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The Boy Who Taught the Beekeeper to Read: and Other Stories
A new collection of short stories by Susan Hill.
A young school boy visiting his aunt's country house finds company and friendship with the gentle beekeeper and begins teaching the man to read, so that it seems nothing can ever intrude upon their closeness.
A young country girl fights against becoming a downtrodden domestic skivvy like her dead mother, while another young girl reaches a delicate understanding with an elderly blind man as they walk along the beach together.
On another beach a more sinister plot unfolds as a gang of boys plans the most wicked deed.
A young school boy visiting his aunt's country house finds company and friendship with the gentle beekeeper and begins teaching the man to read, so that it seems nothing can ever intrude upon their closeness.
A young country girl fights against becoming a downtrodden domestic skivvy like her dead mother, while another young girl reaches a delicate understanding with an elderly blind man as they walk along the beach together.
On another beach a more sinister plot unfolds as a gang of boys plans the most wicked deed.
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
10 people are currently reading
205 people want to read
About the author
Susan Hill
182 books2,295 followersSusan Hill was born in Scarborough, North Yorkshire in 1942. Her hometown was later referred to in her novel A Change for the Better (1969) and some short stories especially "Cockles and Mussels".
She attended Scarborough Convent School, where she became interested in theatre and literature. Her family left Scarborough in 1958 and moved to Coventry where her father worked in car and aircraft factories. Hill states that she attended a girls’ grammar school, Barr's Hill. Her fellow pupils included Jennifer Page, the first Chief Executive of the Millennium Dome. At Barrs Hill she took A levels in English, French, History and Latin, proceeding to an English degree at King's College London. By this time she had already written her first novel, The Enclosure which was published by Hutchinson in her first year at university. The novel was criticised by The Daily Mail for its sexual content, with the suggestion that writing in this style was unsuitable for a "schoolgirl".
Her next novel Gentleman and Ladies was published in 1968. This was followed in quick succession by A Change for the Better, I'm the King of the Castle, The Albatross and other stories, Strange Meeting, The Bird of Night, A Bit of Singing and Dancing and In the Springtime of Year, all written and published between 1968 and 1974.
In 1975 she married Shakespeare scholar Stanley Wells and they moved to Stratford upon Avon. Their first daughter, Jessica, was born in 1977 and their second daughter, Clemency, was born in 1985. Hill has recently founded her own publishing company, Long Barn Books, which has published one work of fiction per year.
Librarian's Note: There is more than one author by this name.
She attended Scarborough Convent School, where she became interested in theatre and literature. Her family left Scarborough in 1958 and moved to Coventry where her father worked in car and aircraft factories. Hill states that she attended a girls’ grammar school, Barr's Hill. Her fellow pupils included Jennifer Page, the first Chief Executive of the Millennium Dome. At Barrs Hill she took A levels in English, French, History and Latin, proceeding to an English degree at King's College London. By this time she had already written her first novel, The Enclosure which was published by Hutchinson in her first year at university. The novel was criticised by The Daily Mail for its sexual content, with the suggestion that writing in this style was unsuitable for a "schoolgirl".
Her next novel Gentleman and Ladies was published in 1968. This was followed in quick succession by A Change for the Better, I'm the King of the Castle, The Albatross and other stories, Strange Meeting, The Bird of Night, A Bit of Singing and Dancing and In the Springtime of Year, all written and published between 1968 and 1974.
In 1975 she married Shakespeare scholar Stanley Wells and they moved to Stratford upon Avon. Their first daughter, Jessica, was born in 1977 and their second daughter, Clemency, was born in 1985. Hill has recently founded her own publishing company, Long Barn Books, which has published one work of fiction per year.
Librarian's Note: There is more than one author by this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
October 27, 2012
Having just finished one book of short stories, I didn't expect to follow it with another, but I found this lying around and after I read the very contrasting reviews on GR, decided to make up my own mind before starting something meatier.
They are good, but all are concerned with loss in some form. Poignant, beautiful in places, but not much hope. Some are very affecting; others less so. A good collection, though perhaps not if you are recently bereaved or troubled in some other way.
