Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Hamish Hamilton (2023), 656 pages
Description
"The Barnes family is in trouble. Dickie's once-lucrative car business is going under--but rather than face the music, he's spending his days in the woods, building an apocalypse-proof bunker with a renegade handyman. His wife Imelda is selling off her jewelry on eBay, while their teenage daughter Cass, formerly top of her class, seems determined to binge-drink her way through her final exams. And twelve-year-old PJ is putting the final touches to his grand plan to run away from home. Where did it all go wrong? A patch of ice on the tarmac, a casual favor to a charming stranger, a bee caught beneath a bridal veil--can a single moment of bad luck change the direction of a life? And if the story has already been written--is there still time to find a happy ending?"--… (more)
Media reviews
...anyone who starts “The Bee Sting” will be immediately absorbed by this extraordinary story about the derailing of a once-prosperous family. Although Murray is a fantastically witty writer, his empathy with these characters is so deep that he can convey the comedy of their foibles without the
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condescending bitterness of satire. His command of their lives is so detailed that he can strip away every pretense and lie without spoiling a surprise. And, most impressive, while sinking into the peculiar flaws of this one uniquely troubled family, Murray captures the anxiety many of us feel living on the edge of economic ruin in these latter days of the Anthropocene Epoch.... Murray explores what it’s like to maintain the trappings of Western opulence at the inflection point of our planet’s health, to carry on with the masquerade of domestic life while harboring the knowledge that everything’s cooked. For some of these characters, that’s a terrifying prospect, of course, but for others, already broiling in the crucible of their own shame, a future sterilized by cataclysm is weirdly attractive. Show Less
In Paul Murray’s latest novel, “The Bee Sting” — an epic tale reaching back decades and spanning roughly 650 pages — things are pretty apocalyptic for one down-on-their-luck family, and that’s before we get to climate change. The problems, you might say, are coming from inside the
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house....Through the Barneses’ countless personal dramas, Murray explores humanity’s endless contradictions: How brutal and beautiful life is. How broken and also full of potential. How endlessly fraught and persistently promising. Whether or not we can ever truly change our course, the hapless Barneses will keep you hoping, even after you turn the novel’s last page. Show Less
Mainly there is an inexorable trudging from bad to worse, with Murray tirelessly inventing fresh woes for the Barneses. And while financial pressure is a propulsive force—as it is to varying degrees in all his novels—other pressures come into play: sexual, religious, educational, community,
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parental, peer. It’s hard not to feel the author is piling on, not to wonder how the novel might have gained from some comic relief. At the same time, no moment or episode is implausible, and carried by Murray’s fine, measured prose and uncanny plotting, the book presents a striking abundance of what for too many may be normal life. A grim and demanding and irresistible anatomy of misfortune. Show Less
The title “The Bee Sting” sets the tone before the reader knows how to separate false chords from genuine ones in the novel. Cass may not be the shallow Irish valley girl she at first appears to be. PJ may see more than he seems to at first. The economy may not be the catalyst for the
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characters’ problems. The source of all the difficulty may be self-deceit. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member RidgewayGirl
This is the story of a family who falls apart in the aftermath of Ireland's 2008 economic crisis. The Barnes's are among the wealthiest families in a small town in the middle of Ireland, owning and running a car dealership there. When the crash comes, it seems for awhile like they can sail through,
Murry begins this story with Cass, who plans to attend university in Dublin and live with her best friend. When the financial pressures become evident, so does the disparity in the relationship with her best friend. Cut adrift, Cass has trouble concentrating on her exams, and as her normal teenage woes veer into more serious terrain, it's clear her parents aren't paying attention. Then there's PJ, a sweet child, who may spend his time playing truly frightening video games, but that hasn't affected his sensitive heart, which notices his parents's troubles and does his part to not bother them, no matter what. He's found an on-line friend who is supportive which his parents definitely don't notice.
Murray's skill as a writer is in full display as, having killed all sympathy for these negligent parents, he proceeds to tell their stories and to force the reader to care about them. Murray writes each character so well, each has a voice of their own and the mother's section was just fantastic -- written in a stream-of-consciousness that reflects who she is. The book opens with long sections for each of the four family members, then moving between them more rapidly as the novel builds to its conclusion. We've all read books that end pages, or even chapters, later than they should have. This is the first time I've encountered a book that deliberately ended too early. I'm not sure what to think of that.
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and then it seems like they might sail through with a little belt-tightening. And then it seems the sailing days are over.Murry begins this story with Cass, who plans to attend university in Dublin and live with her best friend. When the financial pressures become evident, so does the disparity in the relationship with her best friend. Cut adrift, Cass has trouble concentrating on her exams, and as her normal teenage woes veer into more serious terrain, it's clear her parents aren't paying attention. Then there's PJ, a sweet child, who may spend his time playing truly frightening video games, but that hasn't affected his sensitive heart, which notices his parents's troubles and does his part to not bother them, no matter what. He's found an on-line friend who is supportive which his parents definitely don't notice.
Murray's skill as a writer is in full display as, having killed all sympathy for these negligent parents, he proceeds to tell their stories and to force the reader to care about them. Murray writes each character so well, each has a voice of their own and the mother's section was just fantastic -- written in a stream-of-consciousness that reflects who she is. The book opens with long sections for each of the four family members, then moving between them more rapidly as the novel builds to its conclusion. We've all read books that end pages, or even chapters, later than they should have. This is the first time I've encountered a book that deliberately ended too early. I'm not sure what to think of that.
