Leonard e Hungry Paul

by Ronan Hession

Leonard e Hungry Paul sono trentenni senza grilli per la testa, amano i giochi da tavolo, la famiglia e la quiete, e soprattutto sono grandi amici. Leonard lavora come ghost writer di enciclopedie per bambini, ha da poco perso la madre e ogni volta che passa davanti a un ristorantino italiano rincasando dal lavoro si dice che se mai avesse un appuntamento con una ragazza la porterebbe lì; Hungry Paul vive ancora con i genitori, fa il postino occasionale e, quando accompagna la madre a fare volontariato in ospedale, sa stringere la mano della signora Hawthorn anche per un’ora in assoluto silenzio. Le loro sono vite fatte di gesti gentili, e per questo straordinari. Tra strambi concorsi per rinnovare le formule di saluto nelle email e goffi ma poetici approcci sentimentali, cercano la loro felicità nella frenesia del mondo. Rónán Hession, con una scrittura limpida e umoristica, mostra che anche le persone invisibili dal cuore gentile meritano un posto nel mondo e nella letteratura. Perché è nei sentimenti sinceri e nella bellezza delle piccole cose che si nasconde il vero senso dello stare al mondo.

Genres: Fiction, Book Club, Contemporary, Ireland, Irish Literature, Literary Fiction, Audiobook

320 pages, Paperback

First published March 20, 2019

Reviews

[Jane Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

For me the difficulty in writing a this review is that the author so clearly wanted his novel to defy labels, describing it only as a story about gentle people trying to make their way in the world. And yet immediately, labels spring to mind.

The first I feel compelled to deploy is 'feel-good fiction’ (or the term of the moment, 'up-lit'). Unlike other novels that fall into this category, the focus shifts away from individuals overcoming obstacles: damaged pasts, disfigurement or dementia. The heroes (another label, but one I feel is fully justified) are those who refuse to wear a mask, presenting themselves without airs and graces, exactly as they are. I'm disinclined to call them misfits or underdogs, because, despite being aware that they are most definitely not cool, both Leonard and Hungry Paul are perfectly happy in their own skins and don't feel the need to adapt to suit others.

Rónán Hession highlights personal qualities that are so often undervalued - kindness and gentleness - especially in a world where people who lack a competitive edge are often seen as failures. Hungry Paul, in particular, knows exactly who he is, and can sum up exactly what’s important to him.

One of the things I loved about the book was that the author didn't attempt to explain everything. We never learn how Hungry Paul earned his nick-name. There are no descriptions of him being thin or fat, or whether he was once fat and is now thin. It may be that Paul himself isn't aware of the reason. Perhaps it’s the legacy of some long-forgotten incident.

So many moments resonated with me. I'm an introvert, one who hasn't been brave enough to drop the mask, but that doesn't mean that I haven't known excruciating moments of social awkwardness. If I'm honest, I am probably closest to Grace, who spends her days being super-efficient at work but needs a boyfriend she can trust enough to be a flake with at home. This was one of the observations I enjoyed the most. I am fortunate enough to have a Leonard.

If I were to compare Rónán writing to work produced by other contemporary authors, I would say that it reminded me of Joanna Cannon, Mark Haddon and Sara Baume's. All four have deep empathy and understanding of humanity.

The world would be a better place if we were all to ask ourselves ‘What would Leonard and Hungry Paul do?’

[Bianca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was such an unexpected delight.

Leonard and Hungry Paul are two 30ish-year-old bachelors, not exactly go-getters. Leonard has just lost his mother, whom he loved dearly. He feels her loss acutely, the house is empty without her presence. He realises how truly lonely he is and that he's not really living. Aspects of his job as a ghostwriter of encyclopedias and other reference books are starting to bug him.
He's grateful to still have Hungry Paul and his wonderful parents as friends. Hungry Paul is a quiet man, who's obsessed with board games. He's always lived with his parents, was never expected to do much or achieve anything. Therefore he obliged.
But things are beginning to change.
Leonard is interested in a woman at work.
Hungry Paul has an unexpected financial windfall and takes on new endeavours.

This is a story about late starters finding their place in the world.
The writing is sharp, witty, observant, the humour is wry and I found myself giggling and smiling often.
I need more books like this in my life.
I see the author's got a new book, I'm very keen to read it.

John Hopkins was a brilliant narrator.

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes I read works of literature where the characters seem to me to act very aggressively towards others even when they have no reason to, and where the author seems to view this as quite normal. I mention that by way of contrast with this novel, where the two title characters would never intentionally hurt someone else, although they might do so unintentionally, as they struggle with the nuances of human relationships. Leonard and Hungry Paul are both introverted 30-something bachelors who still live in their childhood homes, although Leonard’s parents are dead. Their social life revolves around meeting up with one another to play board games. They are the sort of characters who are often made the butt of the joke in film and literature, although when the author introduces humour in this book, it’s done without cruelty. The novel is based around the idea that the two are faced with major changes in their life. Leonard has the chance of a relationship with a woman, and Hungry Paul has the chance to forge a career.

Early on in the book there’s a conversation between Leonard and Paul as they play one of their games, and I found the spoken dialogue a bit forced. It gave me some reservations about what the rest of the book might be like, but I didn’t get the same feeling subsequently, so perhaps I was just taking time to adjust to the author’s style. I also felt that Paul’s parents were a little too perfect, even though I realised the author was deliberately creating characters who cared for one another.

On the other hand, there were a couple of humorous incidents that did have me chortling, one when Paul tried to return a box of out-of-date chocolates to a supermarket, the other during the prelude to a date Leonard has arranged with his prospective girlfriend Shelley. I also defy even the most cynical of us not to break into a smile at the events of the last few chapters. Much of the fiction I normally read is bleak. In this book, the nice guys don’t always come last, and even when they do, they’re OK with it.