THE BOY WHO TAUGHT THE BEEKEEPER TO READ
The time and place are vague, and the writing is spare and tender. It captures the pain of illiteracy, "Words bubbled up, excuses, fears, but remained foaming in his mouth... black letters blurring together, separating, making his head sore".
FATHER, FATHER
About the pain of bereavement, and the readjustments individuals and the family have to make. One says "Life has to move on", but another is unsure, "Does it? Why does it?"
Then, as they are getting used to the new dynamic, suddenly "the earth seemed to shift and heave treacherously, shaking their confidence, throwing them off balance. The sky tipped and ended up on its side, like a house after a bomb had fallen... Death was the final certainty, and this was uncertain. This would go on and on. Their whole lives would change but they did not know how."
As with several stories in this collection, there is a feeling of unstated dysfunction, or even imbalance: "The house seemed suddenly imbued with meaning, redolent of their past and precious to them... at night they lay and wrapped it round themselves, and held it to them."
NEED
This is about the loneliness, need and loss that can be found in a tight-knit community of travellers. It focuses on a girl and an old fortune teller, though the former never considered the latter's age because "she lived half of her life in the future, seeing it in the crystal ball and leaves, and the other half in the past, listening to the dead."
THE PUNISHMENT
Equally apt titles would be "Revenge" or "Guilt" and it is about a group of boys at a school staffed by priests. They fight the rules, yet still want some boundaries: "They were allowed anywhere except Funland... Charlie had never minded... it was hell... beckoning and exciting and terrifying."
MOVING MESSAGES
The dangers of meeting up with a school friend after many years, "I was everything she could patronise", though I preferred the description of the trendy restaurant where they met: "chrome and black and angular... They had tortured flowers with wire stays, and straitjacketed them in thin metal tubes. The napkins were origami... The menus were startling, scarlet boards lettered in spikes of black."
SAND
The aftermath of another loss: reminiscences, and trying to understand a strange and difficult mother.
ELIZABETH
The uncertainty of approaching adolescence and the quiet but growing awareness of adult issues. "After Christmas, she would be twelve. Thinking of that troubled her, she wanted to clutch at everything familiar and hold it to her... not able to let her grief out, and the truth in... Not wanting the future to begin."
THE BROOCH
A strange story about denial (of blindness!), secrets and misplaced shame, and another girl on the cusp of puberty, seeing people and relationships with new insight, but nervous of the fact: "She wanted to be home... to be as she had been, secure inside her old, unchanged self."
ANTONYN'S
A completely different setting (a businessman in Siberia, or thereabouts), but continuing the theme of being a lonely outsider, desperate to fit in.
They are good, but all are concerned with loss in some form. Poignant, beautiful in places, but not much hope. Some are very affecting; others less so. A good collection, though perhaps not if you are recently bereaved or troubled in some other way.
THE BOY WHO TAUGHT THE BEEKEEPER TO READ
The time and place are vague, and the writing is spare and tender. It captures the pain of illiteracy, "Words bubbled up, excuses, fears, but remained foaming in his mouth... black letters blurring together, separating, making his head sore".
FATHER, FATHER
About the pain of bereavement, and the readjustments individuals and the family have to make. One says "Life has to move on", but another is unsure, "Does it? Why does it?"
Then, as they are getting used to the new dynamic, suddenly "the earth seemed to shift and heave treacherously, shaking their confidence, throwing them off balance. The sky tipped and ended up on its side, like a house after a bomb had fallen... Death was the final certainty, and this was uncertain. This would go on and on. Their whole lives would change but they did not know how."
As with several stories in this collection, there is a feeling of unstated dysfunction, or even imbalance: "The house seemed suddenly imbued with meaning, redolent of their past and precious to them... at night they lay and wrapped it round themselves, and held it to them."
NEED
This is about the loneliness, need and loss that can be found in a tight-knit community of travellers. It focuses on a girl and an old fortune teller, though the former never considered the latter's age because "she lived half of her life in the future, seeing it in the crystal ball and leaves, and the other half in the past, listening to the dead."