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LibraryThing member dwcofer
This is one of the worst books I have ever read in my life and I have read thousands of books.
The story follows a family, Dickie, his wife Imelda, their daughter, Cass, and their son PJ. The story is told from the POV of each character, with a lot of other characters thrown in as well. Dickie runs
The book is definitely a literary novel, as the emphasis is on the characters over the ploy. There is some plot, but not much. The characters are mostly flat and one-dimensional, not well developed at all. Their behavior is inconsistent, so the reader never fully understands them.
The timelines shift and are confusing. There are a lot of flashbacks that are not transitioned well, leaving the reader confused. These timelines are all over the place, switching back and forth, even within the same paragraph.
The sections of the book from Imelda’s POV have no punctuation at all. No, none. No commas, no periods, nothing. Fortunately each sentence does begin with a capital letter, or else the reader would not be able to make sense of such nonsense. Why Murray chose to write only her section without punctuation is unclear. Her section also has a lot of internal monologue and is written in a stream of consciousness style. In fact, the entire book has a lot of internal monologue.
The dialogue in the book, if you can call it that is without quotation marks or tags. When a group of people are together and there is speaking, it is almost impossible to determine who is speaking without the dialogue tags. This is most confusing. The dialogue is told to the reader, rather than shown. For example, the text might say, “Imelda told them she agreed,” rather than say, “I agree,” said Imelda. This is just a simple example, but representative of the “dialogue” in the book.
The two major issues with the book are one, it is too long, and contains too many characters. The book comes in over 640 pages. I love a long book, but this one would have been improved if it had come in just under 300 pages. It is full of fluff and narrative that is totally useless. I counted over 114 characters when I stopped counting. Every insignificant person is named in the book, even those that are mentioned once, never to return again. I kept track of the characters, and it took four pages of paper to list them. This is way too many characters.
The point of view often shifted as well, often going from third person point of view to second person point of view, even in the same paragraph.
The author’s personal views regarding climate change and gender identity showed through in the book as well. Personally, I do not care what his views are, but they do not need to be forced down the reader’s throat. Just tell me a good story with great characters and beautiful writing. That is all the reader wants.
Finally, the ending was an absolute mess. There are plot lines that are not resolved and the ending is ambiguous and open-ended. We do not know what happens at the end. I do not need a book to be neatly wrapped up at the end with a bow tied on top. I do like it to be a little open ended, so as a reader, I can meditate on it for long after I have finished reading it. But this ending was ridiculous. None of the plot lines were resolved and the reader is left hanging as to what happened next. It is as if the book was left unfinished, and the ending removed.
This is the first Murry book I have read, and based upon this book, it will be the last.
The story follows a family, Dickie, his wife Imelda, their daughter, Cass, and their son PJ. The story is told from the POV of each character, with a lot of other characters thrown in as well. Dickie runs
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his father’s automotive dealership, which is not doing well for a number of reasons. Imelda is not happy in her marriage. Cass hates living at home and cannot wait until she graduates and goes off to college. PJ is just caught in the midst of all this unhappiness and turmoil.The book is definitely a literary novel, as the emphasis is on the characters over the ploy. There is some plot, but not much. The characters are mostly flat and one-dimensional, not well developed at all. Their behavior is inconsistent, so the reader never fully understands them.
The timelines shift and are confusing. There are a lot of flashbacks that are not transitioned well, leaving the reader confused. These timelines are all over the place, switching back and forth, even within the same paragraph.
The sections of the book from Imelda’s POV have no punctuation at all. No, none. No commas, no periods, nothing. Fortunately each sentence does begin with a capital letter, or else the reader would not be able to make sense of such nonsense. Why Murray chose to write only her section without punctuation is unclear. Her section also has a lot of internal monologue and is written in a stream of consciousness style. In fact, the entire book has a lot of internal monologue.
The dialogue in the book, if you can call it that is without quotation marks or tags. When a group of people are together and there is speaking, it is almost impossible to determine who is speaking without the dialogue tags. This is most confusing. The dialogue is told to the reader, rather than shown. For example, the text might say, “Imelda told them she agreed,” rather than say, “I agree,” said Imelda. This is just a simple example, but representative of the “dialogue” in the book.
The two major issues with the book are one, it is too long, and contains too many characters. The book comes in over 640 pages. I love a long book, but this one would have been improved if it had come in just under 300 pages. It is full of fluff and narrative that is totally useless. I counted over 114 characters when I stopped counting. Every insignificant person is named in the book, even those that are mentioned once, never to return again. I kept track of the characters, and it took four pages of paper to list them. This is way too many characters.
The point of view often shifted as well, often going from third person point of view to second person point of view, even in the same paragraph.
The author’s personal views regarding climate change and gender identity showed through in the book as well. Personally, I do not care what his views are, but they do not need to be forced down the reader’s throat. Just tell me a good story with great characters and beautiful writing. That is all the reader wants.
Finally, the ending was an absolute mess. There are plot lines that are not resolved and the ending is ambiguous and open-ended. We do not know what happens at the end. I do not need a book to be neatly wrapped up at the end with a bow tied on top. I do like it to be a little open ended, so as a reader, I can meditate on it for long after I have finished reading it. But this ending was ridiculous. None of the plot lines were resolved and the reader is left hanging as to what happened next. It is as if the book was left unfinished, and the ending removed.
