Le api

by Meelis Friedenthal, Daniele Monticelli (Translator)

Avvolto nel suo lungo mantello, con un baule da viaggio e un curioso pappagallo, il giovane studente Laurentius Hylas approda in Estonia un freddo giorno di fine Seicento. In fuga da un oscuro passato e sospettato di eresia, è diretto a Tartu, la «città delle muse», piccolo centro ai margini dell’allora regno di Svezia, ma sede di una vivace università, dove circolano già le idee rivoluzionarie di Newton e Cartesio, si inaugurano i primi teatri anatomici e si segue la nuova moda dell’opera sulla scia di Molière. In quel fermento scientifico e filosofico che porterà al secolo dei lumi, Laurentius cerca ossessivamente una cura per il male che lo tormenta e che i suoi contemporanei chiamano malinconia. Ma più si addentra nelle domande cui non sa dare risposta – Da dove viene l’anima? Che rapporto ha con il corpo? – più è attratto dal mondo di istinto, superstizione e magia dei contadini nelle campagne. Un mondo che ha già conosciuto da bambino, quando è stato coinvolto nella caccia alle streghe, e ora ritorna a perseguitarlo in sogni e visioni che cominciano a confondersi fatalmente con la realtà. Attraverso il vivido affresco storico di un inedito angolo d’Europa e la vicenda di un intellettuale che sembra dare corpo alle contraddizioni del suo tempo, Friedenthal si cala nelle viscere del secolo di Shakespeare per raccontare il travaglio della modernità e l’avvento di una nuova epoca della ragione, quando la medicina si fa strada tra umori, paure e l’antica fede nell’alchimia, e il buio Nord sogna la radiosa antichità, i simposi in giardini mediterranei avvolti dal dolce ronzio delle api, l’armonia di un mondo che può forse guarire una nostalgia di luce, di oro, di miele.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Magical Realism, 21st Century, Philosophy, Adult

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

The Estonian writer Meelis Friedenthal (b.1973) has written a doctoral thesis at Tartu University on a 13th century philosophical-theological treatise about seeing and vision. Friedenthal is currently Associate Professor in Tartu University and his research topic is the intellectual history of the Early Modern Period.

In 2013 his novel Willow King was one of the winners of the European Union Prize for Literature (EUPL).

Reviews

[Fran · Rating 4 out of 5]

17th Century Dorpat (present-day Tartu, Estonia) was a hotbed of spiritual learning as well as a city of depravity. Philosophical theories were debated by university students while poverty stricken, starving peasants lived on the outskirts of the city. Laurentius Hylas traveled from Holland, with his parakeet Clodia, to attend university in Dorpat. Constant rainfall, severe at times, created hazardous road conditions making carriage travel treacherous. The dampness and chill led to Clodia's death.

Laurentius' colorful, chirping parakeet had helped him maintain emotional balance. Her presence counterbalanced the melancholy he felt. Laurentius now had racing thoughts and noticed an unexpected acrid stench permeating the carriage he was traveling in. He smelled decay in the atmosphere that conjured up prior memories and guilt. He saw shadows among the trees.

Upon arriving in Dorpat, Laurentius matriculated at university and engaged in the philosophical discussions of the times. His damaged spiritual fortitude made him unable to concentrate. He dreamed of phantoms and witches, reliving contorted memories. He needed to determine a plan of action. Would bloodletting help balance his humours or would his "fevers" be better treated with a tincture of willow bark powder? Superstition abounded in the 17th Century. A Willow King, a shadowy figure emerging from the darkness, was rumored to come and steal the souls of the emotionally weak or physically ill. Laurentius needed to restore his body's equilibrium, so apparitions would no longer frequent his dreams and the black bile flowing through his body would no longer enter his soul.

"The Willow King" by Meelis Friedenthal was written about 17th Century medically diverse theories. Should melancholia be treated with folk remedies like willow bark tincture or with the medical practice of bloodletting? What is the nature of the soul? Where is it located in the body?

"The Willow King" is a fascinating tome that perhaps requires more than one reading to fully understand the rich content presented by Friedenthal.

Thank you Steerforth Press, Pushkin Press and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review "The Willow King".

[Ioana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the most original books I've ever read, and certainly the ONLY one I've read that does what this book attempts to do - hence the 5 star rating (though my enjoyment of it hovered more around a 3). The Willow Kind was published in Estonian in 2012 (as Mesilased) and translated into English in 2017.

On the surface, this is a piece of historical fiction that follows a young man on his way to university in Dorpat (modern day Tartu); in terms of plotting, it's about 1/3 journey, 1/3 settling in in Dorpat, and 1/3 happenings around the University. Not terribly exciting, although the historical details are fascinating and so minutely detailed and accurate- if you, like me, love historical fiction for its depictions of bygone eras.

