Books and Cooks April 1999

Empire of the Ants

Our rating: 3.5 cups of tea! (We liked this, but didn't think it was a great book for reading group discussions)

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Discussion date: April 30, 1999

Discussion place: Dawn's place

Menu: Traditional picnic food, in honor of the ants.

Amazon says:
Bernard Werber's fascinating Empire of the Ants, originally published in France in 1991, was translated into English by Margaret Rocques. The story features ants as well as humans; the viewpoint alternates between the Wells family in Paris and the Belokanian ant empire. The Wells family is moving into a new apartment on rue des Sybarites, formerly owned by Jonathan Wells's now-deceased uncle Edmond. The Belokanians are awaking from their annual winter slumber, and the Wellses discover that Edmond's basement, which they were never supposed to enter, is far more than it seems. In Belokanian, an ant known as the 327th male stumbles on a mystery that points to the possibility of an overwhelming attack by unknown enemies. As more and more people disappear into Uncle Edmond's basement, 327 becomes ensnared in unheard-of ant conspiracies. Empire of the Ants, when it was first published in France, became something of a bestseller, which is completely understandable given that it's utterly intriguing and difficult to put down.

The first chapter is also available at Amazon.

Last updated: May 2, 1999.