Paul Murray’s last two novels, Skippy Dies and The Mark and the Void, were both modern masterpieces of institutional failure. In his 2023 Booker Prize shortlisted novel, The Bee Sting, the failing institution Paul turns his comedic eye to is the family. This week, Michael and Paul sit down for a discussion about fraudulence, empathy, and the beautiful opera of life.

Reading list:

An Evening of Long Goodbyes, Paul Murray, 2003

Skippy Dies, Paul Murray, 2010

The Mark and the Void, Paul Murray, 2015

The Bee Sting, Paul Murray, 2023

Doppelganger: A Trip Into the Mirror World, Naomi Klein, 2023

You can find these books and all the others we mentioned at your favourite independent book store. 

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Guest: Paul Murray

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