Bee Season: A Novel
by Myla Goldberg
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Book Summary Information
Author: Myla GoldbergEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2001-05-15
ISBN: 0385498802
Number of pages: 275
Publisher: Anchor
Book Reviews of Bee Season: A Novel
Book Review: "Kabbalah gone awry"
Summary: 3 Stars
As a therapist and teacher of Jewish mysticism (and author of a book on the healing wisdom of the Kabbalah) I was eager to read Bee Season. I was excited to hear about a novel that incorporated the mystical themes I had spent the past 30 years of my life studying.
Despite Goldberg's fine writing, somehow, I could not identify or empathize with any of the central characters in this book. I found myself disturbed by her characters and their strange distortion of the Kabbalah. A mentally ill mother whose psychosis takes on "mystical-Jewish" themes just did not cut it for me, even though I have worked with many therapy clients who used religion and spirituality to mask their emotional difficulties.
Furthermore, I found myself feeling aggravated by the fact that readers who were unfamiliar with the Kabbalah, might take Goldberg's "fantasy" as an accurate portrayal of what happens to people who engage in this ancient mystical tradition. Goldberg's strange portrayal of Jewish mystical family dysfunction might turn them off to reading anything meaningful about the Kabbalah.
Yet, despite my dismay over Goldberg's characters somehow I felt compelled to finish reading the book and even to take the time to write this review! I have to ask myself why?
Evidently, there was something compelling in this disturbing book that defies reason. I suppose I am just fascinated by the way that the study of Kabbalah, which has been one of my great loves since the age of 16,is finally becoming mainstream. To the degree that Kabbalah is understood or misunderstood, I somehow think it's a good sign for our times, that people are looking into this ancient mystical tradition.
One of the ancient biblical prophets wrote "behold days are coming, sayeth the Lord, and I will send a famine in the land. It will not be a famine for bread or water but to hear the word of God..." Perhaps, we are living in those very times. People are so hungry for meaning, so yearning for spiritual nourishment.
Let's hope that by the time Goldberg writes her next novel, she will find a spiritual mentor who can help her discover the true meaning and beauty of the Kabbalah. Perhaps with the right guidance she will learn to use her gift as a writer to inspire her readers with tales of redemption and healing--the true message of the ancient sages. (Estelle Frankel, author of Sacred Therapy: Jewish Spiritual Teachings on Emotional Healing & Inner Wholeness)
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