The Bee Sting: Shortlisted for the Booker Prize 2023

5 Reviews For This Product

1. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   05

   by Mr. Adrian Mcmenamin October 4, 2023

   In the last half century Ireland has undergone transformation. But what has been lost and what of the winnings will last?
   This novel isn’t an allegory for Ireland (or more accurately the Republic), but undoubtedly one of the themes is the sense of loss and confusion that many feel – especially those who were never agitators for social change – about the new world.
   Those who remember the old world of poverty, moral hypocrisy, and abuse – still find themselves longing for the solidity of those times – symbolised perhaps by the brick walls of the Magdalene Laundry that sits in the centre of the unnamed midlands town where most of the events described take place.
   Well, that’s the meta picture (maybe) but inside the 600 plus pages we see dark comedy but above all sadness from a family unable to come to terms with itself or to grasp the opportunities to be free that the new Ireland offers.
   This is a novel of suffering but it never ceases to remind us we did this to ourselves.

2. 

   Rated 4 out of 5

   05

   by V. O’Regan October 6, 2023

   ‘The Bee Sting’ by Paul Murray is the sixth and last book that I have read from the 2023 Booker Prize shortlist.

   This is a family drama set in Ireland, which follows the fortunes of the Barnes family. Dickie Barnes’ once successful car business is in trouble though rather than deal with the crises, he’s spending his days in the woods, building an apocalypse-proof bunker with a renegade handyman.

   Meanwhile, his wife Imelda is selling off their possessions on eBay while their teenage daughter Cass, who had been top of her class now seems determined to binge-drink her way through her final year, endangering her future. For various reasons twelve-year-old PJ is putting the final touches to his grand plan to run away from home.

   The story moves around in time filling in details from the past that often brings new perspectives to the present. The final section of the novel is quite strange, like one of those films where the camera quickly moves between different perspectives to build up to a dramatic conclusion. It was rather ambiguous and left me feeling rather perplexed. 

   Overall, I found ‘The Bee Sting’ a very readable book despite its 645 page length. I am uncertain if it has the literary weight to win the Booker Prize though I expect that it will prove popular with readers who enjoy family sagas.

3. 

   Rated 4 out of 5

   05

   by Bionic Sarah October 13, 2023

   This novel was long listed for the Booker prize, 2023 .The novel is the story of an Irish family at the time of the 2009 financial crash the family runs a car showroom which has had to close because of financial problems . Each chapter focuses on a different family member, and the stories told in a mixture of different formats, including flashbacks. There is a clear stylistic difference between the chapters that some chapters are very realistic:/naturalistic, but others for example the section about the mother’s childhood this is very Irish in its language and reads like a old fashion fairytale .
   The author has a bright, easily read, prose, style , the book ticks a long in a witty and snappy fashion. It is quite a long novel, but I have my attention throughout. There are sentences that one was, “Droopy vaping boys “doesn’t that sum up those boys that hang out outside the small town supermarket, precisely
   The novel is set in Ireland and this completely surrounds and grounds the novel.
   The authors character development is detailed, and all the individuals in the novel feel like real people.
   I found the ending, incredibly tense. It made me feel nauseous with anxiety, and in my view finished the story perfectly.
   I’d recommend the novel if you like character based family literary novels. I did enjoy it, but ultimately didn’t feel it was a great novel . If you liked One day by David Nicholls then you might like this novel.

   This review will appear on Goodreads, Amazon, UK, and my book blog bionicsarahsbooks.wordpress.com

4. 

   Rated 4 out of 5

   05

   by fatpaddykillah October 15, 2023

   Not normally a fan of long novels but this kept me in its grip and was devoured over a few days. Murray’s prose is clear, concise, witty and mercilessly observant – I would not like to spend time with the guy cos he’s clearly someone who notices and records everything! The novel tells the story of one family across several generations, primarily the father Dickie and mother Imelda. It’s a brutal, bleak, occasionally overwrought story, but the dazzling writing and psychological insight keep it compelling. For those complaining about the punctuation, guys, this is deliberate and only happens with Imelda. I think this perhaps reflects her lack of formal education and the fractured tumble of her thoughts. Lots of important issues are dealt with including family secrets, child abuse, sexuality, the environment, and loneliness, all with scalpel-sharp, perceptive insight. The book isn’t entirely successful and the depiction of modern-day student life seemed terribly bleak with too many references to pronouns and so-called wokeism. The ghost theme is also hammered home. But the final section must be the tensest series of scenes I’ve ever read. I was truly captivated as all the characters fell into danger and it felt like a terrible fate awaited them. After 640 pages I was a little unsatisfied by the ending’s ambiguity, and would have liked something more concrete, but it’s a minor criticism for an otherwise great read.

5. 

   Rated 4 out of 5

   05

   by Andrew Whitworth November 22, 2023

   Intriguing story and some great characters. Glad I listened to the Audiobook version of this as the voices brought this to life. Still prefer Jonathan Franzen’s The Corrections though this was a worthy contender