This is the first Murry book I have read, and based upon this book, it will be the last.
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LibraryThing member kjuliff
Fly Like a Butterfly
“Dust be diamonds, water be wine
Happy, happy, happy all the time, time, time
Dust be diamonds, water be wine
Happy, happy, happy all the time, time, time”
- from the album Be Glad for the Song Has No Ending, Incredible String Band, 1969.
First lines:
”In the next town over a
With over 26 audio reading time hours between the first and last lines, it’s no wonder that many readers thought the song had no ending. But the story does, ambiguous as it may be, like Murray’s characters the reader must decide.
It’s a rambling tale of three generations of an Irish family living in a small village, and on the face of it one could be forgiven in thinking it is just another, albeit well-crafted, Irish story that has become almost a genre in its own right.
But that is just what it is not. It’s a story about time, how the past stays with us, how people change or think they do. How we don’t realise in our moment that this is our life. There’s no returning. That’s all folks.
Imelda - the middle generation -
“Time doesn’t do what you think it will, does it? You get your turn, but they don’t tell you that’s all it is. A turn. A moment. Everything explodes, you’re nothing but feelings. Your life begins at last. You think it’ll be all like that. Then the moment passes. The moment passes but you stay in the shape you were then, in the life that’s come out of the things that you did. The remainder of that girl you used to be.”
And Dickie, Imelda’s husband, on trying to recover his past, walking through his old stamping ground of Trinity College in Dublin nearly two decades later.
“There were new buildings everywhere with obtuse designs, deliberate acts of modernity. They struggled against the university’s aura of pastness The plush heaviness like a brocade of pure time that covered everything and held it in suspension.”
Against the tales of the individual characters hangs the beginnings and forebodings of climate change and ecological damage. The piece of plastic blowing in the wind, semi attached to a power pole, that once held a memorial photo of Imelda’s first love, brother of Dickie. Frank whose ghostly presence lingers on. That plastic will, Imelda muses, outlast all our lives, all our “turns”.
Bad things seem to happen with weather changes, storms, flash flooding. But the characters literally plough through downpours and flooded roads. In sync with their doom. A come-what-may-ness. There’s an “All the world’s a stage” vibe about The Bee Sting.
A gem of a book. Read it for the prose alone. As for the characters, I came away almost in love with one of them, the boy, PJ. And I guess I’m not alone.
Read this book.
“Dust be diamonds, water be wine
Happy, happy, happy all the time, time, time
Dust be diamonds, water be wine
Happy, happy, happy all the time, time, time”
- from the album Be Glad for the Song Has No Ending, Incredible String Band, 1969.
First lines:
”In the next town over a
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man had killed his family. He had nailed the doors shut so they couldn’t get out. Their neighbors heard them running through the runes screaming for mercy. When he’d finished he’d turned the gun on himself.”With over 26 audio reading time hours between the first and last lines, it’s no wonder that many readers thought the song had no ending. But the story does, ambiguous as it may be, like Murray’s characters the reader must decide.
It’s a rambling tale of three generations of an Irish family living in a small village, and on the face of it one could be forgiven in thinking it is just another, albeit well-crafted, Irish story that has become almost a genre in its own right.
But that is just what it is not. It’s a story about time, how the past stays with us, how people change or think they do. How we don’t realise in our moment that this is our life. There’s no returning. That’s all folks.
Imelda - the middle generation -
“Time doesn’t do what you think it will, does it? You get your turn, but they don’t tell you that’s all it is. A turn. A moment. Everything explodes, you’re nothing but feelings. Your life begins at last. You think it’ll be all like that. Then the moment passes. The moment passes but you stay in the shape you were then, in the life that’s come out of the things that you did. The remainder of that girl you used to be.”
And Dickie, Imelda’s husband, on trying to recover his past, walking through his old stamping ground of Trinity College in Dublin nearly two decades later.
“There were new buildings everywhere with obtuse designs, deliberate acts of modernity. They struggled against the university’s aura of pastness The plush heaviness like a brocade of pure time that covered everything and held it in suspension.”
Against the tales of the individual characters hangs the beginnings and forebodings of climate change and ecological damage. The piece of plastic blowing in the wind, semi attached to a power pole, that once held a memorial photo of Imelda’s first love, brother of Dickie. Frank whose ghostly presence lingers on. That plastic will, Imelda muses, outlast all our lives, all our “turns”.
Bad things seem to happen with weather changes, storms, flash flooding. But the characters literally plough through downpours and flooded roads. In sync with their doom. A come-what-may-ness. There’s an “All the world’s a stage” vibe about The Bee Sting.
A gem of a book. Read it for the prose alone. As for the characters, I came away almost in love with one of them, the boy, PJ. And I guess I’m not alone.
Read this book.
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LibraryThing member arubabookwoman
How did it come to this? You look back at the past and you can't tell where exactly you went wrong. Was it a single misstep?"
