Beetles fly at sunset
Beetles fly at sunset -or Tordyveln flyger i skymningen, by its original title in Swedish, is a young adult novel written by screenwriter and author Maria Gripe. The work was first published in 1978 by the Aschehoug publishing house. Over the years it has received countless editions in multiple languages, including Spanish, in which it has more than 40. The book was published in Spain in 1983 by the publisher SM.
The novel is inspired by a play written by Maria Gripe and writer Kay Pollak. It is on the list of books recommended for reading in secondary education in various institutions worldwide. This has allowed it to become one of the go-to texts for students, especially in the 1st grade.
Synopsis of Beetles fly at sunset
Because of a flower
Jonah Berglund, his sister Annika and your friend David Stendfält, They are an inseparable trio. All three live in Ringaryd, and are mystery fans. When Jonás receives a tape recorder for his thirteenth birthday, the group moves around the town looking to record anything that is interesting to them, such as the wheels of the train, the sound of water, and the onomatopoeia of crickets. However, The most attractive thing for them comes from the Selander estate.
It is not only that the place seems to have a certain mysticism, but that the group encounters a strange scene that gives them goosebumps: a conversation. Almost unintelligible whispers accompany a figure they cannot see.
Intrigued by that fact —and a dream that David had about the site—, They return to the Selander villa. Although, this time, with the excuse of taking care of the garden, where plants that are more than a century old live.
An exceptional connection
The garden is surrounded by all kinds of specimens, but the most interesting of all is the Selandria Aegyptica. Its most extravagant quality is that it tends to orient itself towards the stairs of the house and not towards the light, which is where it should direct its search for nutrients. Fascinated by it, Jonás, Annika and David decide to enter the house.
The trio was warned not to play inside the residence and not answering the phone. But As is usual in this type of narrative, the children They break all the rules.
One day, someone calls on the phone, and they decide to answer, thus meeting Julia Jason Andelius, the current owner of the Selander farm. In the process, Julia becomes friends with David, whom she insists to play chess, even though they are miles apart. Among all the oddities of the house, The boys realize that there are dozens of beetles, which begin to appear at the least expected times and places.
Letters, trips, secrets and loves
Later, the boys discover The Summer Room, a space located at the top of the house. There, they find a chest full of letters written by Andreas Wii. —disciple of the Swedish naturalist Carlos Linnaeus— and addressed to a woman named Emilie Selander.
While they snoop around, they begin to read the letters. In that way, It is revealed to them that, at that time, Andreas brought a plant of Egyptian origin, a very rare species, and he named it after his great love: Emily.
However, and in addition to a beautiful romance, Emilie is under a terrible curse related to a 3000-year-old Egyptian statue, which mysteriously disappeared. In this way, Jonás, Annika and David's investigation is intertwined with the strange case of the fifth Selander's girlfriend, the location of the statue and love. On the one hand, the most important thing Beetles fly at sunset It is its plot, and, on the other, the way in which the novel is written.
Of the slightly superfluous links
In many youth novels It tends to suffer from two things: either the characters outweigh the plot, or the story outweighs the cast.. Contemporary books constantly demonstrate this, and Beetles fly at sunset It also has this characteristic. So, why is it so important for universal literature?: because the structure, characters, setting and narration are elements that are very well defined.
Despite that the author It does not delve into the relationships between its protagonists, yes creates a philosophical and dialectical dialogue that moves and makes you think at the same time. The organization of ideas and the weight of imagination, discoveries, innocence and mystery are determining factors for an adolescent group that is close to facing the harshness of adult life. And yes, this is an adventure that lends itself as a preamble to adulthood, a farewell to childhood.
About the author, Maria Gripe
Maria Gripe—born Maria Walter—was born on July 25, 1923, in Vaxholm, Stockholm, Sweden. Her father was also a writer, so she grew up surrounded by books. Study Philosophy, in addition to History of Religions and Regions at the university in his hometown.
After graduating he opted for teaching, at least until 1946, when she married the painter Harald Gripe. Her husband encouraged her to venture into literature, and who, later, illustrated some of her stories.
His first stories were dedicated to his daughter, Camila. He told traditional stories to her. However, over time, a need to go against school authoritarianism began to emerge in the author, and she was one of the first writers to establish herself as an anti-authoritarian in children's literature. The books that made her popular were those that are part of the trilogy about Hugo and Josefina, published in the sixties.
Other books by Maria Gripe
- I vår lilla stad (1954);
- När det snöade (1955);
- Kung Laban kommer (1956);
- Kvarteret Labyrinten (1956);
- Sebastian och skuggan (1957);
- Stackars lilla Q (1957);
- Tappa inte masken (1959);
- From små röda — A Summer with Nina and Larsen (1960):
- Josefin — Josefina (1961);
- Hugo och Josefin — Hugo and Josefina (1962);
- Pappa Pellerins dotter — The Scarecrow's Daughter (1963);
- Glasblåsarns barn — The Glazier's Children (1964);
- I klockornas tid — The King and the Scapegoat (1965);
- Hugo (1966);
- Landet utanför — The Country Beyond (1967);
- Nattpappan — Night Dad (1968);
- Glastunneln — The Glass Tunnel (1969);
- Tanten — My Aunt, Secret Agent (1970);
- Julias hus och Nattpappan — Julia's House and Dad's Night (1971);
- Elvis Karlsson—Elvis Karlsson (1972);
- Elvis, Elvis (1973);
- Ellen Dellen — The Green Coat (1974);
- Den «riktiga» Elvis — The Real Elvis (1976);
- Att vara Elvis (1977);
- Bara Elvis (1979);
- Agnes Cecilia (1981);
- Skuggan över stenbänken — The Shadow on the Stone Bench (1982);
- … och de vita skuggorna i skogen) Those White Shadows in the Forest Godispåsen (1984);
- Skuggornas barn — Carolín, Berta and the shadows (1986);
- Boken om Hugo och Josefin, samlingsvolym (1986);
- Skugg-gömman (1988);
- Hjärtat som ingen ville ha (1989);
- Tre trappor upp med hiss (1991);
- Eget rum (1992);
- Egna världar (1994);
- Annas blomma (1997).