At first I was a bit suspicious of some of the details - the author is an intellectual historian and some of the minutia about daily life seemed off, but after some research into these suspicions, I concluded that not only is Friedenthal spot on, but he is precise to a degree far beyond that of most writers. For example, our protagonist refers to 'travel guides' throughout his journey - which at first I found preposterous; a bit later on he refers to 'apodemic guides' and, in looking up this word (which is not in the dictionary), I find it in academic literature describing, yes, 'travel guides of the 17th century'...

Now, what makes this book one of a kind: this is a historical piece, of which there are many, but I've never read anything that attempts to reconstruct a 17th century consciousness/psyche to such a precise degree. Friedenthal is an intellectual historian, well versed in the theories popular during this age (including those dating back to ancient Greece and the like), and he takes us inside the mind of our protagonist as he considers his 'melancholy' (what today we may call manic-depression, or depression with a mix of extreme anxiety). So, The Willow Kind is essentially a study of mental illness before we had concepts to describe mental illness, from inside the mind of someone who is attempting to understand it using concepts popular at the time (balance of humors; form, substances and spirits; stillness/rest and bleeding as cures, etc).

Overall, a fascinating although not always exciting study.

[Alan (on December semi-hiatus) Teder · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Bees
Review of the Pushkin Press paperback edition (2017) translated by Matthew Hyde from the original Estonian language Mesilased (Bees) (2012)

The Willow King by Meelis Friedenthal does not give up its secrets easily. Just as the dozens of images of birds, human faces and figures that are hidden inside the curlicue willow leaves of its Pushkin Press edition's cover art will not be obvious to the eye until you have examined it closely.

You can take it as the supernatural story of Laurentius Hylas who is a hapless university student suffering from melancholy who sickens further physically as he arrives in late 17th century Dorpat (present-day Tartu, Estonia) until he embraces his role of the titular monarch. You could also take it in a realist sense where the supernatural elements are fantasies and delusions.

I read The Willow King in its excellent new English translation by Matthew Hyde. Curiously, this is the only international translation to date (as of January 2017) that alters the original Estonian title Mesilased (The Bees). The Czech Včely, the Dutch De bijen, the Hungarian Méhek, the Italian Le api, the Latvian Bites, the Norwegian Biene and the Croatian Pčele, all use a title equivalent to “Bees” or “The Bees”. This change is somewhat understandable as direct references to bees are few in the book except for a key discussion on pg. 139 where Laurentius states that “Plato wrote that the soul of a man who has lived a good life is reborn as a bee.” and fellow student Johannes says “bees are born out of a state of decay and putrefaction.” Just prior to this, Laurentius has been advised by University Professor Dimburg that for his illness to be cured “nigredo [i.e. putrefaction] is essential at all costs.”

Friedenthal has stated in an interview* that he took some of his themes from Virgil’s Georgics Book IV which is on the subject of bees and which also touches on the story of Orpheus and Eurydice which is performed in a chamber opera setting in this book.

Dropping “The Bees” as the title does however make it odd that the subtitle “The Birds of the Muses” was left intact on the book’s title page. Bees were considered the birds of the Muses (the 9 goddesses of the arts and sciences) in Greek mythology. As a further tie-in, Laurentius states on pg. 17: "Dorpat is the city most devoted to the Muses."

The theme of a “willow king” is more of a constant refrain in the book though, as when Laurentius' actions are treated as suspicious by the superstitious local Estonians when he goes to gather willow tree bark as a cure for his fever (this is an actual working real-life folk remedy, willow bark contains a substance similar to aspirin). The local legend has it that “Old Nick lives in the hollows of tall willow trees.” Laurentius has regular dreams and visions of a king with a tall crown and is even called the king by a fevered child.

My overall sense of the book is that Laurentius is undergoing a metamorphosis due to his taking a stance of sticking by the old ways (both the teachings of Aristotle and those of natural & folk medicine) vs. a progressive modernism (which in this 17th century time-frame is marked by the teachings of those such as Descartes, Newton and Boyle). This is just based on a single reading of the book which I still plan to read in the original Estonian.

In any case, The Willow King is a challenging read which does requires further investigation if you want to explore all of its references. And those are the sorts of books that I enjoy the most.

Friedenthal provides an extensive Author’s Note in an afterword which provides context about medieval humoral medicine, the great famine in Northern Europe in the late 17th century, the evil eye, superstition and witchcraft. It is probably well worth reading the afterword first as it doesn’t contain spoilers and helps to fix the setting and atmosphere of the book for you.

*see at the very end of “Mixing Academia with Literary Fiction” at http://www.baltictimes.com/news/artic...

#ThereIsAlwaysOne
Erratum pg. 115
“… in the worst case he could up in the dock.” should presumably have been “… in the worst case he could end up in the dock."

[Ends of the Word · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 16th and 17th Centuries were an important period for the development of science as we know it. Unfortunately, the history we’re generally fed is a black-and-white narrative made of heroes and villians, with brave, progressive scientists forging ahead despite the supernatural trammels of religion (and, more specifically, the censorship of the Roman Catholic Church and its nefarious Inquisition).