[Margaret · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh God, I'm the only person on the entire planet who didn't enjoy this book. I didn't believe in Leonard, I didn't believe in Hungry Paul or his smug family. I didn't believe in the competition that Hungry Paul enters, or the way the worthy hospital visits pan out. I didn't believe in those long articulate monologues delivered by Hungry Paul, then Leonard. I didn't believe in a single stilted conversation between any of the book's protagonists. My first instinct was to junk it after the first fifty pages. But I persisted, and finally I did warm - a little bit - to this gentle pair of friends, satisfied with so little. But really .... I could take it or leave it. My loss, obviouly, as so many people seem to have loved this book. Just - not me.

[Diane Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leonard and Hungry Paul are good friends, in their mid-thirties, two quiet and unassuming men who live with their parents and meet once a week to play board games. I know, I know, some of you are thinking that these guys are losers, but that's where you'd be wrong. Because both of these men are happy with their lives just the way they are, and how many of us can say that? Leonard lives with his widowed mother and they are friends and companions who enjoy each other's company. Hungry Paul loves both his parents and wouldn't think of living any other way.

All well and good, but life has a way of moving things around on the great cosmic chessboard. People die, or get married, or go away to do other things. People enter your life unexpectedly, and considerations must be made. Expectations change, and for those of us who are quiet and unassuming, this can be daunting and scary. Courage must be found to cope with new ways of thinking and being. Think of the fortitude it takes for a seed to become a flower, leaving it's safe and dark patch of soil to rise toward the sun, knowing that it can be stepped on or picked or experience any number of difficulties in it's short life, but also knowing that the warm sun is worth reaching for.

There was so much interior drama in this quiet and unassuming book that I was often on the edge of my seat as I was reading, wanting these men and everyone around them to stay happy. Maybe because real life these days seems to be a mine field, filled with stress and anxiety, a book like this is a balm for the soul. At least it was that way for me.

Anytime someone in my town wants to form a Quiet Club, count me in.

[Paula K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kerry Group Irish award nominee 2020
Republic of Consciousness nominee 2020

If you have a young adult at home that’s in their thirties you will identify with this book. It’s about 2 men that are neighbors and live with their parents and have been kept in shelter.

Lovely book. These 2 men are sweet, unconcerned about life, play board games together, and see the world differently.

A charming book to read. Very touching.

Set in Ireland.

4 out of 5 stars

[Lee Peckover · Rating 5 out of 5]

It will take something incredible to top this as my book of 2019.

Flitting throughout from poignant, heartbreaking quietness to the most delicately insightful moments of joyful humour this is a book that should not be categorised. It does not need to fit in to any regular literary category, much like the two main characters throughout, this is a book which knows itself better than any outsider ever could.

Beautiful, sweet, and wholesome beyond words. Hession has crafted a delicate little masterpiece.

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now longlisted for the 2020 Republic of Consciousness Prize.

Hungry Paul … his best and only true friend. A man who had stood by him through everything and who had always reserved a space in his (admittedly quite) life just for Leonard. Their friendship was not just one of convenience between two quiet, solitary men with few other options. It was a pact. A pact to resist the vortex of busyness and insensitivity that had engulfed the rest of the world. It was a pact of simplicity, which stood against the forces of competitiveness and noise.

Bluemoose Books is an independent publisher based in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, and describes itself as a “‘family’ of readers and writers, passionate about the written word and stories, [who] delight in finding great new talent.” Admirably in 2020 they have committed to a woman-only list for 2020.

This book was one of their 2019 publications – and one which featured in so many 2019 book of the year lists by bloggers/reviewers whose opinions I rate that I had to read it. One I can already see featuring on my 2020 “best of” list.

The quiet, unobtrusive and meaning-filled book is the story of two friends – Leonard and Hungry Paul – both quiet 30-ish year old men living quiet, unobtrusive but still meaning-filled lives, still based in their childhood homes.

Leonard was “raised by his mother alone with cheerfully concealed difficulty, his father having died tragically during childbirth” (an opening sentence which sets the scene for the gentle and quirky humour of the book – humour which is all the stronger and more admirable for being essentially target -free).

His mother quickly identified his character (in a sentence which in turn sets the scene for the strength of the observational writing).

“As sometimes happens with boys who prefer games to sports, Leonard had few friends but lots of ideas. His mother understood with good intuitive sense that children like Leonard just need someone to listen to them”

And the two form a partnership, which ends just before the book starts, with his mother’s death.

Leonard, who works writing entries for children’s encyclopedias, recognises that this represents a key turning point in his life and that he has the choice either to retreat further from the world (which he fears will turn him into a grumpy eccentric) or start to carefully engage with it (a path he embarks on when a single mother at work – her child a fan of his work - starts to show interest in him).

Hungry Paul lives with his retired parents (his father an economist – which leads to some on point observations about that profession and about The Economist magazine; his mother a teacher). His older sister Grace is away from home and shortly to be married. That marriage gives the book its other main narrative arc – Paul’s family consumed with the preparations for it, and Leonard accompanying him there as his “plus one” (so as to free up the limited spaces for 2 other guests).

Hungry Paul is a master and practitioner of silence, mindfulness, pragmatism – living in and for the moment and avoiding commitment and conflict.

Though his life had been largely quiet and uneventful, his choices had turned out to be wise ones: he had already lived longer than Alexander The Great, and had fewer enemies too.

He works, occasionally, as a casual postman – a job choice which fits his life choices

He didn’t have to decide which of a patient’s limbs to amputate first, or where to invest the life savings of a company’s pensioners. There was no pressure to report fourth quarter losses to the “higher ups” in HQ … His job, on the few days he did it. Involved no agonised decisions or regrets that might spoil the conversation over dinner.

Much of the strength of the book lies in the dynamics between he and his family members

The three of them . had always seen themselves as bumpers along the blowing lane for him to bounce between, saving him from mundane dangers and guiding him towards his achievements, modest though they were.

And the dynamics between the three of them – their roles, interactions worked out over many years but now starting to evolve with Grace’s impending marriage and the retirement of Paul’s parents – an evolution which dawns on Hungry Paul more slowly than Leonard – and which unlike Leonard he seems less immediate need to react to – given his concentration on the present moment rather than the future.

But he had now become awakened by the thought that, no matter how insignificant he was when compared to the night sky, he remained subject to the same elemental forces of expansion. The universe, it seemed, would eventually come knocking.