This is the story of the Barnes family, Mom and Dad Imelda and Dickie, and their two children, 17 year old Cass and 12 year old P.J. It begins in a leisurely fashion, with
I found P.J.'s section to be heartbreaking. He absorbs the fact of his parents' financial difficulties and takes the responsibility onto his own shoulders. For example he doesn't tell his mom that he has outgrown his shoes to the point that he is walking around with bloodied and blistered feet. P.J. also thinks he's found a sympathetic online friend who if anyone had been paying attention to him might have been outed as a pedophile. Then we get to Imelda's and Dickie's sections, and things get really interesting.
About two-thirds of this book is taken up by these initial long four sections. The method of alternating pov sections among these four characters continues, but in much shorter and much faster-moving sections as incredible tension is built up as the book moves toward its conclusion. As the tension is building to the crisis point, I found myself reading breathlessly, trying not to skim, but desperate to know what will become of this family I've come to care for. As the story is drawing to an end, all four are in a dark forest, and I think in less skilled hands I would have felt that the author had manipulated the characters/plot (and the reader) to achieve this. Instead, the author has brought his characters (and we the readers) to this point seamlessly and naturally'
A lot of people did not like the ending. We are at a point of incredible tension. Something awful seems about to happen. Things could go either way, will the awful thing happen?---and then it ends, and we have no explicit answer. This ambiguity actually worked for me. I know how I would hope it ended, but I think it probably ended the other way.
One Amazon reviewer said this book reminds her of why she loves books, and I agree. And even though the book is fairly long, it feels short. Highly Recommended.
5 stars
This is the story of the Barnes family, Mom and Dad Imelda and Dickie, and their two children, 17 year old Cass and 12 year old P.J. It begins in a leisurely fashion, with
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long sections narrated from the pov of each of the four family members, beginning with Cass. She is self-absorbed, yet at the same time uncertain of her way in life. She can't wait to leave home for college and get away from her parents. She is vaguely aware that her parents are having financial difficulties, but views this only in the context of how it affects her social status and whether or not she will still be able to move to Dublin for college.I found P.J.'s section to be heartbreaking. He absorbs the fact of his parents' financial difficulties and takes the responsibility onto his own shoulders. For example he doesn't tell his mom that he has outgrown his shoes to the point that he is walking around with bloodied and blistered feet. P.J. also thinks he's found a sympathetic online friend who if anyone had been paying attention to him might have been outed as a pedophile. Then we get to Imelda's and Dickie's sections, and things get really interesting.
About two-thirds of this book is taken up by these initial long four sections. The method of alternating pov sections among these four characters continues, but in much shorter and much faster-moving sections as incredible tension is built up as the book moves toward its conclusion. As the tension is building to the crisis point, I found myself reading breathlessly, trying not to skim, but desperate to know what will become of this family I've come to care for. As the story is drawing to an end, all four are in a dark forest, and I think in less skilled hands I would have felt that the author had manipulated the characters/plot (and the reader) to achieve this. Instead, the author has brought his characters (and we the readers) to this point seamlessly and naturally'
A lot of people did not like the ending. We are at a point of incredible tension. Something awful seems about to happen. Things could go either way, will the awful thing happen?---and then it ends, and we have no explicit answer. This ambiguity actually worked for me. I know how I would hope it ended, but I think it probably ended the other way.
One Amazon reviewer said this book reminds her of why she loves books, and I agree. And even though the book is fairly long, it feels short. Highly Recommended.
5 stars
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LibraryThing member pomo58
The Bee Sting by Paul Murray is a character-driven account of the many ways seemingly normal families can spin out of control and often back into sync with each other.
I'll acknowledge upfront that this won't appeal to every reader (though this statement is true of every novel) for some specific
If you're even remotely interested in a novel like what I've described, you will be richly rewarded with this one. While the problems, some self-generated, these characters face are unique to them, they are also analogous to what most of us face. So we both follow this family and, if we read actively, reflect on some of our own life experiences. That alone makes this a successful novel for me. And this element, of the characters being similar to all of us, comes to a head in the final section when the voice changes to make them more directly us.
I would hope this doesn't need to be emphasized to most readers, but a novel, of any genre, requires the characters to make decisions or act in ways we think we would never do. That means you're not going to agree with a lot of what they do, or you'll feel the need to judge them from some (false) superior position. Don't! Empathize with them, try to understand how things could evolve to make someone make those choices. Step outside of your safe little bubble of faux superiority and care about someone, albeit fictional, different from yourself.
I would highly recommend this to readers who like to read about family, and by extension societal, dynamics from within the heads of those involved. The writing is excellent and if you allow yourself, you'll care about each character even if you're also glad they aren't in your life.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via Goodreads.
I'll acknowledge upfront that this won't appeal to every reader (though this statement is true of every novel) for some specific
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reasons. One is the length, some readers simply don't want to read something this long. I know people who squeeze perhaps 30-60 minutes of reading in on most days, which can make maintaining engagement with a long story more difficult. There will also be those readers who don't care for the multiple viewpoints expressed in ways unique to each character. They may want one voice throughout the book or don't really like getting into the heads of characters they wouldn't like in real life. So if these comments refer to your preferences, you might want to skip this book.If you're even remotely interested in a novel like what I've described, you will be richly rewarded with this one. While the problems, some self-generated, these characters face are unique to them, they are also analogous to what most of us face. So we both follow this family and, if we read actively, reflect on some of our own life experiences. That alone makes this a successful novel for me. And this element, of the characters being similar to all of us, comes to a head in the final section when the voice changes to make them more directly us.