The truth is much more nuanced and interesting. For a start, within science itself there were several competing approaches. The “mechanical science” of Kepler and Newton would eventually hold sway, but one should not discount the influence of the “natural philosophers” – early chemists and biologists such as Robert Boyle. Natural philosphers tended to follow theologically suspect pantheistic views (hence their clashes with the Church) but most of them also dabbled in alchemy and magic even whilst trying to study these esoteric subjects “empirically”. Some natural philosophers investigated folk remedies and witches' spells, in the belief that they had a basis in “real” science. Thus we meet, for instance, Jan Baptista van Helmont, a 17th Century scholar from the “Spanish Netherlands” (modern-day Belgium), who published studies on a method for treating gunshot wounds, involving dipping the offending weapon itself in a salve made up of, amongst other dubious ingredients, blood and “moss taken from a skull”. But it would be wrong to draw too clear a line between the “natural” and “mechanical” philosophers and brand the latter as more empirical and secular in approach. Newton dabbled in alchemy too, and Kepler had his quasi-supernatural theories about the “music of the spheres”. On the other hand, Helmont, when not hunting for moss in graveyards, was carrying out groundbreaking experiments which have gained him the epithet of “father of pneumatic chemistry”. In other words, this was an era in which the greatest and most rational of scientific minds held opinions which were, by present-day standards at least, manifestly irrational. (Some books which delve into these matters : Miracles at the Jesus Oak: Histories of the Supernatural in Reformation Europe, Giordano Bruno and the Hermetic Tradition, God's Philosophers: How the Medieval World Laid the Foundations of Modern Science).

In his novel “The Bees” (renamed as “The Willow King” in Matthew Hyde ’s excellent translation) Meelis Friedenthal takes us back to the late 17th Century and immerses us into the philosophical and scientific debates of the age. His protagonist Laurentius is a scholar who has just arrived to complete his medical studies at Dorpat (modern-day Tartu, Estonia), after having hastily abandoned his course at the University of Leiden under suspicion of heresy. Laurentius embodies the contradictions of his world. Well abreast of the cutting-edge works of Boyle and Descartes, he nonethless clings on to the outmoded views of Aristotle and the medical theories of Galen regarding the body’s “four humours”. Besides, Laurentius appears to be still in thrall to the superstitions of the common people. Over the course of a feverish week spent in a rain-sogged Estonia, where peasants are suffering a terrifying famine and word is spreading of a mysterious and devilish “willow king”, he finds himself taken over by the supernatural dread which marked his boyhood.

This is undoubtedly a quirky work or – if you are feeling ungenerous – a flawed one. Apart from a few chapters, the novel is largely rendered in a third-person narrative which generally follows the interior monologues of Laurentius, interspersed with occasional, pointless exclamations (“Ah!”, “Right!”, “Hopeless!”, “Very well!”) The characters often indulge in learned explanations and debates, providing us (quite unsubtly) with historical context and an overview of current philosophical trends. The plot is initially sketchy and eventually downright confusing.

Yet, despite my reservations, I lapped this novel up, haunted by its dark atmosphere and the author’s uncanny ability to recreate not just the sights and sounds of 17th century Estonia, but also the very thoughts of his characters. Indeed, my take on the novel is that it is a journey into the mindset of the period, and that the more fantastical parts of the plot are meant to represent the (for us) irrational beliefs of the time. Friedenthal moves deftly between genres – this is, nominally, a historical novel but, when Friedenthal pulls out all the stops, it ventures into Gothic and folk-horror territory and becomes deliciously creepy.

As my friend Alan suggested in an earlier review of the book, it makes sense to read the author’s afterword before delving into the book. It gives context to the novel without any spoilers and might make the work more intelligible to those who are new to the exciting historical period it portrays.

***

This review has now been uploaded also at https://endsoftheword.blogspot.com/20...

[Anete · Rating 3 out of 5]

Studenta ierašanās 17.gs. Igaunijā... kaut kā diezgan nomācoši un garlaicīgi.

Pozitīvais - interesantas vēstures detaļas par Tērbatu, 17. gs. ikdienas dzīvi, ļoti reālistiski aprakstītas visas rudens smakas, slapjumi, aukstums, slimības, depresija.

Ļoti daudz filozofu pārdomas par dvēseli, medicīnu, burvestībām un plaši apspriesti visādi teoloģiski jautājumi.

[Kristīne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Visādā ziņā īsts vēsturiskais romāns, bet ne tāds, pie kāda mēs, popkorna ēdāji, būtu pieraduši.

Vēsturiski un dvēseliski autentisks, vietām mazliet garlaicīgs, citkārt saviļņojoši dziļdomīgs romāns, kas, jā, piemērots rudenim.

Pilnai laime es varbūt biju par slinku, lai izbaudītu šī romāna burvību, manas zināšanas filozofijā un ideju vēsturē ir diegan vājas, bet ar interesi sekoju laikmeta praktiskās puses aprakstiem, un ļoti priecājos, ka man nav jāpērk siens gultai vai drudža zāles jāskubina no krasmalas vītolim un pēc tam jādeg uz sārta par burvestībām.