A (rather odd) email competition and a fortuitous meeting with a master of mime, acts as the first tentative knock of the universe.

This is a very enjoyable and well written book – full of pithy but non-cruel observations:

Helen and Barbara entered into what Peter called “nattering”, a seamless narrative of personal stories, asides and value judgements, delivered in a point/counterpoint style with each woman taking her turn on the mic, with a seamlessness known only to middle-aged women and gangsta rappers.

On a simplistic level it could be seen as “up-lit” but it avoids the tropes that seem to have developed in that genre (heavy reliance on co-incidence, sympathetically portrayed but unreliable narrators, and late revelations which are largely down to that unreliability).

Leonard and Hungry Paul are not portrayed as flawed or unreliable – on the contrary they have a clarity of understanding due to their clutter-free attitude to life.

Two of the set piece conversations in the novel feature them using that clarity to gently unpick the pretentions, attitudes and assumptions of characters dear to them (Leonard to his work colleague and her approach to testing him in their nascent relationship; Paul to Grace about her self-adopted role in the family) – perhaps only weakened by both including a man explaining something to a woman.

The limited plot is mercifully free of coincidence or twists – if I had a criticism it would be that some scenes (an out-of-date chocolates incident and a IT-helpdesk colleague) seem to be lifted from a sit-com.

The book is perhaps more similar to Toby Litt’s brilliant “Patience”. It is a book which celebrates life and mundanity, gentleness and friendship.

As such it acts as a perfect anecdote to the tendency to see unpleasantness as somehow more literary; as one wedding guest says of an attendee on a creative writing course she ran:

She was [in her stories] always using phrases like “There was an empty chair by the door”. You know, trying to be depressing, because she thought it was more writerly.

Highly recommended when you want a reminder that good writing can also celebrate goodness.

[Nat K · Rating 5 out of 5]

”The thing is, as a child the world looked huge, intimidatingly so. School looked big. Adults looked big. The future looked big. But I am starting to feel that over time I have retreated into a smaller world. I see people rushing around and I wonder – where are they going to? Who are they meeting? Their lives are so full. I’m trying to remember if my life was ever like that.”
- Leonard to his best buddy Hungry Paul, while playing a game of Yahtzee and mulling over the meaning of life.

Leonard (ghost) writes for children’s encyclopaedias, which is a job that suits him. He has a love of knowledge, and wants to impart the joy of learning to younger generations. While the words are his, he doesn’t get the credit for them. The kudos are given to the academics overseeing his work. Even the illustrators who provide the pictures for the stories are given more credit than Leonard. He’s a bit of solitary soul (to say loner wouldn’t be fair to him, as he’s not anti-social per se, he simply lacks the need for company). His mother has recently passed, and Leonard is at a complete loss. It’s as if time has stood still.  They shared a home, and she was always busy doing something in the background. They were perfect companions and genuinely enjoyed being with each other. While he didn’t have an active social life, he always had someone there. Now in his mid-30s, he has no idea what to make of his life.

The descriptions of his loneliness, and his “sudden” awareness of it, are so sad to read. It’s so hard not to feel sorry for the feelings he is having. Always on the periphery, with that awkwardness many of us feel at times. Oh Leonard!

Take this description of a typical morning at work (which made me want to cry into my cup of tea):

”Leonard took off his noise-cancelling/society-repelling headphones and went to the kitchenette for a mid-morning cup, even though he always disliked the awkward wait for the water to boil and the prospect of the kettle-related time-killing small talk.

In a hurry to get back to his noise-cancelling head-phones, Leonard put away the tea caddy and finished stirring his own palpable milky loneliness.”

Leonard’s best buddy, with the great moniker of Hungry Paul, is of similar temperament to him. Neither look to external matters to make them happy, they’re more or less content with their lot in life. Paul also lives at home with his folks, and is happy to go with the flow.

They meet up regularly, more regularly than most people see their friends. Weekly board games of Scrabble on a Sunday night are a routine. To prep for the working week ahead. Leonard, Paul and Paul’s parents Helen & Peter. Pitting wits against, and talking to each other (imagine!). It’s safe. It’s routine. It’s comfortable.

"We live in an age of cacophony."

With their self-effacing manner, both men tend to fly under the radar. Which in a world filled to the brim with noise, and with way too many extroverts, tends to go against the grain. They haven’t felt the need before to prove their worth. And yet…there’s this sense that maybe, just maybe, there could be more…. That new paths should be taken.

A chance meeting with Shelley – the fire warden – at work, has Leonard thinking that there could be something there. That the future could look different. He feels butterflies he hasn’t felt in ages.

”Do something, do something, do something, he repeated to himself.”

And he decides - in a moment of optimism and bravery - that he should write the sort of story that is bubbling away in him. Leonard knows what children that he was like would want to read, and this is what he sets out to create. It only takes meeting the right person at the right time to set off a spark. He puts his heart and soul into the book, even trying his hand at the illustrations. It's a project of love. But then, Leonard has a very important reader in mind.

”It was the most beautiful thing he'd ever done, even if it nearly broke him to do it.”

Hungry Paul wins a competition to suggest a contemporary phrase for email sign offs for the local Chamber of Commerce.  Are things changing for him as well? Where could this lead? Could this be the domino that starts things falling into place?

”It had taken someone with the special insight of Hungry Paul to realise the answer to the problem, strange though it seemed, was to get people to do nothing.”

He has befriended a Mrs Hawthorn, an elderly lady at the local hospital where he and his Mum are volunteers. They go there to chat to the patients and keep them company. Hungry Paul isn't good at small talk, but he and Mrs Hawthorn (who has previously rebuffed all human interaction) are kindred spirits. Happy to sit in contented silence, holding hands even well after she's fallen asleep.

My heart!

All of this is set against the leadup to the wedding of Grace (Hungry Paul's sister). She worries that one day her beloved brother will become her responsibility, as he's really never had to be completely independent before. Existing from one year to the next, unconcerned by the flow of time.

Through the new uncharted events both men are facing, their friendship remains steadfast and true. Both are each other's number one supporter. Never second guessing, never judging.