THE PUNISHMENT
Equally apt titles would be "Revenge" or "Guilt" and it is about a group of boys at a school staffed by priests. They fight the rules, yet still want some boundaries: "They were allowed anywhere except Funland... Charlie had never minded... it was hell... beckoning and exciting and terrifying."
MOVING MESSAGES
The dangers of meeting up with a school friend after many years, "I was everything she could patronise", though I preferred the description of the trendy restaurant where they met: "chrome and black and angular... They had tortured flowers with wire stays, and straitjacketed them in thin metal tubes. The napkins were origami... The menus were startling, scarlet boards lettered in spikes of black."
SAND
The aftermath of another loss: reminiscences, and trying to understand a strange and difficult mother.
ELIZABETH
The uncertainty of approaching adolescence and the quiet but growing awareness of adult issues. "After Christmas, she would be twelve. Thinking of that troubled her, she wanted to clutch at everything familiar and hold it to her... not able to let her grief out, and the truth in... Not wanting the future to begin."
THE BROOCH
A strange story about denial (of blindness!), secrets and misplaced shame, and another girl on the cusp of puberty, seeing people and relationships with new insight, but nervous of the fact: "She wanted to be home... to be as she had been, secure inside her old, unchanged self."
ANTONYN'S
A completely different setting (a businessman in Siberia, or thereabouts), but continuing the theme of being a lonely outsider, desperate to fit in.
April 8, 2015
Well...I finished it but I didn't enjoy it. I found the collection of short stories to be very depressing and once I had finished each one I felt like I had missed the point completely. I just didn't understand them and I found the writing to be quite muddled. I can't decide if it's a case of 'it's not you, it's me', or 'no, it's definitely you...yeesh'.
I picked this up as I enjoyed 'The Woman in Black' but they just can't be compared.
For quite a short book this took me ages to read...it's great if you need help falling asleep though.
I picked this up as I enjoyed 'The Woman in Black' but they just can't be compared.
For quite a short book this took me ages to read...it's great if you need help falling asleep though.
January 25, 2026
When I picked this up I didn't realise it is a short story collection. These things are often hit and miss for me and this was no exception. It's all right but most of the stories are a bit forgettable and they all have a bit of a depressing quality about them. I think I liked the first story, the title story the best. About a beekeeper/gardener at a big house. A bored nephew staying at the summer starts following him about and starts to teach him how to read but leaves before he finishes the job.
February 4, 2024
It's just not my style i guess
February 24, 2017
An intriguing selection of fascinating short stories by an exemplary writer.
April 12, 2012
Dark & darker. Exquisitely written. There are 9 stories, some more memorable than others, but the eponymous story is not to be missed!
Here's a tidbit from ELIZABETH which I thought perfectly captures the regret that the mother has and is pushing off on her daughter:
'"You should travel to other countries, in your years to come. There's a world beyond you must break through."...She could not imagine her own future in this place called 'the world'; she only ever went down inside herself - her whole life looked inwards.'
Added bonus, my book is a used library copy from Barons Court Library, London. Full of date stamps. I love it!
Thank you to The Readers Podcast/Simon's glowing recommendation of this book.
Here's a tidbit from ELIZABETH which I thought perfectly captures the regret that the mother has and is pushing off on her daughter:
'"You should travel to other countries, in your years to come. There's a world beyond you must break through."...She could not imagine her own future in this place called 'the world'; she only ever went down inside herself - her whole life looked inwards.'
Added bonus, my book is a used library copy from Barons Court Library, London. Full of date stamps. I love it!
Thank you to The Readers Podcast/Simon's glowing recommendation of this book.
January 13, 2011
I have to say I was rather underwhelmed by this book. It's a collection of short stories all with a similar, depressing, ending.
It was well written and enjoyable enough to read but at the end of each story I felt that I had somehow missed the point.
It was well written and enjoyable enough to read but at the end of each story I felt that I had somehow missed the point.
March 13, 2013
Adroitly written short stories from the pen of an author who is known for her concise,incisive writing.The eponymous story is a must-read and there are gems lurking quietly in the others.
"not wanting the future to begin with this one,simple act,of obeying him."
"not wanting the future to begin with this one,simple act,of obeying him."
February 9, 2010
to be honest, the first story left me speechless...
