Book Buzz | April 2024
The Bee Sting by Paul Murray follows the lives of the Barnes family as they face the challenges that follow the struggling family business. You meet all family members, Dickie, who is avoiding the fact that his business is going under and instead spends his days in the woods building an apocalypse bunker. His wife Imelda is selling off items in order to maintain the lifestyle she has become familiar with over the years. Their daughter Cass is undertaking her exams and turns to alcohol to cope with the overwhelming pressures she faces, and PJ has big plans to run away from home.
With a point of view from each member of the family, you are drawn into a story of family troubles and the effect it has, not just on the adults, but on the family as a whole. Paul Murray has a fantastic way of drawing the reader in with his writing and while the blurb may not scream epic, this book is definitely a story that grips you with some unexpected turns along the way.
It’s not hard to look at the family and think they are a little dysfunctional at first. You have Cass who is struggling with her self-esteem but worrying about what her future will look like now that the future she had planned for herself is being threatened. PJ, while a little naïve as to what sort of dangers the world holds, is being bullied as a direct consequence of the family’s failing business and doesn’t have a support network in his parents to turn to as they are facing their own issues. This leads him to search for solace elsewhere. Imelda and Dickie are failing to see the struggles of their children as they are trying to deal with their own issues while keeping up appearances in their town.
This book tackles the theme of image — with different points of views, you get a better understanding of each character and how they view themselves. They hide behind a mask to show their friends that they still fit within their social circles. Behind the mask you see a whole different picture forming, you have a father who is hiding his true self, which results in bad decisions that cause further issues in his daily life. You have Cass who is struggling so much with her own self-esteem that she pushes her family away and focuses her attention on one friendship instead of expanding her circle. Imelda has gotten so used to the lavish lifestyle, it seems she has forgotten where she comes from, and PJ is still trying to discover what life is and doesn’t understand the danger he puts himself in to escape from the troubles at home.
I can definitely see why this book was shortlisted for the Booker Prize last year as it is fantastic! Taking a simple storyline and turning it into a masterpiece is definitely a true testament to the author’s talents.
Other Comments:
Ayomide: This book pushed me past my comfort zone. I usually read romance novels so it was nice to explore a new type of genre for a change. I would say that the family are a little dysfunctional and while I haven’t finished the book, I am interested to see how the story unfolds and how the characters grow throughout.
Definitely feel like Cass struggles a lot with self-esteem and that the book is centring around the theme of image quite a bit. The focus seems to be on the failures of the family and I am looking forward to seeing how they get back up from them.
The overall opinion on the book this month was that it was really good and people would recommend to a friend. Everyone agrees that shorter books should be the general rule for book choices going forward.
May Book Club
The choices so far for May’s Book Club are:
- The Possession of Mr Cave by Matt Haig
Terence Cave, intellectual, music-lover and owner of Cave Antiques, has experienced more than his share of tragedies. His mother’s suicide and his young wife’s death at the hands of burglars left him to bring up his young twins alone. And now one of them has died in a grotesque accident as a result of bullying.
Bryony, the remaining twin, has always been the family’s great hope: a golden teenager, in love with her cello and her pony, clever, sweet and eager to please. Now that she is all Terence has left, he realises that his one duty in life is to keep her safe from the world’s malign forces, whatever that may take. As he starts to follow his grieving daughter’s movements and enforces a draconian set of rules purely for her own safety, the voices in his head convince him to protect her innocence at any cost.
2. The Martian by Andy Weir
Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars.Now, he’s sure he’ll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive — and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive.
Chances are, though, he won’t have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old “human error” are much more likely to kill him first. But Mark isn’t ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills — and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit — he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?
3. The Seeker of Nothing By Kabir Munjal
GET READY FOR THE ADVENTURE OF YOUR LIFE!
It has been seven years since he has lived in the prison of his nightmares, since the incident that changed his life forever. Now, it is time for the troubled warrior, Andahar, to set foot on land again. At the behest of his brother, a reluctant Andahar must deliver a mysteriously enchanting, bejewelled box to the King of Templetron.
Little does he know, bewitching lands and formidable opponents await him on his expedition from Corcusia to the Mountains of Templetron. If you would like to join Book Club, please let Martina know. The next book will be voted on by the group shortly and announced in the coming weeks for May.