A nice touch is this book has chapter titles! I’ve mentioned this in other reviews, as it’s a style I really love. Whenever I see this, I have to smile. For me, this adds to the warmth of a book. It shows that the writer cares to bring that added attention to their story. Bring back chapter headings (you'll make this little reader very happy).

And the cover with the sunfish... Very significant. When someone asks what your favourite fish is, always pick the sunfish.

An ordinary book about ordinary events with ordinary people? Don’t be fooled. This will get you in the heartstrings. It's a gentle, lilting story. Kinda sad at times, yet hopeful. It’s most definitely charming. You’ll be both rolling your eyes and wanting to encourage these two friends to find their bliss. It’s quite beautiful. Rónán Hession has created a gem that is as unassuming and powerful as his two characters. It brings home that it’s never too late to change the course of your life. And that still waters run the deepest.

There are so many deep ponderings and musings. Possibly unintentionally so. I loved the thought processes of these two.

”We are never entirely outside of life's choices; everything leads somewhere.”

It’s Bianca’s fab review that caught my eye, so thank you to her for shining a light on this little beauty. Please have a read of her thoughts.

I discovered while reading this (and trying to find out more about the writer Rónán Hession), that this was published by Bluemoose Books (great name). They have a great range of quirky titles. Well worth having a look.

”I feel that if I don’t do something, I’ll just carry on some minor harmless existence.”

PS: If anyone's organising a Sunday Night Quiet Club, I'm in. I'll bring my sunflower 🌻

[Hugh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Longlisted for the Republic of Consciousness Prize 2020

I feel a little mean-spirited giving this book just 3 stars, as it does contain some funny lines, but for me Hession tries just a little too hard to please everyone, making it a little too much like a romcom script for my taste. On the positive side, it is hard not to sympathise with Hession for wanting to create a kinder, gentler world, and characters like his two leads are pretty rare in literature, if all too common in real life - many of the situations they face were very familiar.

The central characters of the book are the two friends of the title, both of whom are quiet single men in their 30s. Leonard works as a writer providing text for children's encyclopedias, and has recently lost his mother (as the striking opening line says he has been fatherless almost since birth). Hungry Paul (the Hungry part of the name is never explained, nor are there any behavioural clues to its origin, nor is he ever referred to by name by anyone other than the omniscient narrator, and for me this grated a little) still lives with his parents, and has an occasional job as a casual postman. Leonard regularly visits Paul's house to play board games.

The plot is largely about how the two men break out of these limited lives, the three catalysts being Leonard's tentative relationship with a single mother he meets at work, Paul's elder sister's wedding and Paul entering and winning a competition to find a new email signoff line.

[Eric Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some time ago I went to a family function and I was approached by the new boyfriend of one of my relatives. He leaned into me and whispered, “Tell me all the gossip!” It was clear he was expecting me to confide in him about secret scandals, simmering resentments and falling outs between my family members. But there weren't any. So when I shrugged and replied that we were all just having a nice visit he turned and walked away with a look of disappointment. The truth is that much of our ordinary lives and many family relations are made up of mundane details rather than high drama. But since this doesn't usually inspire riveting plots, it's not often represented in fiction. Therefore, it was refreshing to read Rónán Hession's novel “Leonard and Hungry Paul” which follows the low-key stories of two quiet friends whose interactions chiefly involve games of Scrabble or Connect Four. As with many novels, one of the main drives of this narrative is the lead up to a marriage – in this case that of Hungry Paul's sister Grace. Rather than being a high drama of anxious tension or calamitous mishaps surrounding the big day, the entire affair is summarized by one character as simply “Nice.” It's not that nothing happens; all of the main characters experience subtle life changes and shifts in perspective by the book's conclusion. But, by disallowing a story of scandalous intrigue, what I think Hession captures so beautifully and poignantly is the more realistic pulse and rhythm of life.

Read my full review of Leonard and Hungry Paul by Rónán Hession on LonesomeReader

[Betsy Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I type, the air conditioner is humming and my 15 ½-year-old dog Maya with chronic kidney disease is dozing in the chair behind me. When the room hits 75 degrees, the AC will turn itself off and it will be completely quiet—even though I live on the Upper West Side of Manhattan which is currently preparing for a blockbuster “Welcome Home NY” concert this evening in Central Park. This morning, as every morning, when I gave Maya her IV drip, both of us went into a peaceful trance; we became one with the saline as it coursed down the line into Maya and I imagined it gently spreading, bathing all her organs with love, leaving happy kidneys before exiting out and back into the earth. When the drip was done, I carried her to the park, put her down, and not even the amplified bass rehearsing on the Great Lawn for tonight’s concert could jar our peace. As we walked at Maya’s now slow-mo speed through the woods, the sound felt like waves in some distant part of an great ocean, gently rocking us as we smelled the trees, listened to the birds, and witnessed a family of raccoons doing their morning ablutions.

This is the peace evoked by Ronan Hession’s voice. It’s his voice even more than his story of two single men in their thirties who live their lives as well as they can. This voice comes in at moments when the stillness—of death, of rejection, of nothing at all—takes over.

This is the stillness I feel giving Maya her drip. I know she is slowly dying, and I’ve cried. But there is also this almost inexpressible sweetness to this time. There’s the matter-of-factness in the moment when you accept and just live it for as long as it lasts. Hession captured it and makes you feel it in this slow,* wise story.

____________
*The story is so slow because people relentlessly speak in whole sentences and, toward the end, they seem to recite the kind of stuff you learn after years of psychotherapy or awareness work and meditation. This got a little heavy-handed, but this is a first novel and most of the book is not like that.

[Peter Boyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leonard and Hungry Paul are two friends in their thirties. Leonard lives alone these days, his mother having passed away recently. His work involves writing children's encyclopedias, which he enjoys, but doesn't seem to get a lot of credit for. Hungry Paul lives with his parents, who are retired, and occasionally fills in as a postman. Leonard visits his pal's house to play board games and the whole family often join in. Their discussion these days mostly revolves around the upcoming wedding of Grace, Hungry Paul's sister. But Leonard has other stuff on his mind too. For one thing, he has made the acquaintance of Shelley, a girl at work, and this has set all kinds of thoughts in motion. It might even prove a solution to his growing loneliness. And Hungry Paul has entered a competition to come up with a new sign-off phrase for the local Chamber of Commerce. These might seem like small events for most people, but for the two friends, they are significant, and this sets in motion a momentous few weeks in their otherwise quiet lives.

