Fiction

The Bee Sting

The Bee Sting

  • Downloads：3229
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2023-12-01 04:21:36
  • Update Date：2025-09-14
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Paul Murray
  • ISBN：B0CKLT5JD2
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle

Reviews

Gina ，

A Jonathan Franzen novel but set in modern day Ireland: beautiful prose and very character focused。 This follows members of the Barnes family as they deal with some financial and personal crises and reflect on traumatic events of the past that led them to this point。 The beginning of the book from the children’s perspectives was unputdownable as things are escalating for the family。 The middle section really plateaus as we get the mother Imelda and father Dickie’s ruminations on their past （and A Jonathan Franzen novel but set in modern day Ireland: beautiful prose and very character focused。 This follows members of the Barnes family as they deal with some financial and personal crises and reflect on traumatic events of the past that led them to this point。 The beginning of the book from the children’s perspectives was unputdownable as things are escalating for the family。 The middle section really plateaus as we get the mother Imelda and father Dickie’s ruminations on their past （and past events the children have gotten incorrect） and I felt a little bored。 However， the plot picks up towards the end as we get shorter interwoven perspectives from each character all leading up to the same event。 I still don’t know how I feel about the ending but loved all the little clues throughout that foreshadow the ending event （and I really want to talk about it with someone！）。“We’re all different， but we think everyone else is the same， he said。 If they taught us that in school， I feel like the world would be a much happier place。” 。。。more

Rhea ，

The experience of reading this book was very pleasurable， up until the last section。 I really want more people to read this， but not sure who I would inflict a 600 page Irish family drama on？ I want to discuss: The bunker as a symbol of colonialism throughout the novelThe theme of Bad DadsMy frustration with the Tragic Gay storyline （not a gay person experiencing a tragedy， but the tragedy of this person’s life being that they are gay）The ending。 HMU if you’ve read it and want to talk！

Claire Murphy ，

What a ride

Jenn ，

meh

John ，

Book 221 of the year and I’m not sure if it’s me or this book， but is there a limit to what can be said in family dramas？ Can reading about broken people be compelling in perpetuity？ Have I read too much and ruined books？ The Bee Sting seems to aspire to something Franzen-esque but lands somewhere closer to a Netflix miniseries。 Looked at in the right light， with its post-modern flirtations， narrative subversions， and abundant stereotypes， the novel could even be an attempt to satirize that styl Book 221 of the year and I’m not sure if it’s me or this book， but is there a limit to what can be said in family dramas？ Can reading about broken people be compelling in perpetuity？ Have I read too much and ruined books？ The Bee Sting seems to aspire to something Franzen-esque but lands somewhere closer to a Netflix miniseries。 Looked at in the right light， with its post-modern flirtations， narrative subversions， and abundant stereotypes， the novel could even be an attempt to satirize that style of epic family story， however unconvincingly。 In fact， most of it is unconvincing。 The dialogue is the brightest spot。 I’m a sucker for the regional vernacular， but the voices felt real nonetheless。 The cast is fine， just too familiar in both their traits and their fates。 The perspective changes between sections and the characters are written inconsistently， with Imelda， the wife， coming off the weakest。 She’s voiced in a freeform stream， a la Molly Bloom， yet the stylization and literary allusion belie how underserved she is on the page。 The same holds true for the other female characters to a lesser degree。 The most lived-in character was actually the adolescent PJ。 Maybe the author is better at writing children？ Much of the story is told via flashback （and some flash-sideways， with quite a few imagined scenarios）， which doesn’t help the momentum of an already bloated book。 The main driving action is found in new details left unsaid by previous narrators， exposing the hollowness of the plot。 The formal experiments with structure， punctuation， and second-person perspectives， do not serve the narrative in any way。 Likewise the attempts at real world commentary on post-Tiger Ireland， untenable consumerism， climate change， etc。， are too feeble for any of the metaphors to work。 Much will be made of the ending—I won’t spoil it—which is the kind of conclusion that will drive some people insane。 I’m okay with it and I feel like it could have been effective/affecting， if the work had been done to get the characters to a pivotal moment。 Instead they got their wheels stuck in common contrivances and a baffling amount of coincidence that sucked out any emotion or empathy。 I will say that despite being overlong and unconvincing， I didn’t mind my time with this novel。 This is my first book by this author and he seems very capable。 This one just comes off like a big misfire。 The core message of the book is not original or delivered in any revelatory way， but it is a good one。 This is a book about the masks we wear， the silences we despair in， our private shames， and the identities we’re too scared to embody。 It’s a book about trusting the people who love you， and trusting in love itself。 I guess I’ll shoot for 240 or 250。 If there is nothing new under the sun， I may as well just sit and burn。 。。。more

