Other editions of book The Life of the Bee

In an exuberantly poetic work that is less about bees and more about life, Maurice Maeterlinck expresses his philosophy of the human condition. The renowned Belgian poet and dramatist offers brilliant proof in this, his most popular work, that "no living creature, not even man, has achieved in the center of his sphere, what the bee has achieved." From their amazingly intricate feats of architecture to their intrinsic sense of self-sacrifice, Maeterlinck takes a "bee's-eye view" of the most orderly society on Earth. An enthusiastic and expert beekeeper, Maeterlinck did not intend to write a scientific treatise, even though he details such topics as the mathematically accurate construction of the hive, the division of labor among community members, the life of the young queen and her miraculous nuptial flight, and the movement and meaning of the swarm. An enchanting classic by one of the most important figures of world literature in the twentieth century and winner of the 1911 Nobel Prize in Literature, this fascinating study is a magnificent tribute to one of the most orderly communities in the world. It is also filled with humble lessons for the human race.

The Life of the Bee, by Belgian playwright, poet, and essayist, Maurice Maeterlinck was originally published in 1901, as translated by English author, dramatist, and translator Alfred Sutro. The work is a poetic look at life through the consideration of bees, in which Maeterlinck outlines his philosophical view of the human condition. Maeterlinck himself was an avid beekeeper, however, despite his expertise, he did not intend to write a purely scientific work on the bees themselves. Instead he compares the architecture and social organisation of the bee to other forms of life. Demonstrating that no creature, great or small, has achieved any of the feats the bee has achieved, that they have in fact created the most orderly society in the world, and that they should be a lesson for us all.

In "The Life of the Bee," Nobel Prize winner Maurice Maeterlinck offers brilliant proof that "no living creature, not even man, has achieved in the center of his sphere, what the bee has achieved." From their amazingly intricate feats of architecture to their intrinsic sense of self-sacrifice, Maeterlinck takes a "bee's-eye view" of the most orderly society on Earth. A classic bee book written in a lively and readable style, "The Life of the Bee" is reasonably accurate (for a book of its vintage). In the words of Maurice Maeterlinck, "It is not my intention to write a treatise on apiculture, or on practical bee-keeping...I wish to speak of the bees very simply, as one speaks of a subject one knows and loves to those who know it not." It's safe to say that, in "The Life of the Bee," Maurice Maeterlinck succeeded in his goal very well. Maeterlinck, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1911, played an important part in the Symbolist movement. A Belgian playwright, poet, and essayist, Maeterlinck wrote primarily about death and the meaning of life.

In an exuberantly poetic work that is less about bees and more about life, Maurice Maeterlinck expresses his philosophy of the human condition. The renowned Belgian poet and dramatist offers brilliant proof in this, his most popular work, that "no living creature, not even man, has achieved in the center of his sphere, what the bee has achieved." From their amazingly intricate feats of architecture to their intrinsic sense of self-sacrifice, Maeterlinck takes a "bee's-eye view" of the most orderly society on Earth. An enthusiastic and expert beekeeper, Maeterlinck did not intend to write a scientific treatise, even though he details such topics as the mathematically accurate construction of the hive, the division of labor among community members, the life of the young queen and her miraculous nuptial flight, and the movement and meaning of the swarm. An enchanting classic by one of the most important figures of world literature in the twentieth century and winner of the 1911 Nobel Prize in Literature, this fascinating study is a magnificent tribute to one of the most orderly communities in the world. It is also filled with humble lessons for the human race.

This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.

Maurice Maeterlinck’s Life of the Bee is a classic of its kind, and was the first book on bees to introduce the term the ‘spirit of the hive.’ This ageless work gives the reader a poetic and lively look into the life of bees, as well as a reflection upon the human condition. In this book Maeterlinck succeeds in showing us that “no living creature, not even man, has achieved in the center of his sphere, what the bee has achieved.” From their incredible hive architecture to their essential sense of self-sacrifice, Maeterlinck takes a “bee’s-eye view” of the most orderly society on Earth.NOTE: This edition by Azafran Books was published in January 2017 and has been re-edited and formatted by a team of dedicated real people – not an algorithm! This edition is NOT from a scanned copy with original errors. PLEASE regard all reviews prior to our publication date as referring to other editions, which may have typographical errors. Our books have been carefully re-published to the highest of standards.

"If the bee disappeared off the face of the earth, man would only have four years left to live."Maurice Maeterlinck received the 1911 Nobel Prize for Literature, for this excellent book about the life of bees. Far from being an entomologist's study paper, this magnificent poetic work puts the nature of this very special insect center stage.The Life of the Bee constitutes a real philosophical voyage of discovery about the plant world and more particularly, these social insects. This original text is surprising by its scientific precision and accuracy. Maeterlinck's meticulous observations lead us to a veritable masterpiece of descriptions and fundamental questions, bringing into question the observer and the observed.Indeed, the analogies that he uses between the animal kingdom and that of men, make us humble and inquiring, moved and pensive. This portrayal of the hive and the bees becomes at the same time poetic, philosophical and political.Moving between wonder and knowledge, Maeterlinck asks us to preserve the links that unite us with nature. Now that an ecological disaster is threatening to destroy this fragile harmony, this book is well worth reading.