Leonard and Hungry Paul is a gentle, touching story and I reckon it can be classed as uplit, a literary genre which has become popular in recent times. I certainly thought of books like The Rosie Project and Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine while reading this one. The pair are quite awkward socially - Leonard is shy and low on confidence, while Hungry Paul displays some symptoms of autism, even though it is never explicitly mentioned. It is a joy to see them both leave their comfort zones and open themselves up to the world. The story is often quite funny - some of the stuff Hungry Paul came out with made me chuckle, even though his humour was often unintentional. I suppose the message the book is trying to put across is that we're all different, and that a person deserves to be loved for who they are, rather than who they're expected to be. And that's a worthy sentiment if you ask me. A heartwarming tale.

[K.J. Charles]

It's impossible to describe this book without using "gentle" and "charming" a lot. Leonard and hungry Paul are two slightly weird besties; Leonard eventually gets a girlfriend and Hungry Paul finds a job, while Paul's sister gets married. That is about it. Nothing terrible happens. Nothing dramatic happens. It's a very quiet, kind, gentle depiction of moderately flawed, basically kind people gently living together and managing to get along.

This,. I will freely say, is not my preferred reading matter but I was somewhat misled by the magnificent first line:

Leonard was raised by his mother alone with cheerfully concealed difficulty, his father having died tragically during childbirth.

It is funny throughout, though in a much gentler way than this suggests, and engaging; I enjoyed the read and cared about the characters. If you're looking for a soul-soothing warm-bath reading experience that says it's okay to be quiet and to set your own values for what matters in your life, this may be it.

[Neil · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ll be honest: I had been avoiding this book partly because I thought the title sounded like a children’s book but largely because the book blurb made it sound like not my kind of book. But it appeared on so many “Best of 2019” lists from both GR friends and journalists that I thought I had to give it a go.

And there is absolutely nothing wrong with this book. If there were an award for “Most Inoffensive Book”, this would probably win it.

But I think I should have stuck with my gut instinct because it turns out it really isn’t my kind of book.

I have never read a book that is so gentle and careful. I’ve seen the phrase “up-lit” bandied around and this must be a perfect example. But when you read a book about two single men in their 30s who both have no “get up and go” (their idea of a “good night” is sitting at home playing board games and neither of them has ever left their childhood home) and then introduce other members of their families in stories that are also not very exciting, it is just not very, well, exciting.

I think this might be at least part of the point of the book: celebrate the ordinary, appreciate the unappreciated. And there is wisdom and humour in many of the observations made through the book. For my tastes, though, Toby Litt’s Patience, also published in 2019, is a far more engaging story about appreciating the ordinary things in life.

I think I would have enjoyed this far more if it hadn’t had so many unreal or cliched events/characters/conversations. There are several scenes (yes, you, IT Help Desk Guy) that seem to be there with an eye to the movie. In fact, large parts of the book seem to be written with a movie version in mind. But there are also bits that are frankly unbelievable (a huge cash prize for a competition and only 3 entrants, getting a job with the mime association because you can’t think of anything to say in an impromptu speech?). I don’t mind unbelievable events in a novel, but this doesn’t feel like that kind of novel.

To give this book anything less than 3 stars would be churlish: as I say, it does nothing wrong. But it never drew me in, never engaged me with any of the characters. So I can’t really see my way to giving it more than 3 stars, either.

[Jackie Law · Rating 5 out of 5]

“We are never entirely outside of life’s choices; everything leads somewhere.”

Leonard and Hungry Paul, by Rónán Hession, is a novel of wry intelligence wrapped around the quiet rhythms of ordinary lives as they are being lived. The apparent simplicity of the narrative carries the reader through moments of insight as characters speak from their hearts on everyday dilemmas. The rarity of such truthfulness in conversation and the skill with which thoughts and feelings are conveyed make this a singular read.

The eponymous protagonists are men in their early thirties still living in their childhood homes. Leonard’s mother has recently died leaving him alone in trying to work out how to cope with his quiet grief. His work – writing text for boilerplate encyclopedias marketed for children, which will be published under a better known author’s name – fills his day but offers limited satisfaction. He recognises his social awkwardness, especially when he becomes attracted to the office fire marshal, Shelley. He has little idea how he is expected to interact in potentially romantic situations.

Hungry Paul lives with his recently retired parents. His busy and successful sister, Grace, is planning her wedding and urges her parents to make the most of their upcoming freedom while they still have their health. Grace would like to see Hungry Paul take more personal responsibility. His occasional work as a postman leaves him financially dependent and his acceptance of this frustrates Grace. Their mother is more phlegmatic but also wonders how her unadventurous son would cope if left to look after himself.

“The kids lives are their own. From day one you are handing it back to them bit by bit, until they move on”

Leonard and Hungry Paul are best friends. They get together on regular evenings during the week to play board games and discuss topics of mutual interest. They share the minutiae of their lives in the knowledge that the other will accept whatever has happened and move forward without assigning blame. They observe the world around them and ponder how best to integrate when this is necessary.

Other people’s crises provide moments of clarity. Leonard’s burgeoning relationship with Shelley plays out with unusual honesty. He voices the risks and fears encountered when two strangers tentatively open up to each other – their expectations and the likelihood of misinterpretations. Grace’s wish for her brother to be more independent provides a gently poignant yet masterfully rendered understanding of family dynamics. The asides on marriage cut to the heart of why the institution can sometimes succeed.

This is a gentle yet penetrating tale of the many guises of love and friendship that pierces the too often impenetrable veneer most will apply to protect themselves from others perceived judgement. Leonard and Hungry Paul may appear socially awkward but they offer a deeper understanding of relationships than many who remain unaware that their confidence in a crowd is shallow and blinkered.

