Member-only story
The Bee Sting by Paul Murray — Book Review
What we can learn about plot, style, and the ending
The Bee Sting by Paul Murray was one of the best books I read in 2023. It was the perfect holiday season book for me. It has family drama, intriguing characters, a stunning style, and a plot that reads like a thriller. It was hard to put down. No wonder it was shortlisted for the Booker Prize 2023. I will warn you: you won’t be able to put it down, you’ll mourn finishing it, look up anything you can about the ending, and you’ll keep thinking about it for months afterwards.
About Paul Murray
The Bee Sting is Paul Murray’s (1975) fourth novel, following the successes of An Evening of Long Goodbyes, Skippy Dies, and The Mark and the Void. He is from Dublin and studied English Literature at Trinity College.
Plot and character analysis
The premise of the book starts like this:
“A patch of ice on the road, a casual favour to a charming stranger, a bee caught beneath a bridal veil — can a single moment of bad luck change the direction of a life?”
So much intrigue already!
The Bee Sting is about the Barnes family living in a small Irish town. The book starts with a part seen through the eyes of the eldest child, Cass. You discover what’s stirring her behaviour and that of the other family members, which builds intrigue.
Cass is a promising young woman who is getting good grades and preparing herself to go to Trinity College in Dublin. But her father’s business troubles cast a dark cloud over her mood, and her ongoing obsession over her best friend Elaine doesn’t help either. Both girls are going on a drinking rampage during their high school exams.
The subsequent parts are written from the perspective of her younger brother, PJ, followed by her mother, Imelda and her dad, Dickie. You discover more and more as Paul Murray meticulously gives…
