Honey-Bee by Anatole France (1903)
Honey-Bee is a novella written by Anatole France in 1897. The story follows the life of a young man named Jacques, who becomes disillusioned with society after witnessing the hypocrisy and cruelty of those around him. Jacques retreats to his family's country estate, where he becomes obsessed with beekeeping and the metaphorical connections between the honeybees and human society. Through his observations of the bees, Jacques comes to understand the futility of human existence and the inevitability of death.
By Anatole France · First published 1903 · Genre: Children's Literature, Animal Fiction, Adventure · 22 chapters · 24,644 words
First lines
The sea covers to-day what was once the Duchy of Clarides. No trace of the town or the castle remains. But when it is calm there can be seen, it is said, within the circumference of a mile, huge trunks of trees standing on the bottom of the sea. A spot on the banks, which now serves as a station for the customhouse officers, is still called "The Tailor's Booth," and it is quite probable that this name is in memory of a certain Master Jean who is mentioned in this story. The sea, which encroaches year by year, will soon cover this spot so curiously named.
What this Textopian page supports
Honey-Bee is listed on Textopian as a novella by Anatole France, dated 1903 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novella
- Author: Anatole France
- Date: 1903 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Children's Literature, Animal Fiction, Adventure
- Length: 24,644 words
- Structure: 22 chapters, 554 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Honey-Bee by Anatole France
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering Honey-Bee?
- How does this novella by Anatole France fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Children's Literature first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- The Crime Of Sylvestre Bonnard by Anatole France
- The Red Egg To Samuel Pozzi by Anatole France
- The Learned Adventure Of The Dragons Head by Dorothy L. Sayers
- The Red Lily Volume 3 by Anatole France
- The Flying Girl by L. Frank Baum
- The Lion And The Bull by Ambrose Bierce
Genres
- Children's Literature — The book follows the adventures of a young dog named Bee, making it an appealing story for children.
- Animal Fiction — Bee, the protagonist, is a pet dog whose experiences and adventures are the central focus of the story.
- Adventure — The narrative of the book involves various escapades and adventures that Bee, the main character, partakes in.
Tags
French Literature · Symbolism · Naturalism · Beekeeping · Allegory · Social Commentary · Political Satire · Romance · Historical Fiction · 19th Century Literature · Classic Novel · Literary Fiction
Contents
- Which treats of the appearance of the country and serves as Introduction
- In which we learn what the white rose meant to the Countes of Blanchelande
- Wherein begins the love of George of Blanchelande and Honey- Bee of Claride
- Which treats of Education in general, and George of Blanche lande's in particular
- Which tells how the Duchess took Honeybee and George to the Hermitage, and of their encounter with a hideous old woman
- Which tells of what can be seen from the Keep of Clarides
- In which is described how George and Honey-Bee went to the lake
- Wherein we shall see what happened to George of Blanchelande because he approached the lake in which the nixies dwel
- Wherein we shall see how Honey-Bee was taken to the dwarfs
- In which we are faithfully told how King Loc received Honey-Bee of Clarides
- In which the marvels of the kingdom of the dwarfs are accurately described as well as the dolls that were given to Honey-Bee
- In which the treasures of King Loc are described as well as the writer is able
- In which King Loc declares himself
- In which we are told how Honey-Bee saw her mother again, but could not embrace her
- In which we shall see how King Loc suffered
- In which an account is given of the learned Nur who was the cause of such extraordinary joy to King Loc
- Which tells of the wonderful adventure of George of Blanchelande
- In which King Loc undertakes a terrible journey
- Which tells of the extraordinary encounter of Jean the master tailor, and of the blessed song the birds in the grove sang to the duchess
- Which treats of a little satin shoe
- In which a perilous adventure is described
- In which all ends well