I would hope this doesn't need to be emphasized to most readers, but a novel, of any genre, requires the characters to make decisions or act in ways we think we would never do. That means you're not going to agree with a lot of what they do, or you'll feel the need to judge them from some (false) superior position. Don't! Empathize with them, try to understand how things could evolve to make someone make those choices. Step outside of your safe little bubble of faux superiority and care about someone, albeit fictional, different from yourself.
I would highly recommend this to readers who like to read about family, and by extension societal, dynamics from within the heads of those involved. The writing is excellent and if you allow yourself, you'll care about each character even if you're also glad they aren't in your life.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via Goodreads.
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LibraryThing member nivramkoorb
This is Murray's 4th novel and I have read the previous 3. I have enjoyed all of them and he is a very good writer. This book weighs in at 650 pages so there are moments that it drags a bit(that keeps it from 5 stars) but it is a very impressive book. It takes place in a small Irish town about 2
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hours south of Dublin. It is during the post 2008 financial crisis. That along with the continuing backdrop of climate change impacts it as the setting for the present day part of the book. It deals with an upper middle class family that is experiencing the downside of the finance crisis. Dickie, the father runs his fathers car dealership and garage and is seeing their lifestyle go down due to the downturn. Imelda, his wife is the town beauty and there is Cass the daughter getting ready for college and PJ a 12 year old dealing with everything that his age group deals with. This is not a happy story though Murray's writing has many comic elements in it. The book uses 3rd person narratives by each of the family members starting with Cass to PJ, Imelda, and then Dickie. Building the story, including going into the past through the succeeding viewpoints, creates an ever evolving picture. Murray does an excellent job of moving in and out of the past while building a story about a family carrying the weight of the past that always impacts the present. Some people had problems with Murray's style in terms of not using punctuation during Imelda's section. A minor point. I thought that an ending in which each character's narrative was short as if this was a play created good tension andkept up the energy that sometimes is drained by the time you get to the end of a long novel. As always I do not go into detail on the plot etc. but I do recommend this along with all of his novels. You may want to start with his first which is shorter but Murray is an author worth reading. This book is shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Show Less
LibraryThing member alexrichman
Compelling tragicomedy, this has rightly earned comparisons with Franzen et al.
LibraryThing member Perednia
Excellent novel of each member of a family
LibraryThing member dmenon90
When a Bee Sting is Not a Bee Sting...
Ah, here's Paul Murray again after all these weeks of waiting! After his surprising Skippy Dies last year I was lucky to get wind of this latest and got on the waitlist toute de suite. Good thing, that. Murray is in high demand.
Here he's in fine form again. I
Murray begins in Cass's head. With his typical surety, he takes us through that tumultous landscape then shifts to the younger PJ who's got his own wild world. Next, Dickie and Imelda. This last person! It became exasperating to read I must confess because of Murray's device of not using full stops. At all. Therefore every thought in Imelda's head is just strewn across the page: I got the intention, but the effect became tiresome pretty fast. It all read like this And there were pages of it I wanted to like it I did appreciate it The fearsome grief and rage that Imelda feels came across powerfully for sure But Murray my good man would it have killed you to put in full stops
The other thing is the length of the novel. Being Paul Murray I did expect a doorstopper, and this one weighed at least a kilo. In Skippy Dies I found bits of the boys' games a bit too lengthy and here too, it's the boy PJ's section that could have done with some buzz-cutting. However, just when I was groaning because I thought I was caught full on in the "sagging" phenomenon of 600+ page books, Murray revived everything. Post this revival the sections on each character become shorter and therefore a sense of tension is built. This was a marvelous technique and towards the end the nightmarish effect became full-blown, a real stylistic feat.
That ending, however. It is hinted at for sure. But we're left to draw our own conclusions. I'm satisfied with this, because if he'd written it down it would have been way TOO TRAGIC by far. So I'm going to end it my own way, I have it all plotted out. Or not really, har har, just enough not to kill anyone and such.
The Bee Sting's themes are many. Grief is certainly a major one, but also choices and consequences, and what I found most interesting: the simple passage of time and the way our circumstances mark us as deeply as physical grooves. At that age now where these things are suddenly in my face, I must admit that I see my own self in the same mould as Murray's people here, just in the obverse circumstances.
So there it is. I'm pretty impressed and satisfied again; my Ireland craving was taken care of; and now that I find this work's been nominated for the Booker, I can say that I've read at least one of the longlist. Hurray for me but more importantly, let me go select another one of Murray's tomes for next month.
Ah, here's Paul Murray again after all these weeks of waiting! After his surprising Skippy Dies last year I was lucky to get wind of this latest and got on the waitlist toute de suite. Good thing, that. Murray is in high demand.
