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regina_184's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
3.75
This book was very unique both in terms of the plot and the method of switching narrator.
The book follows a family and each member of the family gets their own section of the book, so we hear all their perspectives on the same topics and situations. Although there are some common themes it is difficult to really pin down what the plot is, as every character is experiencing life so differently. That being said, the main topics the characters explore are sexuality, marriage, climate change, financial problems, aduse, alcohol, loneliness, adultery, and friendship.
I truly loved the ending as it shows how 1 side character ends up being the focal point of the book, however the cliffhanger at the end left me wanting more!
Overall really enjoyed the last 200 pages because all the details revealed at the start finally started making sense. However the first 400 pages can be a little slow since the main conflict of the book doesn't get revealed untill the last 200 pages. Additionally the speed of the plot starts of slow and rapidly increases overtime, so the book became more enjoyable when the speed increased.
Overall I would recommend this book, since it was interesting for me to read about marriage and parenthood from the adults perspective. I am in my mid twenties so I found this perspective unique since I have not lived through this and rarely read about it.
The book follows a family and each member of the family gets their own section of the book, so we hear all their perspectives on the same topics and situations. Although there are some common themes it is difficult to really pin down what the plot is, as every character is experiencing life so differently. That being said, the main topics the characters explore are sexuality, marriage, climate change, financial problems, aduse, alcohol, loneliness, adultery, and friendship.
I truly loved the ending as it shows how 1 side character ends up being the focal point of the book, however the cliffhanger at the end left me wanting more!
Overall really enjoyed the last 200 pages because all the details revealed at the start finally started making sense. However the first 400 pages can be a little slow since the main conflict of the book doesn't get revealed untill the last 200 pages. Additionally the speed of the plot starts of slow and rapidly increases overtime, so the book became more enjoyable when the speed increased.
Overall I would recommend this book, since it was interesting for me to read about marriage and parenthood from the adults perspective. I am in my mid twenties so I found this perspective unique since I have not lived through this and rarely read about it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Car accident, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
jrmotley's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts
shadowfalcon's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual violence
danpeachey's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, and Car accident
Minor: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Bullying, Cancer, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Antisemitism, Dementia, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
nreyno's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Never read a book more deserving of 5 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
mybestfriendisabook's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
4.25
my biggest read yet that i picked up on a whim. tense especially towards the end. fascinating how all the characters were intertwined. i need to know more about the ending! cons of reading a large book is that you’re so invested and that it will always stay with you. dark, messy and really sad, but witty at times. felt like a dark tense movie with the slow buildup.
real con is the character that didn’t use punctuation, that was challenging and dreadful to read 😩 felt like i could finally breathe when that was over.
real con is the character that didn’t use punctuation, that was challenging and dreadful to read 😩 felt like i could finally breathe when that was over.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief, and Abandonment
emilyandthewhippet's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book felt like a real slog. I started reading this in January for a book club in February. Despite continually trying to chip away at the audiobook, I didn't finish it until August.
There's nothing wrong with it per say. It's long but mostly it was that it's one of those contemporary Irish books that I seem to have read a lot over the last few years, where it's a lot of repressed trauma and angst, then they chuck in somehomophobia , someonebeing raped and/or underage sex/drugs/alcohol and call it a masterpiece. This had all of the above and it didn't add anything. But equally, without it would there even be a book? It's that kind of subgenre I suppose. That about sums up my experience with it I suppose. There were parts where I was curious to find out what happened next but I really, really didn't enjoy and the ending was abrupt but both the lead up and the ending were obvious. I didn't like any of the characters but they did feel well fleshed out.
I don't know. Maybe I wasn't in the right mood to be reading this. Though I'm not sure I'd ever be. You'd think over eight months there'd be a point you'd finally get into it but I didn't find that with this book.
There's nothing wrong with it per say. It's long but mostly it was that it's one of those contemporary Irish books that I seem to have read a lot over the last few years, where it's a lot of repressed trauma and angst, then they chuck in some
I don't know. Maybe I wasn't in the right mood to be reading this. Though I'm not sure I'd ever be. You'd think over eight months there'd be a point you'd finally get into it but I didn't find that with this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Biphobia, Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Car accident, Acephobia/Arophobia, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Abandonment
banannie_18's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
makayla_radford's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I had a lot more expectations for this book going into it based on many of the reviews. The concept of it sounds great, and really the plot itself was captivating and kept me coming back to the book.
That said there were some things I found very distracting while I was reading. The book is centered around the 2008 financial crisis, but there are constantly references to things that did not exist/were not commonly used at the time such as Twitch or Instagram. Additionally there were subplots that never actually received conclusions which continued to distract me from the main story.
I have to disagree with many other reviews though since I actually liked the ending. I felt it was fitting for the book and boosted it up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️
That said there were some things I found very distracting while I was reading. The book is centered around the 2008 financial crisis, but there are constantly references to things that did not exist/were not commonly used at the time such as Twitch or Instagram. Additionally there were subplots that never actually received conclusions which continued to distract me from the main story.
I have to disagree with many other reviews though since I actually liked the ending. I felt it was fitting for the book and boosted it up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Police brutality, Stalking, Car accident, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
matttlitke's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The Bee Sting reads like a modern classic. By that I mean it is an absolute force of literature with a very classic style that feels old and quaint somehow while focusing on modern sentiments and elements. It also sticks with you anytime you put it down and after you finish it. There is a lot going on here and many elements to appreciate and overthink about.
