Bees on the Snow

by Saulius Šaltenis, Daiva Litvinskaitė (Introduction), Elizabeth Novickas (Translation)

It's Christmas night, and Pastor Kristijonas has disappeared-so begins this magical, madcap tale of a pastoral Lithuanian community, weaving together myths, legends, and supernatural tales with the lives of ordinary folk. As the ghosts of the Lithuanian dead grapple with those of the newcomers from abroad, a bubbling teapot of passions erupts, and a timeless world is brought to life with humor and love, tragedy and horror.

ebook

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

Saulius Šaltenis - a lithuanian writer known for his free-spirited writing and wide cultural horizons in several generations of readers.

Reviews

[Ugnė · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trumpą Šaltenio romaną perskaityti suviliojo tas faktas, jog pagal jį Eimuntas Nekrošius pastatė Klaipėdoje tokio paties pavadinimo spektaklį. Kūrinyje galima rasti mažumėlę fantastikos, itin vaizdų skurdaus gyvenimo aprašymą. Romanas tamsus, mano sąmonėje net pilkas (spalvos prasme) dėl aprašomo sudėtingo gyvenimo, beveik nieko šviesaus jame nerasi. Tekstą kartais sunku sekti dėl nelinijinės laiko tėkmės - iš dabarties keliamasi į praeitį ir vėl į dabartį. Iš esmės pagrindinis herojus Kristijonas yra Donelaičio alter ego, nors knygos aprašyme minima, kad herojaus gyvenime atsispindi ir kitų Lietuvos veikėjų biografijos. Sužavėjo kai kurių romano herojų charakterių vystymas, charakteriai nebuvo vienpusiški.

[Rick Rapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

This delightful book, skillfully translated by Elizabeth Novickas, defies a neat label. It encompasses reality, supernatural, myth, folktale... and mixes the styles with regularity. It is poetic in feel; its scope of moral lessons is wide. Set in an unnamed period "after the war" (and with Lithuania's history, that could be any century in the last millennium,) the "novel" is peopled with archetypes: greed, jealousy, lust, distrust, to name a few. All the main characters reach the same end and are united in a Heaven as unjust in equitable treatment for all as Earth had been. In spite of the serious themes and situations, there is a simplicity and beauty in the language which lifts this piece above the mundane. Even in the most poignant moments, an element of humor is not far behind. A most unusual find, Saltenis' book is definitely worth a look.

[Daiva Markelis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful translation of a challenging, fascinating political novel. Saltenis uses allegory and metaphor to reveal aspects of Lithuanian life under the Soviets.