Šis noteikti ir labs darbs literatūras stundām, te ir viens varens sīpols, ko lobīt gan valodas stundās, gan vēstures un filozofijas.

[Giovanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

È un romanzo dotto, Le api, un romanzo di quelli che insegnano un sacco di cose ai lettori. È istruttivo sia per quanto riguarda la vita quotidiana nell'Estonia seicentesca, sia per quanto riguarda le teorie medico-filosofiche in voga all'epoca. L'autore mira a far ragionare il lettore come un estone del Seicento, riuscendoci piuttosto bene, ma a costo di mettere in bocca ai personaggi spiegazioni di questa o quella teoria in modo un po' artificioso.

Sembra che a Friedenthal interessi soprattutto parlare dei temi che gli sono cari, temi meravigliosi come la melancolia, l'anima o la superstizione, e a questo pieghi storia e personaggi. Per quanto sia lodevole, in questi tempi in cui si rifugge la complessità, lo sforzo di scrivere un romanzo fitto di storia e filosofia, ricco di simboli e, come già detto, estremamente istruttivo, non si può negare che l'impianto narrativo ne risenta troppo: la trama è costruita su scene che mirano a illustrare usanze e credenze dell'epoca. Vorrei essere chiara: non sono tra quelli che non accettano qualche “spiegone”, o tra quelli che aborrono l'uso della narrativa per parlare anche d'altro, ma in questo caso mi è parso che i personaggi stessero in piedi solo come un pretesto per l'espressione di idee e che la storia fosse inconsistente, se privata del sostrato didascalico. Mi dispiace esprimermi in questi termini, perché trovo che l'ambientazione sia interessante, e un autore dotto come Friedenthal avrebbe potuto usare meglio, in senso narrativo, le sue conoscenze in campo storico e filosofico.

Tra le cose positive, la capacità dell'autore di rendere palpabili umidità, putridume, freddo e marciume, in descrizioni che fanno sentire il lettore al fianco dei personaggi in un ambiente malato e ostile. Tolte queste descrizioni efficaci, però, nemmeno lo stile mi ha convinto più di tanto, come se Friedenthal oscillasse tra l'aspirazione a scrivere un romanzo complesso e la volontà di fare il divulgatore e di semplificare lo stile per trasmettere più efficacemente determinate informazioni. Ne esce una scrittura senza gran carattere, un po' scolastica e impersonale (potrebbe anche essere colpa della traduzione, però, perché durante la lettura ho percepito qualche “slittamento”).

Non vorrei essere così inclemente con questo libro, che in fondo è molto (ma molto!) meglio di tante cose che vengono propinate ai lettori; tuttavia c'è un malinteso di fondo, secondo me, che riguarda la buona letteratura: per quanto Le api sia stato scritto da una persona che sa quello che dice, colta e capace di scrivere in modo corretto, non è stato scritto da un grande narratore. Se non si crede profondamente nelle parole e nella loro capacità di dare vita ai personaggi e alle storie, e si parte da un'idea, trattando le parole come semplice mezzo per comunicarla, la magia non riesce.

[Ugnė · Rating 5 out of 5]

Įtaigi knyga. Skaitydama jaučiausi lyg pati beveik sirgčiau tiek karščiavimu, tiek melancholija. Iš pradžių norėjau sakyti, kad pastaroji ne visai tas pats, kas depresija, nes pastaroji tapatinama su bejėgyste, o ne raganyste, kam reikia ir veiksmo, ir vitališkumo. Tačiau prisiminiau, kaip ilgas buvimas su depresija sergančiu žmogumi išsunkia jėgas ir aptemdo gyvenimo džiaugsmą ir sveikiesiems, ir pagalvojau, kad viduramžiais tai tikrai galėjo būti kitaip suvokiama, ir ne visai laimingas žmogus galėjo tapti kitų nelaimių kaltininku be jokių papildomų aktyvios raganystės atributų.

[Oskar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mõni raamat on kohe mõeldud kindlal aastaajal või ilmastikutingimustes lugemiseks. Näiteks Kivirähki "Rehepappi" tuleks kindlasti lugeda novembris või Hargla "Pöörast pööripäeva" talvisel pööripäeval. Lihtsalt saadav lugemuselamus on sellisel juhul tunduvalt tugevam.

Sarnane lugemiselamuse katalüsaator on olemas ka Meelis Friedenthali romaanil "Mesilased". Kui sünoptikud on nädalaks lubanud järjepanu vihmasadu ja Päike on Kreetale puhkusele sõitnud, siis on õige aeg "Mesilastega" algust teha. Eestis paiknev lugeja omab siin kohal muidugi mõista eelisseisundit, sest sellist ilmaprognoos võib igal aastaajal raadiost kuulda.