Here he's in fine form again. I
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was wanting different settings for my novels all this month, and so eagerly lapped up Murray's Ireland; here, a small town where we find our people: Cass, 16, and PJ, 12, children to the unfortunate Dickie and Imelda. Unfortunate, why? There lies a tragedy. Dickie's younger brother Frank, now long dead, is part of that tragedy. Murray begins in Cass's head. With his typical surety, he takes us through that tumultous landscape then shifts to the younger PJ who's got his own wild world. Next, Dickie and Imelda. This last person! It became exasperating to read I must confess because of Murray's device of not using full stops. At all. Therefore every thought in Imelda's head is just strewn across the page: I got the intention, but the effect became tiresome pretty fast. It all read like this And there were pages of it I wanted to like it I did appreciate it The fearsome grief and rage that Imelda feels came across powerfully for sure But Murray my good man would it have killed you to put in full stops
The other thing is the length of the novel. Being Paul Murray I did expect a doorstopper, and this one weighed at least a kilo. In Skippy Dies I found bits of the boys' games a bit too lengthy and here too, it's the boy PJ's section that could have done with some buzz-cutting. However, just when I was groaning because I thought I was caught full on in the "sagging" phenomenon of 600+ page books, Murray revived everything. Post this revival the sections on each character become shorter and therefore a sense of tension is built. This was a marvelous technique and towards the end the nightmarish effect became full-blown, a real stylistic feat.
That ending, however. It is hinted at for sure. But we're left to draw our own conclusions. I'm satisfied with this, because if he'd written it down it would have been way TOO TRAGIC by far. So I'm going to end it my own way, I have it all plotted out. Or not really, har har, just enough not to kill anyone and such.
The Bee Sting's themes are many. Grief is certainly a major one, but also choices and consequences, and what I found most interesting: the simple passage of time and the way our circumstances mark us as deeply as physical grooves. At that age now where these things are suddenly in my face, I must admit that I see my own self in the same mould as Murray's people here, just in the obverse circumstances.
So there it is. I'm pretty impressed and satisfied again; my Ireland craving was taken care of; and now that I find this work's been nominated for the Booker, I can say that I've read at least one of the longlist. Hurray for me but more importantly, let me go select another one of Murray's tomes for next month.
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LibraryThing member vancouverdeb
The Bee Sting is a wonderful novel that has certainly earned its place on the 2023 Booker Shortlist.
The 650 pages flew past for me. The Barnes family is composed of four people, husband Dickie, his wife Imelda, daughter Cass, and twelve year old younger brother PJ. Dickie has taken over his
The characters are richly and empathically drawn, despite their many foibles. My only quibble is with the rather ambiguous ending.
Highly recommended.
The 650 pages flew past for me. The Barnes family is composed of four people, husband Dickie, his wife Imelda, daughter Cass, and twelve year old younger brother PJ. Dickie has taken over his
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father's car dealership and finds himself in financial trouble. His wife Imelda, is the town beauty. Cass is struggling with teen angst and is soon to be off to Dublin to university, if the family can afford it. Meanwhile young PJ finds himself threatened by the town bully, and rather than tell his cash strapped parents that his shoes are too small, he continues to wear them even as his feet bleed. Gradually we learn the back story's of each of the main characters. Imelda grew up in poverty, with an abusive father. Dickie has secrets from his past, which he fears will be revealed.The characters are richly and empathically drawn, despite their many foibles. My only quibble is with the rather ambiguous ending.
Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member CarltonC
Set in contemporary Ireland, this is a story of the Barnes family: Failing family car dealership owner Dickie, high maintenance wife Imelda, Cass(andra) who is in her final school year (age 17) and younger (13) brother PJ.
The story starts with Cass who introduces us to the family and their
This first section (Sylvias) is about the “car crash” of Cass’s expectations and assumptions, as her father’s business goes downhill and her mother sells off her surplus clothes and furnishings on eBay. The problem is that I’m not believing it and it’s too narratively contrived. Perhaps the story is too familiar?
The second section (The Wolf’ Lair) with PJ describing his school summer holiday is more interesting, as I found it unexpected and more contemporary. But then it completely nosedives again and again I’m not believing it.
Gave up when I started the third section which has Imelda breathlessly narrating the Lions club dinner at which Dickie’s father is making the main speech.
I may have approached this book in the wrong way, initially expecting more humour based upon the “blurb” than there is. But having read a review after giving up on the book which praised its “light tone and wry observations ... intertwined with serious subject matter and genuine pathos” I can see what the reviewer is saying, but it’s not working for me. I have just finished Elizabeth Strout’s Lucy Barton quartet, and earlier in the year reread Jane Gardam’s Old Filth trilogy, both of which do this sort of thing better.
The story starts with Cass who introduces us to the family and their
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circumstances, with Dickie’s business going downhill. We also learn about Cass’s best friend Elaine and the bee sting on her mother’s wedding day, which means that there are no wedding photos of Dickie and Imelda. This first section (Sylvias) is about the “car crash” of Cass’s expectations and assumptions, as her father’s business goes downhill and her mother sells off her surplus clothes and furnishings on eBay. The problem is that I’m not believing it and it’s too narratively contrived. Perhaps the story is too familiar?
The second section (The Wolf’ Lair) with PJ describing his school summer holiday is more interesting, as I found it unexpected and more contemporary. But then it completely nosedives again and again I’m not believing it.
Gave up when I started the third section which has Imelda breathlessly narrating the Lions club dinner at which Dickie’s father is making the main speech.
I may have approached this book in the wrong way, initially expecting more humour based upon the “blurb” than there is. But having read a review after giving up on the book which praised its “light tone and wry observations ... intertwined with serious subject matter and genuine pathos” I can see what the reviewer is saying, but it’s not working for me. I have just finished Elizabeth Strout’s Lucy Barton quartet, and earlier in the year reread Jane Gardam’s Old Filth trilogy, both of which do this sort of thing better.
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LibraryThing member DeltaQueen50
The Bee Sting by Paul Murray is an Irish family saga, told from the point of view of the four members of the Barnes household. We are given a vivid portrayal of this hapless family and at first I had sympathy for all members, but as I read on, it grew more difficult for me to empathize in any way
For me the biggest surprise in characterization was that of Dickie, the father. Originally he comes across as a rather bland and ineffectual businessman, father and husband but as we dig a little deeper we discover a very weak man with many secrets. His defence is to simply ignore his troubles and hope that they fade away or that someone else will fix them. I found The Bee Sting lacked the lighter touch and humour that Murray’s previous book, Skippy Dies delivered so well. In this book Murray seems to relish the flaws and anxieties of his characters who all appear on the brink of a break down.
The Bee Sting is an ambitious and imaginative novel that reached out and grabbed me from the first page. The Barnes are not a conventional family, and the author exposes them with apparently no regard for structure or punctuation, even his past and present tenses tend to run together. But I did enjoy reading about this absolute mess of a family in a book where everything and everybody appears to be on a collision course. That said I do have to mention the ending which both surprised and frustrated me somewhat.
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with the father. While wife, Imelda came across as selfish and unfeeling, her past story explained much. It’s was easy to care about 12 year old PJ and his concerns and older sister Cassandra, preparing to leave home for university, was struggling to find any empathy between herself and her family.For me the biggest surprise in characterization was that of Dickie, the father. Originally he comes across as a rather bland and ineffectual businessman, father and husband but as we dig a little deeper we discover a very weak man with many secrets. His defence is to simply ignore his troubles and hope that they fade away or that someone else will fix them. I found The Bee Sting lacked the lighter touch and humour that Murray’s previous book, Skippy Dies delivered so well. In this book Murray seems to relish the flaws and anxieties of his characters who all appear on the brink of a break down.
The Bee Sting is an ambitious and imaginative novel that reached out and grabbed me from the first page. The Barnes are not a conventional family, and the author exposes them with apparently no regard for structure or punctuation, even his past and present tenses tend to run together. But I did enjoy reading about this absolute mess of a family in a book where everything and everybody appears to be on a collision course. That said I do have to mention the ending which both surprised and frustrated me somewhat.
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LibraryThing member pgchuis
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.
I am quitting this at 17% which, given the length of the book, means I gave it a good go! The first section was from the perspective of teenage daughter Cass, who spends her days in thrall to her 'friend' Elaine, hanging out with her
I thought the writing was good, but I find this depressing and I want to tell Cass and her family to stop caring so much about what other people think and become their own people, but I fear they won't do that and I can't cope with the hostility and submission to bullying any more.
Not for me.
I am quitting this at 17% which, given the length of the book, means I gave it a good go! The first section was from the perspective of teenage daughter Cass, who spends her days in thrall to her 'friend' Elaine, hanging out with her
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boyfriend whom she doesn't even like, and drinking when she should be revising. She is also troubled by the fact that her parents are quarrelling and her dad's business failing. Then the second section is from the perspective of her brother PJ, who spends his days hanging out with the horrible Nev, whom he doesn't really like, and worrying about his parents.I thought the writing was good, but I find this depressing and I want to tell Cass and her family to stop caring so much about what other people think and become their own people, but I fear they won't do that and I can't cope with the hostility and submission to bullying any more.
Not for me.
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LibraryThing member ARaw
I decided to read this purely based on choosing from the Booker shortlist and I came to the book untainted by any reader reviews or opinions. I'm so glad I did. The writer presents us with a sort of confection of modern family life in a small Irish town. On the surface are the symbols of success
The four main characters are beautifully nuanced, real, believable, floundering here, soaring there, each thinking something flawed or misinformed of the others, or simply not able to see them clearly. Each chained to their own perspective, overwhelmed by their own situation, isolated. The narrative is a slow, leisurely build, a rich saga of their individual experiences. I was never bored. I spent the whole book in a kind of edge of my seat concern, praying for the worst case scenarios to be averted. The writer takes all the time he needs to present us with a world where ordinary people, living seemingly mundane lives, come face to face with horrific tragedy, How the most awful, unimaginable events don't in fact come randomly out of the blue, but have thier roots deep in the personal histories and choices of the individuals involved.
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society praises and admires - own a business, social standing, big house, elite education, marriage, kids, But lurking ever so close under the perfectly iced finish is the mess of reality. Rotting and undermining from within. Touching on some key perils of our time - climate change, social media predators, the free abundance of internet porn, alcohol abuse. Appropriately, the bee sting of the title is a lie, told to cover up a sad and painful reality. The four main characters are beautifully nuanced, real, believable, floundering here, soaring there, each thinking something flawed or misinformed of the others, or simply not able to see them clearly. Each chained to their own perspective, overwhelmed by their own situation, isolated. The narrative is a slow, leisurely build, a rich saga of their individual experiences. I was never bored. I spent the whole book in a kind of edge of my seat concern, praying for the worst case scenarios to be averted. The writer takes all the time he needs to present us with a world where ordinary people, living seemingly mundane lives, come face to face with horrific tragedy, How the most awful, unimaginable events don't in fact come randomly out of the blue, but have thier roots deep in the personal histories and choices of the individuals involved.
