Summary of The Hive
“The Hive” by Spanish Nobel Prize Laureate Camilo José Cela (1989) is set in Madrid in the year 1943, following the end of the Spanish Civil War, during the height of General Franco’s oppressive regime. The novel is told through a series of vignettes presented out of chronological order. These vignettes depict the daily struggle for survival of 300 different Madrilenians in the immediate post-war period.
Reasons to read The Hive
“The Hive” is considered as one of the most significant Spanish novels of the 20th century. It is an enlightening yet challenging read, describing a harsh reality of life marked by hunger, greed, and fear. Camilo José Cela was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1989 and the Premio Cervantes in 1995. Other notable works by Cela include “The Family of Pascual Duarte” and “Mazurka for Two Dead Men”.
Setting: Madrid (Spain)
Original title: La colmena
Year of publication: 1950
Nr of pages: 296