July 12, 2022
As always with a collection, some are ‘better’ than others. But Hill is a master of the form.
Both understated and deeply affecting, her characters are vividly brought to life and varied. Their lives frequently complex but in a very few words, she lodges them in the imagination. The blind hosiery salesman, the illiterate beekeeper and the pathetic, desperate East European woman stuck in her Vldansk apartment who will marry anyone to escape her bleak existence.
And settings are drawn with equally skilful crafting; the beach, the farm, the sick room, the restaurant.
Incidents are carefully chosen for their wide ranging and far reaching impacts on these microcosmic worlds she creates.
Both understated and deeply affecting, her characters are vividly brought to life and varied. Their lives frequently complex but in a very few words, she lodges them in the imagination. The blind hosiery salesman, the illiterate beekeeper and the pathetic, desperate East European woman stuck in her Vldansk apartment who will marry anyone to escape her bleak existence.
And settings are drawn with equally skilful crafting; the beach, the farm, the sick room, the restaurant.
Incidents are carefully chosen for their wide ranging and far reaching impacts on these microcosmic worlds she creates.
September 3, 2017
Book 34 of my Goodreads Challenge
I was sent this as a gift from a lovely reader friend from 'The Bookshop Cafe' on Facebook.
My wish was to read the short story that gave the book its title, however it was difficult to source a copy hence a friend sending me it. Although enjoyable I did not feel that this collection was one of Susan Hill's best.
Being short stories it was good to dip in and out of hence taking a while to get through. At one point I even found I was re-reading one of the stories I did not realise until almost the end.
I was sent this as a gift from a lovely reader friend from 'The Bookshop Cafe' on Facebook.
My wish was to read the short story that gave the book its title, however it was difficult to source a copy hence a friend sending me it. Although enjoyable I did not feel that this collection was one of Susan Hill's best.
Being short stories it was good to dip in and out of hence taking a while to get through. At one point I even found I was re-reading one of the stories I did not realise until almost the end.
November 26, 2022
I like short stories and especially ones with suspense and intrigue. I expected great things as The Woman in Black was certainly suspenseful but in fact I was rather disappointed with these stories. Some were very good and there weren’t any I disliked completely but most of them were just ‘blah’ if you know what I mean. In many cases I wasn’t even aware the story had finished until the new title was announced (I was listening to it as an audiobook). Quite underwhelming!
September 8, 2024
Found it on my bookshelf not entirely sure where it came from.
I wasn’t aware it was a collection of short stories when I picked it up as the title on the book I have only reads “The Boy Who Taught The Beekeeper To Read”
I enjoyed the first two stories but found the rest boring
I wasn’t aware it was a collection of short stories when I picked it up as the title on the book I have only reads “The Boy Who Taught The Beekeeper To Read”
I enjoyed the first two stories but found the rest boring
November 18, 2017
All the stories were dark/depressing...not a collection to read if you're feeling a bit blue already. Good, but I can't say that I enjoyed it really.
November 22, 2017
dream- like writing, I really enjoyed this book
December 5, 2019
interesting short stories with some lovely writing.
May 21, 2020
All these short stories should be developed into novels. i feel they are all underdone - powerful themes and some great ideas - but I need more!
August 21, 2020
the first short story was good but the rest were just depressing...
i think short stories are definitely not for me lol
i think short stories are definitely not for me lol
April 23, 2022
Susan Hill writes beautifully, but all these stories are sad!
November 16, 2022
I liked a couple of stories from the book. But some of them were just meh. The last one just screamed Stockholm Syndrome and I hated every second of it. I think 'Need' was the best one out of all..
June 28, 2024
Short stories. Very sad, even more so than William Trevor’s. Good though, some difficult to read.
April 7, 2025
Thought provoking stories to keep one company during coffee ☕ breaks.
March 10, 2022
Overall - 2.5
The Boy who Taught the Beekeeper to Read - 3
Father Father - 2.5
Need - 2.5
The Punishment - 3
Moving Messages - 2
Sand - 2.5
Elizabeth - 3
The Brooch - 3
Antonyin's - 2
The Boy who Taught the Beekeeper to Read - 3
Father Father - 2.5
Need - 2.5
The Punishment - 3
Moving Messages - 2
Sand - 2.5
Elizabeth - 3
The Brooch - 3
Antonyin's - 2
March 3, 2017
I didn't care for some of the stories particularly the last one, but others were great.
