Rating: 
Summary: Superb novel
Review: Impossible to put down. Myla Goldberg takes you inside four fascinating characters who form a family in which every member seems to exist in a completely separate universe from the other three, and the further away they move from each other, the more we care. The emotion she conveys is so real it's almost painful. She describes her subject matter in such a way as to make what could be mundane in other writer's hands, absolutely delicious instead.
Rating: 
Summary: aaron got stiffed
Review: i read all the review & echo the good stuff--overall a good book.
there are problems w/ the characters in development--mom couldn't hide a secret for 10+ years (she had been 'collecting' objects for 18 years) & also, she's so cold, odd & obsessive-compulsive right from the very beginning--there's not much humanity to grab on to there, so you're scratching your head at how she got married to sol & how it's gone this far before she unravels. ie, she's almost full-blown mad from the start; not believable or convincing or realistic...even given the fact that sol is so shallow & clueless.sol, to me, is the charatcer w/ the fatal flaw in this book, & the one ultimately responsible for constructing the dyfunctional family (after all, miriam's just nuts: he marries a nutjob out of some sense of personal growth & achievement of his goals, is utterly blind to her madness & lack of empathy or love for her kids, & he becomes a withholding parent himself, based on what he wants them to achieve (ack! i hope no one gets the idea that ALL Jewish families have some/part of this construct, huh?). he is the least sympathetic character by far, imo, but goldberg is intent on showing him as a split personality, warm on one hand & sensitive to his daughter's anguished look in one moment & utterly dismissive of his son in the next...something a bit off there,... and that brings me to the children. at the beginning, i felt that eliza was the one the readers should be drawn to, & i was at first. but i think it's the brother, aaron's character & story that i found myself empathizing most w/ & wishing that his character development & storyline were better developed. i could go on for a while, but i didn't like the wrap up for him--it was too seamless, the hare khristnas were portrayed as idyllic, with no sense of ambiguity at all--& oddly, he never connects w/ the people there, really.
he should have such a strong need to connect on a human level with people but is left in a sort-of familial structure w/ absolutely no human touch --that would be understandable if he were raised by 2 miriams, but he did have a nuturing relationship with his dad, w/ eliza, & he longed for friends, etc... that's where it should have led him, however right right or wrong that played out...
...and he was just left hanging.
& the father had not one iota of insight & we didnt get to see him react to the fruits of his labor at the end when eliza stiffs him (in a freeze-frame kind of 70s movie-of-the-week kind of way). unsatisfying! plus the raiders of the ark moment where eliza see god----eech, i dunno, all the comparison at the end point to a miriam-like insanity(but i wont believe that, b/c i did like eliza). btw, i didnt read it, but listened to the bookontape & A+ to the author for the reading!! it was read well & i really enjoyed hearing it in goldberg's voice. she portrayed the characters w/ precision.
(& Goldberg DOES have a sense of humor running throughout the book, who ever criticized her on that was off the mark).
Rating:
Summary: Rattled my rafters
Review: This novel really rattled my rafters. I experienced it as a hard-core meditation on art, mystical vision, and the need to be part of the human world. The tension between heaven and earth was gut-wrenching. Others might find the book entertaining or mildly comical. You should be open to mysticism to enjoy it.
Rating: 
Summary: A different kind of family story
Review: Eliza Naumann has never felt anything but ordinary. In a special ed class, she has given up all hope of ever achieving greatness or even averageness. Her mother Miriam, is too absorbed in her law career and her father, Saul is too busy helping her brother become a rabbi. But one day the family will change forever. Eleven year old Eliza wins the district spelling bee. The result sends the family on a rollar coaster ride of changes that will bring them together or tear them apart. Her father decides for her to try to use God to help her become divine. We discover the truth about her mother and her brothers secret life. Myla Goldberg has written an intelligent, absorbing novel. Although extremely slow at times, Bee Season is a consistent delight to read about. The beautiful writing and different storyline will keep you reading but it is not a page turner. Bee Season abruptly announces the arrival of a truly extraordinary talent, and will appeal to fans of Anne Tyler and Mona Simpson with a mix of intrigue and familial horrors that may come from Stephen King or Dean Koontz.
Rating:
Summary: The Magic of Words
Review: This was such an unexpectedly great little read. I read 4 or 5 novels a month and enjoy the written word on many levels and for that reason this book spoke to me. I truly believe there is a magic and a mystery to human language. What I didn't expect to get from this book was such a great story about the fragile cohesiveness of family. I found it fascinating to watch how when the daughter's position in the family shifted from forgotten child to center of attention and father's favorite it had devastating reverberations through the entire family. If you like character centered narratives you'll love Bee Season.
Rating:
Summary: Hauntingly Engaging
Review: I found this work to be one of the most intriguing and thought provoking that I have ever read. While reading the book, I shirked my social life and retreated into my room, so engaged by both the language and style of the writing. Each of the four main characters in the book are so interesting in their perversities. I found myself huddled over the writings of Abulafia with Eliza, sitting in the crowded hall at the National Spelling Bee with Saul, dancing into a religious ferver with Aaron, and shoplifting in crowded shopping malls with Miriam. I anxiously await Goldberg's next work! Don't make us wait too long!
Rating: 
Summary: creepy neighbor, no connection...feel
Review: This book would of been better if it was written in first person from Eliza point of view. As a reader you feel like your looking at the family with hear-say information. I tried to excuse all the extra insight on the character with hopes that it will help me connect and feel for them. But everytime it felt like someone whispering in my ear "oh so-and-so is reacting that way because of this blah, blah, blah" It was so annoying I stop reading the book, and read the ending. I've never done that before. But since I invested time to read more than a quarter of the book I figure if something really interesting happened to Eliza at the end. It might be worth going though the rest of it.
Sorry, interesting subject however- Spelling Bees and all- your so impressed with how smart these kids are, but inside your thinking. (and yes I will say it) Geez what a Nerd! this book doesn't take you inside the world of an eccentric spelling bee whiz kid. it keeps you at bay... like your the last neighbor to hear very boring dry gossip. That you say "So what!"
Rating:
Summary: perfect start...but somehow got sidetracked
Review: When I was bought this book, one of the reviews comment were, "...it is like to Kill a mockingbird." What might turn out to be one from the start turns out to be totally different. It should just be a story about a dysfunctional family, and how each family avoids the issue by running away or covering it up.
Rating:
Summary: The magic of letters
Review: Upon finishing this book, the reader's mind is left to wander in multiple directions. Myla Goldberg explores the beauty and pain of insanity, Jewish mysticism,the magic of letters, family dynamics, the angst of trying to fit in, love and obligation, and yes the experience of participating in a spelling bee. Amazingly the book holds together and keeps the reader's attention to the story. After finding out what happens to the characters, the reader's mind is then free to explore the various components. This book could lead to further exploration in a number of areas. Goldberg is an exciting new author!
Rating:
Summary: Different and Great
Review: I bought this small book at an airport and became engrossed with the characters immediately. In many ways, reading this book is like reliving our small childhood stresses. It made me ponder on how children can interpret situations that are outside their control, on how they may value their small triumphs and how that may affect others around them. I'm looking forward to Goldberg's next novel.
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