Suzie B ，

Set in Ireland， looking at a family of whom each family member is spiralling alone within their own little tragedies， yet Murray expertly weaves their stories together to create an epically suspenseful finish。 No spoiler but really enjoyed how it ended… masterful！

Isabella Ora ，

Favourite book I’ve read this year， the Irish are just the best authors hands down。

Clara Taylor ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Liked the first part of the book--eclectic bunch of characters， unusual relationships， all written so well。 Then it got lost along the way with much backtracking， and too many pages。 I felt some characters and situations were cast aside， others included， without genuine continuity。 And I absolutely hated the ending。 All those pages leading to。。。。

Carol Buchter ，

A wonderful book。 In a perfect world it might have been a few hundred pages shorter but in truth I hungrily read all 700+ pages， eager for more。 I loved being immersed in the unforgettable characters and their amazing lives told convincingly and compellingly over decades。 The ending， several chapters in the making， is a real Wow。 Highly recommended。

Matthew Shur ，

Holy moly， this is a whoppin' tour de force。 That ending！！ Holy moly， this is a whoppin' tour de force。 That ending！！ 。。。more

Vernon Area Library ，

A Jonathan Franzen type novel but set in modern day Ireland: beautiful prose and very character focused。 This follows members of the Barnes family as they deal with some financial and personal crises and reflect on traumatic events of the past that led them to this point。 The beginning of the book from the children’s perspectives was unputdownable as things are escalating for the family。 The middle section really plateaus as we get the mother Imelda and father Dickie’s ruminations on their past A Jonathan Franzen type novel but set in modern day Ireland: beautiful prose and very character focused。 This follows members of the Barnes family as they deal with some financial and personal crises and reflect on traumatic events of the past that led them to this point。 The beginning of the book from the children’s perspectives was unputdownable as things are escalating for the family。 The middle section really plateaus as we get the mother Imelda and father Dickie’s ruminations on their past （and past events the children have gotten incorrect） and I felt a little bored。 However， the plot picks up towards the end as we get shorter interwoven perspectives from each character all leading up to the same event。 I still don’t know how I feel about the ending but loved all the little clues throughout that foreshadow the ending event。-Gina， Readers & Information Services 。。。more

Colleen ，

Veryyy funny; really fine writing。 Bit long， bit unsatisfactory ending because major thing overlooked （pouring rain and wind and pitch black but everyone's cell phones operated？）。 Many characters; hard book to put down。 Booker Award short list winner and Ireland award winner。 Veryyy funny; really fine writing。 Bit long， bit unsatisfactory ending because major thing overlooked （pouring rain and wind and pitch black but everyone's cell phones operated？）。 Many characters; hard book to put down。 Booker Award short list winner and Ireland award winner。 。。。more

Valerie ，

10 best 2023 nyt

Courtney Stevens ，

I listened to this book on Audible。 The narrators were magnificent。 I enjoyed the book immensely throughout。 As it got towards the end it felt a bit rushed。 I thought things would weave together a bit more。 Overall though， beautifully written。 The characters were flawed but "likeable" or at least relatable。 Highly recommend despite the length。 I listened to this book on Audible。 The narrators were magnificent。 I enjoyed the book immensely throughout。 As it got towards the end it felt a bit rushed。 I thought things would weave together a bit more。 Overall though， beautifully written。 The characters were flawed but "likeable" or at least relatable。 Highly recommend despite the length。 。。。more