April 23, 2013
What a depressing collection of stories! (Hence the 2 stars.) The characters are haunted by ghosts of unpleasant relatives, memories of their childhoods and mostly guilty, bitter or discontent.
If I have to pick the most disturbing story it would be 'Father, Father.' I found it grim from beginning to end and woke after a bad dream which I'm sure was inspired by reading the story before sleep. Not the author's fault of course but this illustrates my dislike of the stories.
The most touching of the tales is the title story. I enjoyed this and thought it a pretty realistic tale of growing up and moving on as a child.
I've read many of Susan Hill's books but now the language is begining is grate, or at least with this collection, I wish she would write in a contemporary style for a change. It's all a bit too mannered and dry after a while. Perhaps authors only have one style and you either read and enjoy, or choose not to?
If I have to pick the most disturbing story it would be 'Father, Father.' I found it grim from beginning to end and woke after a bad dream which I'm sure was inspired by reading the story before sleep. Not the author's fault of course but this illustrates my dislike of the stories.
The most touching of the tales is the title story. I enjoyed this and thought it a pretty realistic tale of growing up and moving on as a child.
I've read many of Susan Hill's books but now the language is begining is grate, or at least with this collection, I wish she would write in a contemporary style for a change. It's all a bit too mannered and dry after a while. Perhaps authors only have one style and you either read and enjoy, or choose not to?
August 9, 2022
I found this book at the library and I chose it for the title.
I really thought it was going to be something out of the ordinary, maybe even something life changing. Turns out it was a book with a collection of several short stories.
I try reading short stories from time to time but one thing I’ve found myself thinking each time is that some stories need a proper novel to leave a memorable impression.
Read the full review here: https://sincerelyyoursannie.com/2022/...
I really thought it was going to be something out of the ordinary, maybe even something life changing. Turns out it was a book with a collection of several short stories.
I try reading short stories from time to time but one thing I’ve found myself thinking each time is that some stories need a proper novel to leave a memorable impression.
Read the full review here: https://sincerelyyoursannie.com/2022/...
May 26, 2009
More brilliance from the pen of Susan Hill. To write a short story that has any kind of resonance or emotional impact is a lot harder than it sounds. Hill delivers with nearly every story. This collection is perhaps not quite a consistent as her other anthology A Bit of Singing and Dancing but I can't really bring myself to give it four stars as this is still far better than most books that get four stars from me.
August 7, 2013
I picked up this book in the library thinking it was a novel and was initially disappointed to discover that it was in fact a collection of short stories.
It tells of loss and although the subject matter is inevitably depressing, the sympathetic manner in which it is written helps make the accounts more bearable.
Not a cheerful read but it wouldn't put me off picking up another of Susan Hill's books.
It tells of loss and although the subject matter is inevitably depressing, the sympathetic manner in which it is written helps make the accounts more bearable.
Not a cheerful read but it wouldn't put me off picking up another of Susan Hill's books.
May 29, 2014
Grabbed this book fro the library when I was stuck in there during a storm. When I picked the book up I failed to notice that it was a book of short stories! Hence, as I turned to the second 'chapter' I was wondering how these people were going to be brought together with the previous people!
I enjoyed the writing style, but I found each story a little less satisfactory than the last. The first 2 are well worth reading, the 3rd, maybe, but from the on it's pretty much down-hill.
I enjoyed the writing style, but I found each story a little less satisfactory than the last. The first 2 are well worth reading, the 3rd, maybe, but from the on it's pretty much down-hill.
July 26, 2015
When I picked this up from the library I had no idea it was a selction of short stories. That isn't obvious so that was a great disappointment to start with. The stories were all really depressing and sad. There wasn't one happy or nice story. The first few stories were readable but after that it's pretty much downhill. The writing itself was sometimes really beautiful and exquisit but at other times I found myself skipping over paragraphs just to get to the end of a pointless story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews