The Bee Sting by Paul Murray

Harry: “The Bee Sting is an Irish tragicomic epic, a family saga following the Barnes family through socioeconomic (and all sorts of) downfall. Murray’s prose is electric and style is matched with substance in abundance. Each turn of the novel is so assured and confident it never finds itself flat-footed. It really is astounding. The final act could have never ended and I’d still want more. The characters are real and their perspectives contour the narrative in all sorts of illuminating ways – Cass’s defiance, PJ’s naivety, Imelda’s pain, Dickie’s heart – I feel like I know these people and in a way we all do. Undoubtedly, this novel is a triumph and it feels so easy giving it such high praise. With sentences that can pack a gut-punch and also make you laugh out loud, with descriptions as evocative as can be, you will fall in love with this unlikely cast, this newly downtrodden lot, this family! By the end, you will be thinking about love all over again.” – Bookseller Review