The novel centers on our four main characters, and tells such a complex story of perspective - there are overlapping events told from different points of views that mesh but oppose. It's very cool how the non-POV characters feel small, reduced, simple, and frivolous when you are viewing them from the outside, but so complex once you get to see things the way they do. Each character is also written very distinctly, speaking and thinking in their own way. Even the names of the four main characters feel like they've been chosen intentionally and have meaning and relevance to their personalities and lives.
It's also a lesson in gaining perspective, and it happens to the reader as you go. You make certain judgements about people until you live their story, but then once you understand them it all makes sense, how could it go any other way? Especially in the Imelda chapters - you really get the feeling how everyone is going through their own life and having to live in their own head, and it's so fucking overwhelming to try and affect others, even the people you know well and care about deeply, and still all you can do is just about scrape by. You can only live your own experience and moments that are important to you. It was very telling in the way that each character had pivotal life moments and times of desperate need that were so easily dismissed from the other points of view. I was surprised at times how disjointed it became. While reading some of Dickie's chapter I basically forgot everything that had been going on (or was currently going on) with Cass and PJ.
The Bee Sting has a bunch of really relatable and genuine interpersonal moments that feel frustratingly real (like when you picture a situation or conversation playing out in your head and then it happens and the person who you're already mad at does or says the wrong thing and it's all over before it even began).
There is also a lot of really beautiful and special writing (someone saw a "cat so black it looked like a hole in the universe") and so many good bits to underline or come back to ("[his voice] was like drinking lightning very slowly from a wine glass").
The whole way through I was gripped, wanting to find out what was going to happen next (or what had already happened but not been revealed or explained, since many of the key reveals are anachronistic). It also really spirals down at the end as the chapters get shorter and everything flies towards a collision. Initially (immediately) I didn't like the ending. But after giving it more thought, I think it's ambiguous enough to mean multiple things at once, which is much more satisfying.
Another great achievement of The Bee Sting is its effectiveness as a multi-faceted allegory for climate change. This is a direct focus of some of the character motivations but is also snuck into the multiple layers of the story and themes. We know it is happening and yet we don't do anything to stop it, because it means not doing the things that make us us? Or we just make poor choices because it feels tough to not? There's a lot to study here, even just with the layered references to bees. You could have years worth of book clubs with this book alone.
As other reviewers have pointed out, I don't like the choice to omit quotations and punctuation. I support Murray's artistic license, but I don't think it's necessary. I found it quite unpleasant to read and I didn't think it actually gave the effect it means to (chaotic rambling mind), at least to me. Although I will say that you start to get used to it, so if you're struggling after a few pages of Imelda, push through and it will be worth it.
The novel centers on our four main characters, and tells such a complex story of perspective - there are overlapping events told from different points of views that mesh but oppose. It's very cool how the non-POV characters feel small, reduced, simple, and frivolous when you are viewing them from the outside, but so complex once you get to see things the way they do. Each character is also written very distinctly, speaking and thinking in their own way. Even the names of the four main characters feel like they've been chosen intentionally and have meaning and relevance to their personalities and lives.
It's also a lesson in gaining perspective, and it happens to the reader as you go. You make certain judgements about people until you live their story, but then once you understand them it all makes sense, how could it go any other way? Especially in the Imelda chapters - you really get the feeling how everyone is going through their own life and having to live in their own head, and it's so fucking overwhelming to try and affect others, even the people you know well and care about deeply, and still all you can do is just about scrape by. You can only live your own experience and moments that are important to you. It was very telling in the way that each character had pivotal life moments and times of desperate need that were so easily dismissed from the other points of view. I was surprised at times how disjointed it became. While reading some of Dickie's chapter I basically forgot everything that had been going on (or was currently going on) with Cass and PJ.
The Bee Sting has a bunch of really relatable and genuine interpersonal moments that feel frustratingly real (like when you picture a situation or conversation playing out in your head and then it happens and the person who you're already mad at does or says the wrong thing and it's all over before it even began).
There is also a lot of really beautiful and special writing (someone saw a "cat so black it looked like a hole in the universe") and so many good bits to underline or come back to ("[his voice] was like drinking lightning very slowly from a wine glass").
The whole way through I was gripped, wanting to find out what was going to happen next (or what had already happened but not been revealed or explained, since many of the key reveals are anachronistic). It also really spirals down at the end as the chapters get shorter and everything flies towards a collision. Initially (immediately) I didn't like the ending. But after giving it more thought, I think it's ambiguous enough to mean multiple things at once, which is much more satisfying.
Another great achievement of The Bee Sting is its effectiveness as a multi-faceted allegory for climate change. This is a direct focus of some of the character motivations but is also snuck into the multiple layers of the story and themes. We know it is happening and yet we don't do anything to stop it, because it means not doing the things that make us us? Or we just make poor choices because it feels tough to not? There's a lot to study here, even just with the layered references to bees. You could have years worth of book clubs with this book alone.
As other reviewers have pointed out, I don't like the choice to omit quotations and punctuation. I support Murray's artistic license, but I don't think it's necessary. I found it quite unpleasant to read and I didn't think it actually gave the effect it means to (chaotic rambling mind), at least to me. Although I will say that you start to get used to it, so if you're struggling after a few pages of Imelda, push through and it will be worth it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Sexual violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, and Physical abuse
Minor: Death and Kidnapping
There are multiple quite triggering assaults / acts of sexual violence. Read with care.