Lääne-Austraalias konutades pole vastavate ilmastikuolude leidmine pooltki nii lihtne. Võimaluste aken avaneb, kui saabub siinne "talv" ehk külmade vihmade aeg. Viimased paar nädalat ongi meil sobilikud olud olnud. Kasutasin juhust ning asusin koheselt "Mesilasi" lugema. Samuti on mul raamatusse sisse elamiseks veel üks "suurepärane" abivahend. Romaani peategelane üliõpilane Laurentius tunneb teda pidevalt jälitavat ning iiveldama ajavat mäda ja roiskumise lõhna. Meie majanaabriks olev padualkohoolikust hiinlane (kutsume teda "hellitavalt" Kännukukeks) eritab oma toast välja suitsule minnes samuti hingematvat haisu. Tänu tema hõrgule "parfüümile" sain tõesti uutmoodi lugemiskogemuse võrra rikkamaks (ainult Tartus viibimine oleks ühe lisatasandi juurde andnud). Pole julgenud teda selle "teene" eest veel tänama minna.

Jõudes lugemisest lõpuks loetava juurde, siis "Mesilased" räägib meile müstilise ja unenäolise loo 17. sajandi lõpus Leidenist Tartusse studeerima tulnud välisüliõpilasest Laurentiusest. Madalmaadest on ta siia Euroopa piirialadele suundunud nii majanduslikel kui ka ideoloogilistel põhjustel. Romaanist leiab mitmeid huvitavaid mõttevahetusi usudogmade, inimhinge olemuse, haiguste põhjustajate ja uuenduslike ravimeetodite üle. Muidugi iga haiguse puhul laseme kõigepealt aadrit ja teeme kliistrit! Kui see ei aita, siis tuleb äkki tuleb isegi arsti poole pöörduda ning mõni ravim kokku segada. Peaasi, et kehamahlad (veri, lima, kollane sapp ja must sapp) oleksid tasakaalus ja planeetide seis soodne. Meditsiin ja alkeemia olid tol ajal veel üpriski lähedased sugulased. Siinkohal tuleb meeles pidada, et tollal mõtestati kogu maailmas toimuvat ning ka kõiki teadusharusid siiski teoloogiast lähtuvalt. Surematu inimhinge ja Jumala kahtluse alla seadmine oleks tähendanud teaduskarjääri lõppu ning ühiskondliku paaria staatust.

Laurentiuse silmade läbi avaneb toonase Tartu ning ühe Rootsi impeeriumi idaprovintsi kogu hiilgus ja viletsus. Suur näljahäda on just saabumas Eestimaale ning ka tema vend Katk pole enam kaugel. Maarahvas näeb juba näljast põhjustatud hallutsinatsioone, kõik seletamatu kuulutatakse nõiakunstiks ja levivad kuuldused esimestest kannibalismi juhtumitest. Ülikooli professoritel ja tudengitel on siiski veel aega korraldada bankette ning näitemänge. Pidu katku ajal hakkab aina rohkem hoogu sisse võtma ning Käsu Hansule kantakse lausa kandikul ette motiive tema legendaarseks nutulauluks.

"Kuldne" Rootsi aeg on kahjuks liiga harva andnud ainest meie kirjanikele. Pigem on kirjutatud Rootsi võimu saabumisest (Liivimaa sõda) ja kokkuvarisemisest (Põhja sõda). Kuid perioodist, millal Läänemeri oli Rootsi impeeriumi sisemeri ja selle idakaldal loodi ka minu alma mater, pole paraku palju kirjandusteoseid ilmunud. Meelis Friedenthali teos on tõesti meeldiv täiendus meie viljakal ajalooromaanide maastikul, tuues sinna juurde müstilisust ja avarust.


Teisi minu arvustusi saate lugeda blogist aadressil:
http://kirjanduslikpaevaraamat.blogsp...

[Calzean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laurentius Hylas arrives in 17th Century Dorpat (present-day Tartu, Estonia) to further his studies.
There is constant rainfall, crops have been ruined and the peasants are starving. At the Uni studies of medicine are mixed with philosophy as the great thinkers consider where is the soul, how illness permeates the body and where God fits into everything. Laurentius is also suffering from depression and is yet to find a way to cure his fevers. But he has weird dreams and visions featuring his dead parrot and the Willow King who is believed to steal the souls of the weak.
The book gives an impressive coverage of the moral and academic debates of the times, where those who are different are considered witches and folklore directed the actions of the uneducated.

[Kobe Bryant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great atmosphere and you get to learn something

[Martha · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 tärni

Hästi põnev on Laurentiuse jälgedes 300-aasta taguses vihmases ja kohati müstilises Tartus seigelda. Ladus, meeleline, filosoofiline, nauditav. Pool tärni võtan siiski maksimumist maha. Autor orienteerub kahtlemata suurepäraselt 17. sajandi lõpu teaduslikes ja akadeemilistes suundumustes, kuid kohati olid need esitatud loo kontekstis ebaloomulikult.

Ja üks tsitaadikene ka, mis sobitub nii 17. sajandi nõia- kui kaasaegsesse vaktsiinidiskursusesse:

"Tahate öelda, et see vanamees ei olnud ära tehtud? Oma peaga tuleb mõelda ja ise järeldusi teha. Teoloogid ei tea midagi. Ma ju ise näen, mis on mis. Oma silm on kuningas, nagu öeldakse. Selle jaoks ei ole mingit kooli tarvis," jäi argitark parkal endale kindlaks. "Need põhupead on end lolliks õppinud, seda teab igaüks."

