The Bee Sting by Paul Murray
I can’t remember the last time I was so hooked by a novel as I was reading The Bee Sting by Paul Murray. Maybe it had something to do with the change in weather – we’ve shifted into autumn in this part of the world, and the chilly mornings and evenings make time spent reading that much cosier. I was also gifted this book right at the start of the school holidays, which meant days and days of uninterrupted reading time. The Bee Sting is around 650 pages long, but I finished it in less than a week. I was completely lost in this book, and it was wonderful.
The Bee Sting is set in Ireland, and is written from the perspectives of four members of the Barnes family: Dickie, the patriarch, his wife Imelda, and their two children Cassie and PJ. It’s an epic family drama, full of twists and revelations. It feels in some ways like a Greek tragedy, or perhaps a Shakespearean one. What really drew me in, though, were the details, the depth of character. I am in awe of Murray’s ability to create so many distinct and authentic people. With each section I was drawn deeper into these lives, and while no one in the Barnes family is completely likeable, they are all – in some way – relatable. I don’t want to say much more for fear of giving too much away, but The Bee Sting is definitely my favourite book of the year so far.
Scraps & Fragments 