شهر زنبوران

by Thomas Keneally, حسین ابراهیمی (Translator), شقایق قندهاری (Translator)

As Ned Kelly lies in the hospital with appendicitis, the last thing he expects is to have a bee offer him a gold liquid that shrinks him to apian dimensions. Together with Nancy Clancy (who speaks only in irritating rhymes), Ned rides off on the bee's back to live in the hive, where he is enchanted by his new friends: Romeo the lovesick drone, Basil the activist, and haughty Queen Selma. Exciting and witty, Thomas Keneally's delightful story will bring children hours of entertainment, even as it teaches them more about bees than they'd ever learn in school.

Genres: Fantasy, Childrens

168 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Thomas Michael Keneally, AO (born 7 October 1935) is an Australian novelist, playwright and author of non-fiction. He is best known for writing Schindler's Ark, the Booker Prize-winning novel of 1982, which was inspired by the efforts of Poldek Pfefferberg, a Holocaust survivor. The book would later be adapted to Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List (1993), which won the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Often published under the name Tom Keneally in Australia.

Life and Career:

Born in Sydney, Keneally was educated at St Patrick's College, Strathfield, where a writing prize was named after him. He entered St Patrick's Seminary, Manly to train as a Catholic priest but left before his ordination. He worked as a Sydney schoolteacher before his success as a novelist, and he was a lecturer at the University of New England (1968–70). He has also written screenplays, memoirs and non-fiction books.

Keneally was known as "Mick" until 1964 but began using the name Thomas when he started publishing, after advice from his publisher to use what was really his first name. He is most famous for his Schindler's Ark (1982) (later republished as Schindler's List), which won the Booker Prize and is the basis of the film Schindler's List (1993). Many of his novels are reworkings of historical material, although modern in their psychology and style.

Keneally has also acted in a handful of films. He had a small role in The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (based on his novel) and played Father Marshall in the Fred Schepisi movie, The Devil's Playground (1976) (not to be confused with a similarly-titled documentary by Lucy Walker about the Amish rite of passage called rumspringa).

In 1983, he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO). He is an Australian Living Treasure.

He is a strong advocate of the Australian republic, meaning the severing of all ties with the British monarchy, and published a book on the subject in Our Republic (1993). Several of his Republican essays appear on the web site of the Australian Republican Movement.

Keneally is a keen supporter of rugby league football, in particular the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles club of the NRL. He made an appearance in the rugby league drama film The Final Winter (2007).

In March 2009, the Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd, gave an autographed copy of Keneally's Lincoln biography to President Barack Obama as a state gift.

Most recently Thomas Keneally featured as a writer in the critically acclaimed Australian drama, Our Sunburnt Country.

Thomas Keneally's nephew Ben is married to the former NSW Premier, Kristina Keneally.

Reviews

[P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must have read this book at least 20-30 times from the ages of 8 to 10. It's a daring, imaginative, witty romp that can be enjoyed from 8 to 80. Can't wait for the film version!

[Barb Flory · Rating 3 out of 5]

Delightful fantasy for YA. I learned a lot about bees.

[Mahdiye HajiHosseini · Rating 4 out of 5]

.
از اون کتابای عجیبی که خیلی رندوم به دستت می‌رسه و تا اخرین لحظه هم نمی‌تونی دلیلی بیاری که چرا داری ادامه می‌دیش. اما ازش لذت می‌بری و احتمالا خیلی سخت بتونی فراموشش کنی. بهترین کلمه برای توصیفش به نظرم عجیبه. این عجیب بودن همیشه تو چشمته اما به طرز عجیبی اینقدر طبیعی هم به نظر میاد که نمیتونی مستقیم دست بذاری روش.

لینک طاقچه

[Kieran McAndrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ned Kelly is shrunk by a bee and spends an entire summer living in a hive, learning the ways of the hard working insects.

A wonderful children's story, with a sense of pathos and a dreamlike intensity.

[رزی - Woman, Life, Liberty · Rating 3 out of 5]

رمان کوتاه و کیوتی بود. اول می‌خواستم بهش 2 بدم چون نه تاثیر خاصی داشته نه لذت آنچنانی داده ولی فکر می‌کنم کتابی که چند سال از ذهن آدم بیرون نره لیاقتش بیشتره.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

به نظرم سه و نیم بیشتر مناسبش بود ولی دست و دلبازانه امتیاز دادم.
ایده ی جالبی داشت و یادم نمی آید چنین ایده ای را توی ادبیات دیده باشم.
تو دوره ای که همه کتابارو نخوانده برمی گرداندم آنقدر جذبم کرد که در مدت تقریبا کوتاهی بخوانمش و دوست داشتم بدانم ته قصه چی می شود. .
ایده ی خوبی بوده و می شد رویش بیشتر کار کرد.مثلا یک رمان بزرگسال حداقل دویست صفحه ای می شد ازش درآورد،ولی درآن صورت این سادگیش را از دست میداد و شاید کتاب خوبی نمی شد.الان داستان نوجوان خوبی است،ولی شاید این ایده برای بالای بیست سال جذاب نباشد.
در کل کتاب بدی نبود.قطعا اگه بچه تر بودم می خواندمش- مثلا تو سال های دبستان-،خیلی خیلی خوشم می آمد و مدت ها بهش فکر می کردم و با شخصیت هایش زندگی می کردم.ولی از سن من دیگر گذشته بود.

[Autumn · Rating 5 out of 5]

After over a decade of searching I have found this book once more. A delightful short tale of a poor little boy who has a magical journey out of his suffering in a hospital.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked it up at a bargain store so I had very little expectations, but it turned out to be quite a fun adventure. Nice bit of light reading for kids.

[Jen H]

The other main character is Apis!

Enjoyable read, factual for children interested in the life in a bee hive.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very sweet and unusual children's book. Lovely to read with gorgeous woodcut illustrations.

[Maryam · Rating 4 out of 5]

اول اینکه نویسنده‌ی این داستان همان کسی است که کتاب فهرست شیندلر را هم نوشته است. و دوم اینکه این کتاب تنها کتابی است که این نویسنده برای کودکان و نوجوانان نوشته. و چه کتابی هم نوشته. عسل.

برای بچه‌های هشت سال به بالا عالی است و در عین لذت بردن از داستانی فانتزی به خوبی با ساز و کار جامعه‌ی زنبورها آشنا خواهند شد. نویسنده در ارتباط دادن احساسات آدم‌ها و زنبوران خیلی موفق عمل کرده و نشان داده در واقع فرقی میان انسان و حیوان وجود ندارد. همگی هم‌قطارهایی طبیعی هستیم و البته ما بسیار وابسته به دیگر هم‌قطارهایمان.

[Heather Tribe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did you know that the author of Schindler’s List, Thomas Keneally, also wrote a splendid children’s book set in Australia called Ned Kelly & the City of Bees? It’s about a boy who is shrunken down to size and spends a summer in a beehive, witnessing and learning all about bee activity. The ending transported me back to the 80’s!

[Donna Cousins]

Ned Kelly and the City of the Bees is an amazing book. I enjoyed reading it so much, everything about it is perfect. The worst part was when it ended but re-reading it is just as fun. :)

[Marilyn]

Can be for adults or kids as young as 7 as a read aloud. Very interesting to learn about the way the bee's society works.