[Ringa Sruogienė · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liko kažkoks neužbaigtumo įspūdis. Knyga - lyg iškarpa, trumpas vaizdelis iš didelės apimties kūrinio.

[Guna Federe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Labi varēja izjust 17. gadsimta gaisotni - māņticības ziedu laikus, melanholijas melno žultainumu un asins nolaišanu kā visu slimību panaceju.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ouch. My brain hurts, but in a "wow, that was a great book, and I learned a lot" kind of way. I have recently been working on lectures for the fall semester and had just re-familiarized myself with Hippocrates' theory of the four humours. Who knew I'd be reading a book with melancholy as a theme? There is very much a sense of conflict between physical and spiritual explanations for behavior and phenomena here, unsurprising given the frequent allusions to Descartes. In many ways the spiritual takes on a corporeal presence, adding a touch of magical realism and even horror.

I was not at all surprised to learn that the author is a historical and theological scholar at Tartu University. There is no way someone could have written such a detailed historical and philosophical novel with such accuracy without having spent a good amount of time in the history books. As with any excellent historical fiction, the reader is left with a desire to learn more about the time period. For instance, I had no idea that Estonia was once under Swedish rule (European history before the 19th century is unfortunately not well emphasized in American history courses). And now I need to add Estonia to my travel bucket list.

If you have even a passing interest in historical fiction, philosophy, or medical history, you will enjoy this treasure. It will likely leave you with more questions than answers, but is that necessarily a bad thing? Not in my (pardon the pun) book.

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with an advanced reader copy through NetGalley.

[Mairita (Marii grāmatplaukts) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Teksts, kas nešķiet sarakstīts mūsu laikā un caur jauna studenta Laurencija ciešanām pēta 17.gs. teoloģijas un medicīnas teorijas par cilvēka dvēseli un tās saistību ar veselību. Kopumā interesenti.
Plašāk https://gramatas.wordpress.com/2016/0...

[hella · Rating 5 out of 5]

kui oleks viis osa jätku võiksin kõiki lugeda

[Marko Kivimäe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Miks küll keegi ei ole mind varem pannud Meelis Friedenthali lugema?!

Aga pikemalt...

...jah, minu esimene Friendenthal. Olen temast kui ulmekirjanikust ammu juba kuulnud, ükski raamat pole aga näppu jäänud. Meelis Friedenthal on võitnud mitmeid auhindu, muuhulgas ka Stalkeri, olnud Aasta Kirjanik ning saanud Euroopa Liidu kirjandusauhinna kõnealuse raamatu eest. Friedenthal on dr. theol; muuhulgas ka ulmeajakirja Algernoni toimetuses. Eemalt vaadates on autor jätnud sellise... esteedi mulje (palun vabandust, aga mul hakkas nüüd Psychoterror peas kummitama, väga piinlik), mis kunagi pelutas, see on ka põhjuseks, miks MF on seni lugemata olnud. Praeguseks ajaks aga vastupidi, hoopis tekitas väljapeetud muljend huvi. Peale raamatu lõpetamist mõtlesin et oh, kauaoodatud kaunikene.

"Mesilased" ei ole ulme. Vist. St raamat on vahepeal unenäoline, mulle tuli millegipärast Ristikivi "Hingede öö" silme ette, millest, tõsi küll, ma ei mäleta suurt midagi, kuna lugesin viimati paarkümmend aastat tagasi.

Lugesin raamatu kolmandat trükki. "Mesilasi" on tõlgitud neljateistkümnesse keelde, mis on mingis mõttes arusaadav, kuna 17. sajandi lõpus Tartus toimuv tegevus on üsna universaalne ning mõistetav terves Euroopas. Rääkimata sellest, et raamat on tõesti suurepärane kompott, mis räägib loo ning samal ajal harib lugejat Eesti ühe ajalooperioodi kohapealt.

Raamat räägib üliõpilasest nimega Laurentius Hylas, kes on Leideni ülikoolis saanud baka ning siirdub Tartu Ülikooli õppima. Aasta on 1696, Eesti on nälgas, kogu aeg sajab vihma, igalpool on ikaldus ja surm, isu pole ja suus on kehv maitse. Raamat kestab vaid nädala, selle aja jooksul annab autor suurepärase vaate tolle aja teoloogiasse, humoraalsesse meditsiini, juttu on Boyle korpuskulite teooriast, palaviku ravimisest aadri laskmisega, tinktuuride segamisest. Nõiad, nende protsessid ja kõik seonduv on äärmiselt oluline teema. Eriti huvitav oli vahepeal raamat käest panna ning mõtiskleda, kuidas tänapäeva maailm on osade inimeste jaoks samasugune kui siin raamatus, 17. sajandi lõpus. Mitusada aastat on edasi läinud, mõned ideed aga elavad siiamaani... aga see selleks.

