally here!  There are already a number of things I would like to post just based on the five posts I've read so far.

But -- I am going to start at the very beginning (and I do mean beginning) with the cover of the book.  Did any of you find the hidden pictures?  Did you find the two sets of eyes?  How about the baby?  Or the diamond ring?  Or the spade or shovel?  Or what appears to be perhaps the fawn that we read about in chapter six?

This may sound silly; but as soon as I saw this, I thought, "We are in for a nice surprise if someone put this much into just the cover!"

I will post more later as I read other posts.  But for right now, as far as Hannah not appearing in the hair dresser's mirror, isn't that the case with vampires too?  I don't believe that Hannah is a vampire; but she could be otherworldly so therefore doesn't really exist in the "real" world.  It could also explain why she never stays in one place for very long.

Well, more later.  But I will say that I am enjoying this book so far because it is so different.  It makes it fun!

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Oh, wow!  I totally missed the cool things contained in the cover art.  Thanks for bringing that out, and for having a "good eye"!  I guess I was so anxious to start, I didn't stop to consider the cover. 

I've just been reading "Sundays at Tiffany's" and wondering if Hannah is someone/thing like Michael in that book.  They are invisible friends for lonely children.  I don't think any mention is made of anyone other than Meridia seeing Hannah.  And like, Michael, Hannah moves on when she is not needed.  With the coming of Daniel into her life, Hannah could leave.

--Barb

[dhaupt]

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hookedonbooks09 wrote:

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Oh, wow!  I totally missed the cool things contained in the cover art.  Thanks for bringing that out, and for having a "good eye"!  I guess I was so anxious to start, I didn't stop to consider the cover. 

I've just been reading "Sundays at Tiffany's" and wondering if Hannah is someone/thing like Michael in that book.  They are invisible friends for lonely children.  I don't think any mention is made of anyone other than Meridia seeing Hannah.  And like, Michael, Hannah moves on when she is not needed.  With the coming of Daniel into her life, Hannah could leave.

--Barb

Hi Barb, I can totally see the reference to Hannah and Michael from Sundays at Tiffany's.  

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[chris227]

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I say this as a preface to my feelings about these first chapters of "Of Bees and Mist". I found the lack of being able to place these characters in any kind of location I could figure out troubling. I understand this is totally a fantasy location, not a real one. But it is difficult to see the characters move around in my mind if there are no clues as to time period,clothing design, societal structure, building descriptions, climate, etc. Is this novel supposed to be in a setting like Eastern Europe? Like India? Like China?  I had a difficult time visualizing the Festival of the Spirits and all those mentioned being in that setting without being able to see them in my mind's eye, and this has lead to some dissatisfaction with the descriptive part of the story. For my purposes alone, therefore, I have decided to put the novel in a setting somewhere in Eastern Europe, a country like Romania, for example, time period, perhaps early 20th century. While I don't like to presume an author's intention, for me it will do for now. It is my visualization, my "movie" so to speak.

I too found myself trying to figure out the time period and setting of the novel.  I kept thinking I missed important clues.  However I think that the imagery in the novel makes up for its lack of "place and time."  And isn't part of the fun of a story imagining your own vision of it.  If this world is a complete fantasy world perhaps the author intended to leave out these details to allow each reader to imagine their own fantasy world?

[AIRKNITTER]

Of Bees and Mist is exactly what I was hoping it would be; a fantasy for adult readers. It reminds me of "Coroline", a fantasy for children. Mr. Setiawan uses so few words to "paint" thousands of pictures of Meridia's life.

[Linda10]

First off, thank you, Paul, for finally fixing the computer glich!  I was biting my nails, wondering if we were going to be able to post today!

Like a lot of other posters thus far, I, too, am having trouble understanding what is going on in the story.  I tend to take things literally; so I think with this book we're going to have to read with our right brains instead of our left brains!  I also think our questions are what add to the story.  If we knew what the mists really were, for example, the mystery would be solved and the "fun" would end.  It's that literary carrot being dangled in front of our noses!

I feel so sorry for Meridia!  This strange, unhappy home environment and then, as we end Chapter 9, it looks like she's jumping from the frying pan (Ravenna's?) into the fire with this marriage.  Is Meridia going to have the mother-in-law from hell in Eva?  The second sentence in the book talks about a battle between Meridia and Eva.  Oh, poor Meridia!  We can't wait to see what happens to you!

[Vermontcozy]

I didn't know what to expect,but have been so engrossed in the book,that I am in and out of reality and fantasy.My only other references to other books are"Ursula Under" and "Kafka on the shore"Her nurse was trying to protect her from any unpleasetness,which happens in the house,all the moods,that affect Meridia.I also find that my sense of reality is injected as well..Young girl..many mystical thoughts,danger,isn't far from the growing up process young girls experience.The nurse has many answers,that Meridia has questions about..Will she be able to have those questions answered,or will her growth mentally reveal them to her on her own.As a young girl,she wants to disappear and feel invisable,its how she protects herself.Merida can't fathom what they could be fighting about,she is still so young,so her own world takes over,again for protection.Its her way with her "Project" to try and understand why are the colors always changing,does it have somthing to do with what is going on in her world,her fantasy.,her youth..Her parents are really her only reference point,as in every family Parents depict who we are when we are young and models for ouselves..Hannah is her only link,besides school to the world as Meridia would like it to be..Free..to do whatever suits her.,.again is Hannah really Meridia,projected?...Vtc

[Fuzzyape]

My 2 pennies...

