The Hive is a novel that portrays Spanish society in the mid-20th century. It is a sort of ensemble portrait, with a huge number of characters briefly sketched, which makes it difficult for the reader to orient themselves. Doña Rosa's café becomes a microcosm of a paralyzed nation, a structure of cells (cells representing the suffocating social determinism depicted in the novel), where the bees —the characters— do not produce honey but devour each other.
By fragmenting the narrative, Cela reflects the disarticulation of a society shattered by war, where poverty is not only material but moral. In essence, it is a testimony to the "everydayness of horror" that the system tried to hide under propaganda. The lack of a clear ending emphasizes the lack of a future for a population condemned to repetition and emptiness.
The novel consists of six chapters and a conclusion, in which we find coarse language, ideas contrary to Catholic doctrine, criticism of the Church, and obscene references. The content of Chapter 4 is explicit and sexual in nature.