Synopsis (Credit: Back cover)

The Hive draws a portrait of life in Madrid following the Spanish Civil War which remains unrivalled. With searing realism and bitter humour yet with compassion, Cela depicts his society in a scintillating collage of everyday scenes: from café to brothel, from cramped homes to the streets themselves, this is a world of hardship, frustration and deceit.

Initially banned from publication in Spain, Cela's powerful fourth novel is widely regarded as his masterpiece.

On the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die List.

(Bought second-hand at Help the Rural Child Charity Bookshop, Victoria Road, Mowbray.)

My experience, reading the book, was of the author as keen, invisible, detached observer of a multitude of lives around him. And without pause or reflection he is making sketches of the inhabitants of Madrid that he sees. Keen, because no detail escapes him. Invisible, because his presence does not seem to influence what transpires. Detached, because he is not the kind of storyteller that is going to point out any obvious targets for the reader's compassion.

So many names, snatches of lives. Gradually the book of sketches becomes an interlinked web — community being too strong a word — of people, each surviving as best he or she can the aftereffects of war.

I noticed there was no English translation of this book in the 1001-library and felt that should be rectified.

Donated to the 1001-library to be included in the library of books on the combined 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list.

If you are interested, let me know.

Thanks so much for your donation Stoepbrak!

This book is now part of the 1001-library. If you want to take this book from the library but don't know how to proceed, please refer to the 1001-library bookshelf.