“The secret life of bees”, the reasons for its success

On October 7, 2024, Denis Cheissoux will be at Jean Meurisse in Mellois to record his show CO₂ My love on France Inter. This says a lot about the impact of The secret life of bees-The Spirit of the hivewritten in 2021 by this enlightened amateur, an engineer by trade. A book whose illustrations are signed by his daughter, the press cartoonist and comic strip author Catherine Meurisse.

“If you want people to listen to you, tell a story”

Additional indicator of success: this year 2024, The secret life of bees won the Grand Prix Émile Gallé in the city of Nancy. A prize for which 200 books competed and which counts among its past winners a scientific luminary such as the botanist and biologist Francis Hallé.

Jean Meurisse’s book has been republished by Delachaux and Niestlé, the French leader in works on nature. Jean Meurisse took the opportunity to carry out an update. Bet won for the one who initially set a course: “I didn’t want to do either a beekeeping book or a scientific book even if I wanted to be scientifically correct. My goal was to go beyond the realm of insiders to reach the general public because the subject is of general significance”he explains.

Jean Meurisse says he has adopted the advice of the successful American writer Richard Powers, who draws the plot of his novels from science: “If you want people to listen to you, tell a story. »

What made this amateur beekeeper decide to write? “I wanted to remind people that pollinators are essential to the survival of humanity, something that everyone knows and yet everyone makes fun of. And there was the aesthetic side: describing the beauty of a world that we are ruining. »

Jean Meurisse rewrote the last chapter. This one deals with a mystery that remains unsolved. “The colony has a life of its own. It has its own CO level₂its own temperature. The queen is a layer but she is not the boss. We don’t see the leader. We just see the consequence of its actions: the colony is capable of dealing with the most unforeseen situations and this organization is not innate, a hive is a city of 50,000 inhabitants, there is cooperation between different services, we feel that an order is given. »

“The bees vote before deciding on an act that determines the future of the colony”he relates. Isn’t he anthropomorphizing? We are likely to blame him for it, he is aware of it. “Yes, but when it comes to bees, anthropomorphism is justified. » A colony weighs between 1 and 1.5 kg. As much as a human brain. “Would the colony be a virtual brain overall? » The question is dizzying.

“The secret life of bees-The spirit of the hive” by Jean Meurisse, illustrations by Catherine Meurisse, Delachaux and Niestlé editions, 223 pages, 22.90 euros. Jean Meurisse will give a conference on November 2 at 3 p.m. at the Ménigoute International Ornithological Film Festival and will meet the public on November 3 at 11 a.m.