The Life of Insects by Victor Pelevin

The Life of Insects

Victor Pelevin

If you've ever crunched a beetle underfoot or swatted a fly, this will make you think again. It'll also make you think about a lot more for it presents us with an unusual way of seeing ourselves. A readable fairy story switching between human and insect perspectives; it's about the struggle of life over death and the conflicts between individuals and their dreams, and the narratives that fuse society and give life purpose. Don't read this if you don't want your bubble burst.

Extract
Marina sighed and thought how well the major knew life.

'But the day arrives,' she read, 'and we learn how the world is arranged, and we understand that our first responsibility to the natural world and to society is to give life to new generations of ants who will continue our great cause and write new and glorious pages in our centuries-old history.'

Parallels
  • Homo Zapiens by Victor Pelevin
  • The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
  • Animal Farm by George Orwell