First, I'm going to have to go back and re-examine the cover.  I always liked hidden coverart, it reminds me of the comics I used to read in my younger days (finding the cat in the latest catwoman comic was always fun).

On to more current items...

I agree with many that Miridia "disappears" only because no one is interested in looking out for her.  I think all the people in the house are just trying to stay out of the way of Raveena and Gabriel.

I didn't like the nurse in the beginning, but then she wasn't around long enough for me to change my mind.  I wondered if the "mists" pushed her out of the home.

I also think that Hannah was an imaginary friend.  Not sure of her purpose.  Did she "appear" to reassure Miridea that Miridea was normal, and a good enough person to be liked?

I found the fair to be very interesting.  The spirit "religion" is very curious.  It makes me think, as some others have mentioned, that parts of the book seem to be modern, and parts of the book seem to be very old.

I also thought the marriage ceremony to be very interesting.  It almost seems like Miridia's new family has a dark side.  I don't know how doweries normally work, but having Mom and Dad take some of the things, and saying it's a family tradition (which it probably is) just seemed odd to me.

I'm looking forward to the other chapters.  It has been a good read.

[Amanda-Louise]

Exactly!!!  Meridia was thinking this was going to be such a wonderful place to come and live, and I have a feeling she's in for a bit of a shock.  The grass is not always greener on the other side?

Amanda

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Linda10 wrote:

it looks like she's jumping from the frying pan (Ravenna's?) into the fire with this marriage. 

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Message Edited by Amanda-Louise on 06-01-2009 10:52 AM

[m3girl]

Wow....those are all very good questions.  This book is quite different from some of our recent First Look reads.  I've only just started reading but from the beginning it's grabbed my attention and I have many of the same questions you've asked and more.  Therefore I'm going to read on and see what sorts of answers I get and conclude.

I wonder at this point if the nurse left on her own or if one of these ghosts/spirits pushed her out of the house because of what she was about to reveal....

Susan 

[Paul_Hochman]

I loved that there is no time stamp or definitive locale in the book. It makes it timeless and simply let's you be immersed in the tale itself.

It's past, present, future, and parallel all at once!

[tabcat]

I loved to read fantasy/fairy tales as a child and when I moved on to the original stories, not the Disney version, I was shocked to find out how dark they were.  This is what OB& M reminds me of.

When I started reading OB&M I tried to identify the symbolism and meanings of the magical elements.  The writing is so engaging though, I decided to just sit back and enjoy the ride.  I have the feeling that this is one of those books that I will need to go back to after finishing it and see what I've missed the first time around.

I'm also thoroughly enjoying the posts and others thoughts about the book.

Tc

[m3girl]

I would have to agree with you on that one - PaulH.  As I started reading the book I first thought it was the 19th century but as I read on - I changed my mind and now at this point I believe it is 'anytime'.....an interesting way to set a story.

Susan 

[bookowlie]

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DSaff wrote:

I'm not sure what I expected from Of Bees and Mist. It took a little time to get me into the story, but now I have questions to be answered.

Meridia's nurse aggravated me at first with the over-protectiveness she displayed. But, as I read more and think about what was happening between her parents, I think that the nurse was protecting Meridia from more than the germs outside. The nurse didn't have to stay - the house was cold in many ways. But, she stayed for Meridia; a protective force from the family's problems, at least for a while. I miss her character.

Meridia disappears into her house because no one really cares enough to see her. Her parents are cold and cruel by not noticing her. They are so caught up in their own hurts and anger that they forget the little girl in their charge. The desire to keep her from knowing what is wrong between them keeps Meridia from feeling loved and cared for. She doesn't feel that she is really part of a family, so is slowly disappearing from view.

 I think Hannah is a ghost, which explains why she doesn't show up in the mirror. I wonder who sent her to help Meridia find friendship and wonder in the world. Clearly, Meridia needed a friend. She needed someone to make her feel welcome in the world, worthy of living. Hannah was that person and I miss her character.

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I agree, it also took me a little time to get into the story.  I got engrossed in the book in Chapter 2.  The book is not what I expected.  The writing is lyrical and beautiful, yet there are so many subtle hints and metapors that I am confused by some parts.  It does make me want to keep reading, so that things will become clearer.

Some parts of the book remind me of Harry Potter such as the stretching and contracting staircase, the reflections in the mirror, mist, etc.  Still, the book seems to be more about the family relationships and uses metaphors whereas Harry Potter is about wizardry and magic in a more obvious way.

Meridia has such a sad, horrible childhood.  Her parents, especially her father Gabriel, take turns ignoring and berating her.  I was particularly disturbed by her father's venomous verbal assaults.

I think Hannah is either a ghost or an imaginay friend, conjured up to give Meridia feelings of self-worth and happiness.  I was so happy that Meridia was able to have some fun and go places in town with a friend.

[MarieBurton]

I am on page 62 and I must say that this is not the book that I expected. I did not understand that there was a lot of mysticism or witchcraft/paranormal things going on, which I must say is just not my thing. So once I've gotten my head around that aspect of it, I am glad that there is something else going on in Meridia's life (meeting Daniel) otherwise I would not have had much more patience for the book. Definitely a slow start here.

As far as 'who is hannah?' I couldn't tell if she was imaginary or not. The whole reality vs. mystic (mists!) is hard to figure out, and I hope I do figure it out.