A sterling read, a rare achievement, recommended without reservation.

[Cule.Jule · Rating 5 out of 5]

Der Buchhändler*innen-Liebling aus England und Irland konnte mich bereits ab der ersten Seite in den Bann ziehen. Was für ein wunderbares, bezauberndes und vor allem warmherziges Buch!

Inhaltlich geht es um die Freunde Leonard und Paul. Leonard entwirft als Ghostwriter Kinderenzyklopädien und muss zu Beginn des Buches einen schweren Schicksalsschlag erleiden. Paul ist Aushilfspostbote, liebt Gesellschaftsspiele und lebt noch bei seinen Eltern zu Hause.

Rónán Hession greift in seinem Debütroman Menschen und Charaktere auf, die in unserer hektischen Gesellschaft schnell untergehen und eher übersehen werden. Und genau hier liegt das Charmante an dem Buch. Seine Personen sind liebevoll, voller Sanftmut und Bescheidenheit. Sie lieben die Ruhe und das Beisammensein. Ich persönlich hatte ein tolles Leseerlebnis in Bezug auf die Entwicklungen der beiden Hauptprotagonisten. Auch die Nebencharaktere habe ich alle ins Herz geschlossen. Die gesamte Geschichte ist modern und enthält eine gute Portion Humor an den richtigen Stellen. Das Gesamtsetting hat mir ebenfalls wunderbar gefallen.

Vielen Dank an Frauke Meurer & Torsten Woywod für den Mut zum Gründen des Verlages und dem Publizieren dieser einzigartigen Lektüre.

Ein Lesehighlight, das ich sehr gern weiterempfehle.

[Paul Fulcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Their friendship was not just one of convenience between two quiet, solitary men with few other options, it was a pact. A pact to resist the vortex of busyness and insensitivity that had engulfed the rest of the world. It was a pact of simplicity, which stood against the forces of competiveness and noise.

Longlisted for the 2020 Republic of Consciousness Prize, the judges said:

Books this charming and gentle are rarely also as engaging; the power Hession wrings out of such ordinary situations is almost subversive. Leonard and Hungry Paul manages to find a voice for many things that are only thought. Bluemoose Books continue to hit their targets with unerring accuracy, and the book is soon to be published by Melville House in the US.

All of that is very valid. In particular, this novel is a welcome counterbalance to the usual focus of literature (one I also have a tendency to enforce in my reading) to the unpleasant.

The author himself explained in this beautiful Irish Times article how he came to write the book: https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/bo...

One of the most influential statements in literary history was perhaps Tolstoy’s claim that all happy families are alike, implying that they are unworthy of being written about. Writers are trained to seek out drama and conflict and motivation, which means that families in books tend to have a default setting of “dysfunctional”. But is Tolstoy correct? Happy families – like the families of Leonard and Hungry Paul – are full of idiosyncrasy. Families are innately interesting in that the individual members undergo constant change and with that, a recalibration in their relationships, all the while purporting to belong to a stable social unit that they struggle to hold together. That is what goes on in this novel.
...
Though not autobiographical, it is a tribute to the kindness I have experienced all my life and which can sometimes seem absent, largely because it is so often expressed in private.

It is also beautifully crafted - I highlighted so many passages in my kindle copy that I struggled to select one or two to include in this review, although as a life insurance actuary I loved this towards the novel's end:

It pained Leonard to think that he might be outgrowing Hungry Paul, as though their friendship had become a reverse tontine, where the last man standing was the loser. The prize, a retreating life of diminishment.

That said, I came at this book a little late and with certain prejudices from friends who had read it as to what to expect, and the book didn't disappoint those expectations, including the negative.

At times it does get a little cloying to my taste. The opening line: Leonard was raised by his mother alone with cheerfully concealed difficulty, his father having died tragically during childbirth. rather hints at a fascinating backstory, but that doesn't seem to be the intention at all.

Instead everyone they meet - family, friends, colleagues, shopkeepers - seems to be similarly nice. Even when Hungry Paul (in one of a number of rather contrived sitcom style setpieces) causes a major scene in a supermarket, falsely claiming it sells out of date good, the store manager sees the bright side and send him away with a free Easter egg. I would have liked to see the duo encounter hostility or negative reactions and see how they dealt with it - but then I am guilty of wishing for a different, and perhaps more conventional book.

And the otherwise quiet and rather passive characters are given to lengthy philosophical exposition and didactic speeches, two of which in particular (Leonard to his putative new girlfriend, and Hungry Paul to his sister) do seem to rather stray into mansplaining.

Overall a novel I would recommend, and although not quite to my personal taste (which errs to the bile of Bernhard, the apocalypses of Krasznahorkai, and to the unlikable female narrator genre rather than uplit), that is more a failing of mine.

But I did read this in the context of the Republic of Consciousness Prize and there it is hard not to conclude that Patience by Toby Litt does something similar, but rather more strikingly.

3.5 stars

[Sofia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well this was nice.

Five star nice of course. So why am I not firing off the AWESOME accolade, the OH WOW OMG!!!!! complete with the necessary exclamation marks?

Well that is because this is what this book is about. It's about quiet, finding one's path, knowing one's mind and going on, rather than doing little things and telling all the world all about them as loudly as possible. And that was a balm to my soul because I find all the loudness of our today's reality to be overwhelming, unnecessary and ineffective.

Bravo Mr Hession.

[Sarah Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ein wunderschön leiser Roman über die Kleinigkeiten, die den Alltag so großartig machen. Sanfte, liebevolle und mitunter sehr weise Charaktere, die man direkt ins Herz lässt.
Wer hier eine überbordende Handlung mit gewaltigem Spannungsbogen sucht, wird nicht fündig werden. Stattdessen gibt es tiefe Freundschaft, familiären Zusammenhalt, den Zufall mit seinen wundersamen Zaubereien und eine der zärtlichsten Annäherungen, die ich seit langem gelesen habe! 4,5 Sterne und eine große Leseempfehlung!

