The Bee Sting: A Novel

The Bee Sting: A Novel by Paul Murray

A "small town elite" Irish family is having money problems. They ran the car business in town and were among the wealthy. However, the business is doing poorly and everyone's life is falling apart in different ways. The father, Dickie, never really had his heart in cars. It was his father's business and his brother was supposed to take it over. However, the brother in a car accident, and Dickie ended up coming back from University to marry his brother's girlfriend and run the business. The daughter, Cass,  is ready to go off to college, but is struggling with family's less wealthy state and is not doing well. The son ponders running away and selling videogames. Eventually grandpa comes back and he thinks that will help things. Alas, it is never quite so simple. The book goes on for a long time and explores the history and disfunction the family. Both the daughter and Dickie have environmental concerns. Dickie decides to build a giant bunker with a friend to help survive the apocalypse. Dickie also had a tryst with a former employee who recorded the encounter and is trying to blackmail him. There is plenty going on - perhaps too much. I could almost care for the characters.