Debra ，

The ending was maddening！ After 600+ pages， I wanted more clarification。 Did like the conclusion’s structure — clever and the pacing pulsating。 This Irish fam has 4 members， each with loads of secrets — no one really knows even their fam members like we imagine we do: Imelda， Dickie， Cass， and PJ。 And each character gets a turn so the reader learns all about each one until on a dark and stormy night their secret lives converge。AND disappointed that Maurice just gives up and leaves！ Obvi his fam The ending was maddening！ After 600+ pages， I wanted more clarification。 Did like the conclusion’s structure — clever and the pacing pulsating。 This Irish fam has 4 members， each with loads of secrets — no one really knows even their fam members like we imagine we do: Imelda， Dickie， Cass， and PJ。 And each character gets a turn so the reader learns all about each one until on a dark and stormy night their secret lives converge。AND disappointed that Maurice just gives up and leaves！ Obvi his fam needed him！& 。。。more

Judith ，

A solid 4 stars。 Whew！ This book was a commitment。 Clocking in at over 600 pages， a family saga at its best。 And worst！ The author takes us to Ireland to meet the Barnes family and we travel back in time and then forward to the present to see how mom， dad， and two children make their way in a world of peril。 Relationship peril， financial ruin， and life choices all play into the inevitability of tragedy。 This book， after a slow start， really grew on me。 The author experiments with different writi A solid 4 stars。 Whew！ This book was a commitment。 Clocking in at over 600 pages， a family saga at its best。 And worst！ The author takes us to Ireland to meet the Barnes family and we travel back in time and then forward to the present to see how mom， dad， and two children make their way in a world of peril。 Relationship peril， financial ruin， and life choices all play into the inevitability of tragedy。 This book， after a slow start， really grew on me。 The author experiments with different writing styles for each character’s perspective， which I found challenging but that somehow worked。 I can see this as a movie for sure！！ 。。。more

Charlie Murphy ，

Oh my god。 Oh my god。 Oh my god。 Paul。 What have you done

Eric Shinabarger ，

Starts simply， but each chapter adds a new layer and perspective， all culminating in a suspenseful ending。

William Harvey ，

Probably my favorite book over the last 10 years at least。 The intricacies of the story which slowly reveal themselves with each of the 4 main characters getting a chance to show the reader their view of the world。 The story comes to a head in the last 1/3 in what is one of the most compelling and propulsive sections of any book I’ve ever read。 Some will be disappointed by the ending but I loved it。 I think all the answers to what happens to the family are spelled out with some pretty obvious fo Probably my favorite book over the last 10 years at least。 The intricacies of the story which slowly reveal themselves with each of the 4 main characters getting a chance to show the reader their view of the world。 The story comes to a head in the last 1/3 in what is one of the most compelling and propulsive sections of any book I’ve ever read。 Some will be disappointed by the ending but I loved it。 I think all the answers to what happens to the family are spelled out with some pretty obvious foreshadowing thoughout the book。 It’s long at 650 pages or so but it never felt overly long and I was entertained throughout。 It’s laugh out loud funny but will also likely make you cry at least once if not several times。 It’s a story about how we really don’t always know the people closest to us as we hide our uncomfortable truths from both ourselves and those we love and the damage that can do。 I’m just bummed it didn’t win The Booker prize。 。。。more

Cindy ，

Absolutely amazing。 Great characters。 Great voices。 Everyone is haunted by their past secrets in delicious， twisty ways。

Suzanne Woods ，

Wow a very lonnngggg book。 Dragged on a little & ended with no conclusion。 Just keeps you guessing 🥲

