The Bee Sting - Paul Murray

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This book gets a 4.25/5 rating from me. I am sad and angry because if not the ending I would rate it higher. That intentionally ambiguous vibe just left me feeling frustrated after such a long build-up. Like, really, after so many things we went through together, I should have gotten some closure! The pacing was slightly uneven: too slow at the start (even though gripping), with some moments dragging. But once it picked up, I couldn’t stop reading. What really shines are the characters. Every single one is so fleshed out and layered. Dickie’s guilt and repressed desires gave him surprising depth, especially after I initially found him boring. Imelda’s trauma - those flashbacks were gut-wrenching and had me on edge, like I was about to have a panic attack. Cass’s identity crisis was so relatable, especially with her struggles to figure out who she is and what she wants. PJ’s loneliness and that terrifying situation with Ethan? Absolutely haunting. The way personal tragedies and unresolved issues are woven into the family drama is like really good. They’re tangled together in ways that make the family’s dynamic feel so real. The financial collapse, for instance, isn’t just a backdrop. It amplifies their fractures and forces them to face buried truths and growing tensions. Even the “random” themes, like climate change, somehow felt impactful and tied into the story’s tone of collapse and survival. And the title? The nonexistent bee sting makes you wonder: are all family mythologies built on stories that hide painful truths?

I won't lie, many parts were hard to get through, especially imelda's chapters because the lack of punctuation was hard to read, but i applaud the stylistic choice.

The characters are so fleshed out, i felt for every single one no matter how infuriating their choices were. I had a bad feeling about ethan, but I was also holding out hope that things would turn out okay for pj because he is way too young for this tragedy. it seems like everyone was gradually losing it. I wanted things to be okay so badly for all of them really, but dickie's chapter really did me in and made me sadder than the others.

In short, I loved it. it doesn't happen often that a book leaves me emotionally void and sad but this one managed it. it's going on the "books that i think about at least once a week" list which isn't very big. it doesn't take much to impress me, but it takes a lot for a book to evoke these emotions in me and stay with me. It’s not perfect, but it’s gripping, emotional, and heavy—exactly what I love in a book!

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