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The Bee Sting

A Novel

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The Bee Sting

Written by: Paul Murray
Narrated by: Heather O’Sullivan, Barry Fitzgerald, Beau Holland, Ciaran O'Brien, Lisa Caruccio Came
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About this listen

Shortlisted for the 2023 Booker Prize

From the author of Skippy Dies comes Paul Murray's The Bee Sting, an irresistibly funny, wise, and thought-provoking tour de force about family, fortune, and the struggle to be a good person when the world is falling apart.

The Barnes family is in trouble. Dickie’s once-lucrative car business is going under—but Dickie is spending his days in the woods, building an apocalypse-proof bunker with a renegade handyman. His wife, Imelda, is selling off her jewelry on eBay and half-heartedly dodging the attention of fast-talking cattle farmer Big Mike, while their teenage daughter, Cass, formerly top of her class, seems determined to binge drink her way through her final exams. As for twelve-year-old PJ, he’s on the brink of running away.

If you wanted to change this story, how far back would you have to go? To the infamous bee sting that ruined Imelda’s wedding day? To the car crash one year before Cass was born? All the way back to Dickie at ten years old, standing in the summer garden with his father, learning how to be a real man?

The Bee Sting, Paul Murray’s exuberantly entertaining new novel, is a tour de force: a portrait of postcrash Ireland, a tragicomic family saga, and a dazzling story about the struggle to be good at the end of the world.

©2023 Paul Murray (P)2023 Penguin Audio
Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Funny Heartfelt
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The performance and overall story is great. I understand how some listeners may not appreciate the ending, however, regardless of taste in that regard, this is worth a listen. Very entertaining and thought provoking.

solid listen

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Paul Murray is a masterful storyteller… The Bee Sting is a masterpiece! Yes, the complexity of structure is somewhat challenging, but the effort proves entirely worthwhile. His characters are brilliantly conceived and convincingly brought to life. Epic in scope, the tale might seem to wander a bit in the middle chapters. Nevertheless the momentum builds through the final third to a stunning conclusion… This is perhaps the perfect novel for these times— dark yet humorous, sad and uplifting, tragic and uncertain… brilliant.
I listened to the audiobook… twenty-four hours of wonderful entertainment… without doubt the best audiobook I’ve enjoyed (and I’ve “read” more than 150). The five readers are all first rate. I’ll buy the paperback when it comes out in June and will surely enjoy another go at it!

Absolutely brilliant!!!

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This book put me through the ringer in the best way possible. The various narrators were incredible. great choice to have it read that way and not just by one person. I wish I could read this again for the first time.

Phenomenal. Thrilling. Beautifully narrated

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This is the perfect book to be listened to. The last chapter is a harmonious chevauchement of characters that is performed perfectly by the narrators!

My favorite 2023 book

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Must read. This is an instant classic. Well done. I’ll never forget these characters. Could there be a continuation? Please.

Magnificent ❤️

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