Ann Graham ，

This sweeping Irish tale （all 640 pages of it） of a family in crisis was shortlisted for the Booker Prize 2023。 Dickie， a successful car salesman， goes bust and builds a bunker in the forest for when the world collapses; Imelda， his beautiful wife， retreats from the family; Cass， his clever teenager daughter， drinks her way through her final school year; and the poor younger son PJ， just simply gets weirder。 The story， told from alternating viewpoints， weaves in and out of the present to the pas This sweeping Irish tale （all 640 pages of it） of a family in crisis was shortlisted for the Booker Prize 2023。 Dickie， a successful car salesman， goes bust and builds a bunker in the forest for when the world collapses; Imelda， his beautiful wife， retreats from the family; Cass， his clever teenager daughter， drinks her way through her final school year; and the poor younger son PJ， just simply gets weirder。 The story， told from alternating viewpoints， weaves in and out of the present to the past and back again， as each family member tries to come to grips with what is happening。 Heartbreakingly sad， funny at times， Paul Murray can certainly spin a good tale。 。。。more

Carla ，

Long， family dark humor drama told by alternating family members while consistently moving the story into the future， but also telling the past。 Unique prose。 Definitely Franzen-like。

Carly Roth ，

4。5 （I think）This might be one of the most difficult books to rate。 On the one hand， I loved it。 I love the Irish take on dark comedy with all my heart。 The story and characters were so intense and beautiful and complicated that I couldn't help but keep wanting to read the book。 However， on the other hand， you have the length and effort it takes to get through this book。 650 pages is a feat， but one I was more than willing and ready to tackle。 What I was not ready to take on was the 100+ pages o 4。5 （I think）This might be one of the most difficult books to rate。 On the one hand， I loved it。 I love the Irish take on dark comedy with all my heart。 The story and characters were so intense and beautiful and complicated that I couldn't help but keep wanting to read the book。 However， on the other hand， you have the length and effort it takes to get through this book。 650 pages is a feat， but one I was more than willing and ready to tackle。 What I was not ready to take on was the 100+ pages of no punctuation in a certain character's perspective。 Nor was I ready for the amount of googling I had to do to understand Irish slang。 So， what do you do when you read a beautiful and complex book with a plot and characters you love， yet in that very same book you can't help but hate the writing style？ I don't know either。Here's my problem beyond the no punctuation: I felt like Paul Murray was trying to implement every "unique" writing style he could into this book。 He did no punctuation， third person， second person， and a play-like format at the end。 It all became a little too much in the way of cohesion and it didn't differentiate the characters at all， so there didn't seem to be a point to the various styles other than a sort of prestige。。。。 After writing my complaints there， I want to go back to a 4。。。 BUT THE ENDING and THE CHARACTERS and THE FAMILIAL DYNAMICS and THE FRIENDSHIP DYNAMICS and THE STORY。。。 ugh I don't know， you read the book and tell me how to feel and I will probably agree with you。 。。。more

Caroline ，

Different perspectives of mom dad brother sister in Ireland。 All had a bunch going on and careened to one common disaster point。 Didn’t need to be so long （but enjoyed how well I knew them and how slowly things unfolded） and kids views too coming of age

Lorna Neligan ，

T

sydney ，

tbr thoughts:8 days left to read a 700+ （on ebook） page book。。。。。。 oh boy here we go！ super excited to read this <3

Kathleen ，

I don’t know what I am missing here but this book was so boring I could not continue beyond 200 pages。

Janet Hildebrandt ，

Quite the book。 Long， but it held my interest。 The surprise ending was unsettling， which maybe was his point。

Penny ，

600 + pages of family dysfunction and anxious people。 The writing is skilled but this book will pollute your brain with sadness and anxiety。 And then the ending。 UGH。 The book was so heavy and neurotic that I had to skip ahead to the ending just to get the whole affair behind me。 Why read a book that will teach you NOTHING， goes on forever and ends in a heap？ You can do better！