Really entertaining, a collection of good characters. Interesting story and well written. Not my usual type of book though

I would like to return to this book in the future but for now, i have DNF'd it. The writing is really lovely, crisp, and passionate about the character's and their backstories. I found the pacing hard to contend with, it doesn't flow or pick up speed after a really striking first few chapters. You get this really compelling start and then I personally found myself dredging through a couple of mundane chapters after that, where the author is trying to connect you as a reader to the other characters in the novel. It feels like some scenes are happening in reverse and it just loses its rhythm. I also found it challenging to distinguish a lot of the characters and their motivations, because they all begin to blend into one. I could only identify the more flamboyant, opinionated characters and 100 pages in, I just felt i should be able to at least recognise some of the quieter, modest characters but I struggled too. Again, beautiful writing and the component of a gorgeous, complicated story but I think I'll have to return to it when I have more patience for a novel with this multiple-perspective narrative.

This is such a lovely read! It follows several pianists and judges during a prestigious music competition, allowing us an intimate look into their connections with their music and each other. Rika Onda’s passion for music shines through, translated beautifully by Phillip Gabriel, and her painstaking descriptions of each pianist’s individual approaches to their performances does a wonderful job of vividly portraying this love to the readers. I am not a classical music aficionado by any means, but I felt myself being swept up in the competitive environment and finding a new appreciation for the music included in the story. If you see me listening exclusively to classical piano concertos for the next 3 months straight, keep it to yourself.

The four main pianists we follow throughout the competition are beautifully crafted characters. I felt connected to each of them and emotionally invested in all of their individual journeys, and a couple of them will definitely stay with me long after reading. Above all else, this is a story about connection, not just between people but to music, and how we can find musicality in the world around us, even in the seemingly mundane sounds of bees humming and thunderclaps in the middle of a winter storm. I truly loved it and I’m grateful to the publisher and to NetGalley respectively for sending me advance copies to read and review.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'Honeybees and Distant Thunder' by Riku Onda. This book publishes in May 2023.

'Honeybees and Distant Thunder' is one of those books I dont think I could explain. I don't exactly know how I felt about it either, it's one of those unsure books. Could that be due to the fact that this is a translated work and if I spoke Japanese and I read it directly from Riku Onda's words I could love it? I don't know. Sadly, I don't speak Japanese so I will never be able to confirm or deny this. So I'll have to conclude my review of this book as: inconclusive.

It takes a fabulous book to make me want to go off and listen to classical piano concertos and this is exactly what this book did to a folk music enthusiast with little if any knowledge of classical music .
I particularly enjoyed the first third of the book as we are introduced to the cast of characters who are taking part in a prestigious piano competition in Japan
As consumers of modern tv we are all used to the format of competitions which gradually whittle down a group to find an ultimate winner think Great British Bake Off of music competitions
There was a moment in the middle of the book when I felt it could have done with slightly less written description of music playing ( not easy to do but the author does really knock the nail on the head with this ) I preferred the character development parts to be honest .I’d love to know what a real piano player felt about the music description as to me it felt like I was listening to the music
Setting the book in Japan gives a bit of exoticism to the novel but since it was set in a concert hall for the most part this was more limited than I would have liked
I liked the authors prose style translated by Philip Gabriel it flows flawlessly I understand the author is well known in Japan I had previously not read any of her work
I read an early copy on NetGalley Uk the book is published in the Uk in April 2023