Soovitan peale raamatu lugemist tutvuda ka Vikiga, seal on mitmeid huvitavaid seoseid välja toodud. Raamatu lõpus on autori märkused, mis on pigem essee kogu loetud maailm ja temaatika kohta, andis teosele äärmiselt palju juurde.

Eraldi kiidan veel raamatu mahtu. Paarsada lehekülge, parajalt pikad peatükid, on mõtisklemist ja tegevust - jah, palun sellised raamatuid veel ja veel mu lugemisse!

Võrratu raamat. Kui Friedenthali teised raamatud on vähegi sama tugeva tasemega, mmm... sealt on palju väärt lugemist ees ootamas.

Juba algus on selline, et lööb jalust maha ja paneb mõnust nurruma:

"Kogu aeg sadas vihma. Vihm oli mädandanud saagi põldudel, pannud hallitama majade puust seinad, muutnud vetikaligedaks laevade tekilauad. Laurentius oli juba mitu kuud söönud mädanenud leiba, elanud hallitavates majades ja viimasel nädalal ka libisenud ligedal laevatekil. Must sapp kogunes temasse, nagu jõkke torgatud toki otsa koguneb kõnts. Nüüd astus ta lõpuks kõikuvast paadist sadamakaile, selle põhjamudasse rammitud palkide peale löödud libedatele laudadele ja vaatas kõhklevalt ümbruskonnas ringi. Tuul puhus madalast taevast hoogude kaupa veepritsmeid näkku ja ta proovis aru saada, milline on see maa, kuhu ta enda vabal valikul oli tulnud. Lage, valge liiva ja üksikute pillirootuttidega kaldariba ning ühtlased hallid pilved meenutasid väga seda sadamat, kust ta oli teele asunud. Postilaeva mast paistis samasugusena halli taeva taustal ning palakad, mis nendele olid tõmmatud, paistsid samasugused hallid ja ilmetud nagu siis, kui ta oli teele asunud. Pikalt merre ulatuva silla kõrval oli näha pooleldi porise vee alla mattunud muul ja selle otsas vees kössitav vana vahimaja, mida ilmselt juba mõnda aega ei olnud keegi kasutanud. Neid majavaresid oli kõikide sadamate juures ning vaatamata oma armetusele sisendas selline pilt Laurentiusele miskipärast hoopis kindlust. Siingi oli sadamaid ümber ehitatud, siingi laiendati uute laevade tarbeks, vanad vahimajad jäeti maha."
(lk. 3)

Veel näide stiilist:

Läbi sinakashallide pilvede ja niiske atmosfääri hämu paistis kuu nagu mudalombis ujuv laternapeegeldus. Tuulte tõugatuna rullusid poeetide taevakeha ees tompudeks koondunud veepiisad, venitasid end kiududeks, moodustasid hämaraid laike ja fantastilisi kujundeid. Näis, nagu oleks põhjatuulte jumal sundinud omi alluvaid tagant ning nõudnud nende käest järjest rohkem ja rohkem: tants muutus taevas metsikumaks ning pöörase pillerkaarina kihutasid pilveräbalad üle kahvatuheledalt aimuva laigu.
(lk. 201)

Raamatu algust saab lugeda siit: http://algernon.ee/node/14

Romaanikatkend EPLis: https://epl.delfi.ee/artikkel/6431303...

Katkendeid romaanist saab kuulata siit: https://vikerraadio.err.ee/876528/jar...

[Milan]

Mladi Laurencijus Hilas je primoran da iz Holandije pređe na studije u Estoniji. Malo je bogohulio svojom naukom, pa nije loše da se malo skloni od uvek otvorenih očiju Svete Inkivizicije. Elem, Laurencijusa muči crna žuč (mi bi danas rekli depresija, apatija, melanholija) i u napadima te bolesti njemu se priviđaju tajanstvene žene i još neke mistične pojave. U napadu neukosti, gladi i bolesti okolnim seljanima se takođe priviđaju veštice, vukodlaci, kraljevi vrbe (neki lokalni demon)…

U romanu „Pčele“ estonski književnik Melis Fridental je opisao onaj trenutak u istoriji Evrope (kraj 17. veka) kada su ravnopravno jedno uz drugo obitavali naučnici i alhemičari, veštice i filozofi, nauka i praznoverje… Bilo je to doba kada je Isak Njutn mogao da bude i prvi moderni naučnik, ali, istovremeno, i jedna od poslednjih veštica.

„Pčele“ su istorijski roman koji se približava gotičkom hororu. Zanimljiva misterija, lepo opisan svet u kome se dešava radnja, lako se čita, lični na nešto što bi, istina dosta kompleksnije, mogao da napiše i Umberto Eko…

Više o knjizi možete pročitati u malo dužem tekstu na ovom linku: http://www.bookvar.rs/pcele-hello-dar...

[Fantastiškų KŽL · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trys su minusu :)


https://knyguziurkes.wordpress.com/20...