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LibraryThing member msf59
The Bee Sting, aka- The Anatomy of a Family Breakdown. This hefty, sometimes exhausting novel takes a deep look at the Barnes clan, an affluent Irish family, where each of the four family members are heading toward a crisis. Each of the family has a turn telling their story, fleshing out their
The larger sections of the book dragged in spots but the last 50-70 pages narrowed down considerably, hurtling toward an incredibly tense conclusion. Murray is a talented writer but he could use a bit of editing. Of course, this novel is not for everyone but I came down on the positive side and would cautiously recommend it.
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particular histories. It is difficult to sympathize with the parents, especially the father but I had a soft spot for both of the teenage children, hoping for a safe landing.The larger sections of the book dragged in spots but the last 50-70 pages narrowed down considerably, hurtling toward an incredibly tense conclusion. Murray is a talented writer but he could use a bit of editing. Of course, this novel is not for everyone but I came down on the positive side and would cautiously recommend it.
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LibraryThing member technodiabla
I listened to this book on Audible.
Wow, what a fantastic novel! The book has four different members of a rural Irish family each relate their story in turn, picking up where the last one left off. Each character seems as first to be fairly worthless and making terrible decisions. As their
Wow, what a fantastic novel! The book has four different members of a rural Irish family each relate their story in turn, picking up where the last one left off. Each character seems as first to be fairly worthless and making terrible decisions. As their
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background is presented though, the reader begins to feel empathy with their predicaments. The whole family is on a downward spiral personally and as a family unit. Since the reader knows more than any one characters we can see the metaphorical train wreck happening but they cannot. The structure of the book, the characterizations, and the plot development are all brilliant. The ending is everything. No spoilers here, but it was worth reading several analyses upon completing the book. Show Less
LibraryThing member Sucharita1986
Bee Sting by Paul Murray is an exceptional book about family and feelings. The plot is an outstanding platter of human emotions, and we felt like we were living it while reading. With a few characters, the story takes a dive into a family's life and how a single incident can change the course of
It is my first time reading Paul Murray, and I was really not sure whether I would be able to finish a book of around 600 pages. The narrator's voice was amazing and crystal clear.
Life is difficult, and we try to plan things according to our understanding. But what fate has in reserve for us can be totally different. The whole plot revolves around this single concept. If you love slow plots, then definitely the book is not to be missed. Definitely, the book deserves 5 stars.
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their life. Each character has been narrated in depth for a better understanding of the situation. The opening scene of the plot will definitely intrigue you enough to read further. And the most amazing thing was how the first scene and the last scene were connected.It is my first time reading Paul Murray, and I was really not sure whether I would be able to finish a book of around 600 pages. The narrator's voice was amazing and crystal clear.
Life is difficult, and we try to plan things according to our understanding. But what fate has in reserve for us can be totally different. The whole plot revolves around this single concept. If you love slow plots, then definitely the book is not to be missed. Definitely, the book deserves 5 stars.
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LibraryThing member booklove2
Well, it ain't no 'Skippy Dies'. That old classic. A family story, going off the rails. But I was speeding through it like an accelerating train. It was an okay book for me! Not great, not bad.I see others comparing this to Franzen, which not only have I never read, but I'm not really inclined to
*Book #148/340 I have read of the shortlisted Morning News Tournament of Books
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read any Franzen, so this one might not have even been for this particular reader, no matter how much this is also Paul Murray. Possibly Franzen inspired satire? or is Franzen earnest? Not sure how much his writing is satire... I think either way, this was a little too long to get there. I'm a little surprised it was up for at least two awards? A fun note: The character of Ms. Ogle was reminding me of a Roald Dahl character, and then further on, Murray has a line about "That was unbelievable -- like a character in a Roald Dahl book", which makes me think some of his stuff is very much inspired by Roald Dahl, if he will mention it himself! *Book #148/340 I have read of the shortlisted Morning News Tournament of Books
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LibraryThing member banjo123
I really liked the first part of this book, about an Irish family who seems to be falling apart. however, it was quite a long book, and they had lost me by the last 50 pages; and I am not sure I know what happened.
I most enjoyed the sections from the daughter, Cass. Dickie was annoying and I never
I most enjoyed the sections from the daughter, Cass. Dickie was annoying and I never
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did understand why anyone put up with him. Show Less
Awards
Booker Prize (Longlist — 2023)
Kirkus Prize (Finalist — Fiction — 2023)
The Morning News Tournament of Books (Play-In Selection — 2024)
Irish Book Award (Nominee — 2023)
BookTube Prize (Octofinalist — Fiction — 2024)
Washington Post Best Books (Fiction — 2023)
Nero Book Award (Category Winner — Fiction — 2023)
Writers' Prize (Shortlist — Fiction — 2024)
NPR: Books We Love (2023)
The New York Times Notable Books of the Year (Fiction — 2023)
The New York Times Best Books of the Year (Fiction — 2023)
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best: Adults (Selection — 2023)
New York Public Library Best Books: For Adults (Top Ten — Fiction — 2023)
The best books of 2023 | The Guardian (Fiction)
Language
Original publication date
2023-08-23
Physical description
656 p.; 9.29 inches
ISBN
0241353955 / 9780241353950
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DDC/MDS
| 813.6 |