[Banu Yıldıran Genç · Rating 4 out of 5]

“leonard ve hevesli paul” yazarı rónán hession’un ilk romanı. bir kere ilk roman olarak karakter derinleştirmeleri, küçücük bir hikâyeyi bu denli genişletebilmesi nedeniyle oldukça başarılı.
adındaki iki arkadaşı anlatan bu roman bir yandan bana travmatik korkularımı anımsattı bir yandan da “su akar yolunu bulur” duygusunu aşıladı. ikisi de 40’larına yaklaşmış iki erkek düşünün, ikisi de ailesiyle yaşıyor. biri ana babasıyla biri yalnız annesiyle. ikisi de bundan şikayetçi değil. hatta biri tatile bile annesiyle giderken, diğeri hayırsever hastane ziyaretlerine annesiyle gidiyor. yani bırakın avrupa’da bizde bir garip bulunabilecek denli ana kuzusu iki adamdan bahsediyoruz.
üstelik son derece introvert’ler. sosyalleşme yok, birbirlerinden başka arkadaş yok, birinin hadi iyi kötü bir işi varken diğerinin ayda 2 gün posta dağıtıcılığından başka işi bile yok. allah muhafaza diyeceğiniz tipler normalde ama işte hiç öyle değiller. romanın başarısı da burada.
tolstoy’un bütün mutlu aileler birbirine benzer lafını paramparça eden bu roman bir kere iki mutlu ailede yetişmiş iki mutlu bireyi konu alıyor. sorun yok. büyük bir dert yok. en büyük olay 2 haftada gerçekleşecek olan düğün. romandaki en dertli karakter paul’un evlenecek olan kızkardeşi grace (benim gibi bir kaygı kraliçesi) ama o bile gayet iyi biri. baba kız ilişkisi nefis. böyle roman mı olur lan? diyor insan ilk başta. çok da güzel oluyormuş.
allahtan romanda leonard kalbini kaptıracak birini buluyor da romanın en tatlı yerleri olan o tanışma, görüşme, karnında kelebekler uçuşma kısımlarını okuyoruz. paul da biraz hayatta ne yapmak istediğini anlıyor gibi romanın sonuna doğru.
romanda iki küçük anlaşmazlık oluyor, çatışma kısmı burası. leonard ve sevgilisi shelley’le paul ve kızkardeşi grace arasındaki bu kısım bizim iki kafadarın tiratlarıyla çözülüyor. işte bu kısımda ben dedim ki “hayır hayat deneyimsizi iki insan ikisi de sayfalar dolusu nefis hayat dersleri veriyor, bu mümkün değil.” işte romanın bence en zayıf noktaları yazarın kendisini bu tiratlara empoze etmesi olmuş. ama bunun farkında ki hemen ardından “çok uzun konuştu, hayatında o kadar uzun konuşmamıştı” gibi açıklamalar yapmış :) ha çok mu büyük sorun? değil. dediğim gibi ilk roman.
çok tatlı, iyi gelen bir roman, çevirisi özlem uygun’dan ve çok iyi. gözden kaçırmayın.

[Paula Melchor · Rating 5 out of 5]

qué libro tan emocionante y tierno sobre la dificultad (y la alegría) de ser personas tranquilas y peculiares en un mundo frenético. lo he leído poco a poco y los personajes han ido creciendo dentro de mí, reconciliándome con mi propia cotidianidad, llena de silencios y cosas imperceptibles pero maravillosas ❤️‍🩹 reseña completa aquí: https://www.sustrato.io/textos/la-lit...

[WndyJW · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I hesitate to describe as heartwarming and sweet because the story is not overly precious. It is a story about families who love each other, who enjoy each other’s company, but who struggle with how to strike the right balance between support and enabling. It is the story of two quiet, socially insecure men, their friendship, and their paths to create meaningful lives for themselves without pretending to be other than who they are.
In the era of Brexit and Trump, when we are daily exposed to the worst in humanity, this book reminds us that our ordinary lives, the love shared with family and friends, is what keeps us moored.
I highly recommend it.

[Ang · Rating 2 out of 5]

Abandoned at 36%. Not interesting, not engaging, not humourous.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is rare that I ‘get’ a book (usually it takes ten or so pages) when I read the first paragraph but it happened the second I cracked open Leonard and Hungry Paul. I was captivated and I tried my hardest to stretch the book out and I managed to make it last for 3 days.

Leonard edits and ghost writes children’s encyclopedias and is set in his ways. His best friend, Hungry Paul is sort of the same; he lives with his parents AND lives off them as he doesn’t really have a 9/5 job. He’s comfortable with his life and has his rituals and routines.

What also unites this pair is that they have problems with dealing with the challenges which are presented by society. Leonard strikes up a relationship and his way of approaching it are both clumsy and endearing. Hungry Paul is more laid back in his approach although he does try judo and attempts to help in a elderly care home but due to his way of thinking, these things are not easy.

Just to clarify; Leonard and Hungry Paul are not two inept characters. They are philosophical and knowledgeable. Where they stumble is that they are trapped in their own bubbles and breaking down that protective wall is difficult, more for Hungry Paul than Leonard. It doesn’t help that they are both are from the ‘slacker’ generation so their way of thinking does differ.

In a way one could say that the book focuses on Leonard and Hungry Paul’s attempts to join society. It’s also a slight jab how different generations approach certain problems, luckily, Hession manages to create some funny set pieces, one scene in particular involves a tin of chocolates.

The culmination of the book is Hungry Paul’s sister grace’s wedding. This action is the catalyst for Leonard and Hungry Paul’s change. Although it’s done unconventionally. Especially in Hungry Paul’s case.

Leonard and Hungry Paul is a feel good book. You’ll laugh and feel for the two main protagonists but all the characters in this book exude some sort of charm. Each chapter just envelopes the reader with a calm, happy vibe without ever descending in schmaltz. I could also relate to both Leonard and Hungry Paul, having been in the same situation as them many times in my life. I also dealt with their problems the same way and learnt that one has to move out a bubble in order to deal with the world.

Yes this book resonated with me in a big way. It’s not often that one reads such a down to earth novel with a lot of heart in it. Sometimes it is essential to read a book like Leonard and Hungry Paul as it changes your perspective and makes you smile in the process.