[Hanna Stiina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kui Hiiumaal Meelis Friedenthali "Mesilased" ette võtsin, ütles üks G sugulane, et ta pidi seda magistris lugema ja et temale see raamat kohe üldse-üldse ei meeldinud. Muidugi tekitas see minus aina suuremat õhinat ja tuleb välja, et ma pole tükk aega midagi nii head, ladusat ja mahedalt veidrat (aga tuttavat) lugenud. Kindlasti on see teos, mida hakkan aeg-ajalt uuesti lugema. Aplaus. 🐝

[Lisanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Palun veeeel...

[Cristina - Athenae Noctua · Rating 4 out of 5]

Le api è un romanzo che si muove in un favoloso intreccio fra storia, scienza e magia (un indirizzo narrativo definito 'storicismo magico'), obbligando il lettore a dubitare continuamente della probabilità e della realtà delle vicende cui assiste.
http://athenaenoctua2013.blogspot.it/...

[Märt-matis Lill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Selle raamatu suuri võlusid on see kuidas autor väga veenvalt ja põhjalikult maalib pildi sellest, kuidas 17. sajandil isennast ja maailma tajuti. Meelise eruditsioon alkeemia ja keskaegse maailmapildi vallas ning suurepärane stiil ja hea maitse annavad kokku võrratu lugemiselamuse.

[Liene · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it! I felt like I was learning something new (melancholy, European history, Estonian history, philosophy), like my mind was spinning with the ideas this book evoked in me. It made me reevaluate what is fantasy and fantasy genre for me.

[Greisa Rozīte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nekad neesmu lasījusi kaut ko šādu. Es neizniekošu savus vārdus, šo grāmatu aprakstot, jo nespētu. Šī rindkopiņa noteikti izveidos labāku priekšstatu par tās savdabīgumu:
“Pie šķūņa pieredzētā smaka nepārtraukti virmoja viņa nāsīs kā rūgts un skumjš smārds, taču ķermeņa iekšienē tā bija iesakņojusies kā brants, kam virsējās, baltās, gaļīgās sēnes ir tikai pazīme, taču smacējošā iedaba slēpjas lejā, saknēs, kas līkumo šurp un turp un no kā galīgi atbrīvoties nespēj pat visprasmīgākais namdaris. Tikai uguns spēj iznīcināt brantu, līdzīgi kā drudzis slimību. Taču bieži, lai atbrīvotos no branta, vajadzēja nodedzināt visu maju. Laurentijam bija sajūta, ka pēdīgi tā notiks arī ar viņu; tas slimības brants, kas viņā perinās kopš bērnības, neatstās viņu, pirms miesa būs sadegusi.”
Un visa grāmata tādā garā. Fenomenāli.

[Kristine Kornijanova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tērbatas universitātei mūsu vēsturē ir īpaša loma un tāpēc vien šo grāmatu ir vērts paturēt rokās; lai gan līdz laikam, kad tur mācīsies mūsējie vēl paies divi gadsimti! Šobrīd studijas Tērbatā uzsāk melanholijas mākts holandietis, šobrīd zinātnes pasaule vēl mēģina saprast, vai gravitācijas spēki tomēr nav okulti un katru slimību mēģina ārstēt ar asiņu nolaišanu vai klizmu, šobrīd reģions cieš badu jau kuras neražas dēļ, šobrīd katra atšķirība tiek norakstīta uz pesteļiem un var kļūt tev bīstama. Gūti dzīvot, grūti nesajukt prātā, un kad "nogursti no bēgšanas atliek palikt padevīgi stāvam un gaidām, lai viss ātri beigtos".
Mani fascinēja šo cilvēku izturība, bet vēl vairāk viņu pieticība.
P.S. Varbūt kādam, lai vieglāk lasās, jāsāk ar autora piezīmēm grāmatas beigās?

[Mihkel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Praegu alustas ta aga järgmist teesi. Mitte mingil juhul ei tohi aega kaotada – tal oli tunne nagu unenäos lennates. Mõistus sai aru, et keha kergus on ebareaalne, aga ikkagi õhk kandis teda, ikkagi paistsid tema pilgule puude ladvad ja linn ja majad väga väikestena, justkui kirikutornist vaadates. Eeterlikult. See ei saanud kaua kesta.

Milline atmosfäär! Selline rõhuv, hästiseatud vahelduvusega (ja ajuti ka yhekorraga!) nii eba- kui maine. Ja olgu neetud jaanuarit täitnud eksamisess, mis selle nautimist vahepeal segas.

[Elar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Keskaegne eluolu kirjeldus on suurepärane. Samuti ka tolleaegse ülikooli linna kirjeldus koos akadeemilise taustainfogaga on igati suurepärane. Minu jaoks jäi aga lugu veidi liiga unelevaks ja filosofeerivaks. Väga hea oli ka järelsõna, mis aitas lugu palju paremini mõista ja asetas loetud pusletükid veelgi paremini paika.

[SIMONA/ knygos.simleto · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5⭐
Keista knyga, keistas tekstas.. baigiau ir likau nesupratusi...