Graue Bienen

A gem of a story, that is quiet and unhurried, yet never boring. We spend a winter and a summer with Sergej, an elderly apolitical beekeeper who mostly prefers the company of his bees to those of his fellow humans. His village is nearly deserted due to the ongoing war in the Donbass. Only he and his childhood enemy, now frenemy, are left. They occasionally drink and quarrel or commiserate, but mostly stick to themselves, worrying about coals for the winter, and which neighbor-house will be hit next by bombs. Then, at the onset of spring, Sergej decides to drive his bees to greener more secure pastures.

Kurkov finds the perfect tone, I think.

I am not sure I could sleep on bees though.