‘You may wish to note the above’

[Great-O-Khan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Die titelgebenden Protagonisten dieses Romans Leonard und Paul sind so sympathisch, dass ich dem Autor literarische Mängel wie das gelegentliche Überschreiten der Kitschgrenze verzeihe. Letztlich sind derartige Fehler auch nur selten. Popkulturell steht Hession meist auf der richtigen Seite. Wenn der "Club der Stille" das erste Mal stattfindet wird beispielsweise 4'33" von John Cage gespielt. Damit kann man mich schon bekommen. Wichtiger ist aber die Empathie und Warmherzigkeit, die dieser Roman ausstrahlt. Die humorvollen Szenen, bei denen man nie über die Figuren sondern immer mit ihnen lacht, sind ein weiterer großer Pluspunkt. Ich hatte durchweg gute Laune beim Lesen.

Leonard und Paul sind Außenseiter. Sie sind freundlich, ruhig, empathisch. Sie sind beste Freunde. Beide sind über dreißig Jahre alt. Leonard lebt im Haus seiner verstorbenen Mutter. Lange Zeit wohnten beide dort zusammen. Beruflich schreibt er Texte für Kindersachbücher. Paul ist Gelegenheitspostbote. Er wohnt bei seinen Eltern. Aktuell nimmt er an einem Wettbewerb teil: Die Industrie- und Handelskammer sucht für geschäftliche E-Mails eine bessere Abschiedsformulierung. Das häufig genutzte "mit freundlichen Grüßen" erscheint unpassend. Seine Schwester Grace plant ihre Hochzeit. Leonard verliebt sich. Viel mehr passiert nicht.

Normalerweise lese ich diese Art von "Feel-Good-Büchern" nicht. In diesem Fall bin ich durch die Besprechung bei NDR Kultur aufmerksam geworden. Ich habe die Lektüre nicht bereut. Ich werde zwar in dieses Genre nicht tiefer einsteigen, aber die sympathischen Einzelgänger Leonard und Paul bekommen auf jeden Fall einen guten Platz in meinem Bücherregal.

[Sterlingcindysu · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 rounded down. I'm certainly in the minority here!

I loved the set up of two 30ish men handling life on their own. Leonard works fulltime and has to fend for himself for the day-to-day life basics of running a house. However...Hungry Paul...what a moocher! He just works (sometimes) one day a week. His dad is retired, but mother still works part-time. Together they provide all meals, the roof over his head, the running of the house. He has to fill the bird feeder. That's about it. There's no physical or mental disabilities. When faced with buying a suit it's an overwhelming series of difficulties.

When Hungry Paul wins a prize (which entry still has me scratching my head) he has no idea or desire to spend the sizable cash winnings. Any other adult would have bills to pay, repairs to make or at least a chunk added in a retirement or college account.

Each has a female that (tries to) prods them into adulthood, and Hungry Paul basically answers her with "Nope." I wish that conversation had happened sooner because I would have stopped reading at that point. I understand adult children moving in with parents for a safety net, to help their elderly parents or help the parents financially. But not to have the parents do all the work, pay all the bills and shoulder all the responsibilities. If HP thought buying a dress shirt was complicated in his 30s, how would he handle paying taxes, making a Christmas dinner or stopping a dripping faucet?

While I understood the concept of the Quiet Club, I didn't understand why HP would want it--his whole life was a quiet club. So many comments about these boys (not men IMHO) being gentle and kind, but I disagree. Expecting your mother to cook for you or father paying the bills isn't kind, and sure anyone is gentle when they're not in the tumble of day-to-day life. If you're never late to work you don't honk your horn at the people reading their phones at the red light, now do you?

Are things really that different from 40-50 years ago when we couldn't wait to learn to drive a car, go to college, get a job, get our own apartment? I remember paying for my mother's meal when I had my first job (17) and being so proud that I could tell her to "go ahead, order desert." (I can imagine all the readers saying to themselves at this point, "OK Boomer.")

[Alena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tender. Soulful. Kind. Wise. Sweet. Thoughtful. Funny. Charming.
I could go on and on with adjectives to describe this lovely novel. My adult son read this book one year ago and claimed it as a favorite and it is so easy to understand why. It’s the kind of story and the kind of characters that make you feel better about the world without being in any way saccharine or fake. Both Leonard and Hungry Paul are good souls, Irish men in their 30s who don’t fit the norm and who live quiet lives. Quiet, in fact, would be another good adjective for this introspective novel. I loved both of them so much and appreciated their easy care for each other and for the other people in this book. There is not much action, but there is sadness and joy and wonder and growth. We meet people as they are and I truly wanted to step right into their homes and their lives. This novel strips away all the pretense and busyness that fills most of our lives and gets straight to the heart of what it could mean to live a good life.
From early on I knew I wouldn’t want it to end. And, correctly, as soon as a I read the last line, I wanted nothing more than to go back to the beginning and start it again, maybe wrapped in a cozy jumper with a cuppa at my side.
A real gem.

[Ella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I expected a different book from other people's comments, so I found it "deeper" than I'd imagined. Also very quotable and just lovely. I had a persistent smile on my face. Despite knowing that probably nothing awful was going to happen, I kept worrying that something awful was going to crash down on these lovely people.

I've got a bunch of quotes I scribbled down & will come back w/ them hopefully later in the week. I really teetered toward 5stars here, but the ending didn't blow my skirt up as much as the entire rest of the book. However, I don't think this is as lightweight as many of my GR friends do.

[Lisa - *OwlBeSatReading* · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leonard and Hungry Paul is not just a beautiful book, it is on another level beautiful.

The characters and storytelling have a feel good factor like no other.

💛🐠💛🐠💛🐠💛🐠💛🐠💛

‘...there is no better cure for one’s own worries than to help someone else with theirs.’

It should be available on prescription as a magical medicine for the soul.

💛🐠💛🐠💛🐠💛🐠💛🐠💛

‘We are never entirely outside of life’s choices; everything leads somewhere.’

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Such perfection, the only thing I didn’t like about it was the fact I’d finished it. Absolutely marvellous Rónán!