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?”
