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Duffy and Son: A charming novel filled with wry humour and warmth
A heart-warming and hilarious novel about life, love, and the weight of all we leave unsaid, Duffy Son is a quietly moving masterpiece from one of Ireland’s most gifted comic writers.
Eugene Duffy is turning 70; his son Jim is turning 40.
For decades now, they’ve been running the family hardware shop and living in good-natured bachelor harmony. But time is marching on, and with thoughts of old age weighing heavily on his mind, Eugene is growing increasingly concerned about his son’s future.
He resolves to help in the best way possible: by finding Jim a wife. And he’s not going to let anyone – let alone Jim himself – stand in his way.
Reminiscent of Fredrik Backman’s bestselling novel A Man Called Ove, Duffy and Son contains a likeable but curmudgeonly main character, wry humour, tremendous heart, as well as a strong sense of community. It is a funny and heartwarming novel which celebrates the messiness of ordinary lives and would make a perfect reading group choice.
Eugene Duffy is turning 70; his son Jim is turning 40.
For decades now, they’ve been running the family hardware shop and living in good-natured bachelor harmony. But time is marching on, and with thoughts of old age weighing heavily on his mind, Eugene is growing increasingly concerned about his son’s future.
He resolves to help in the best way possible: by finding Jim a wife. And he’s not going to let anyone – let alone Jim himself – stand in his way.
Reminiscent of Fredrik Backman’s bestselling novel A Man Called Ove, Duffy and Son contains a likeable but curmudgeonly main character, wry humour, tremendous heart, as well as a strong sense of community. It is a funny and heartwarming novel which celebrates the messiness of ordinary lives and would make a perfect reading group choice.
304 pages, Paperback
Published September 27, 2022
54 people are currently reading
572 people want to read
About the author
Damien Owens
8 books39 followersDamien Owens was born in Monaghan, Ireland, in 1971. He is the author of six novels: Dead Cat Bounce (2001), Peter and Mary Have a Row (2002), The Bright Side (2008), Little Black Everything (2009), Married to a Cave Man (2018), and Duffy and Son (2022).
The Bright Side and Little Black Everything were published under the name Alex Coleman.
He also created and wrote Trivia, a TV comedy/drama, two series of which were broadcast by RTE (Ireland) in 2011 and 2012.
The Bright Side and Little Black Everything were published under the name Alex Coleman.
He also created and wrote Trivia, a TV comedy/drama, two series of which were broadcast by RTE (Ireland) in 2011 and 2012.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 141 reviews
February 5, 2024
Oh what a fun and entertaining novel. Listened to this on audio and the narrator Gerry O’ Brien really brings the story and characters to life.
Eugene Duffy is turning 70 and his son is turning 40, both have had their share of tough times but Eugene is determined that his son finds love and the process is comical and hilarious.
I loved Eugene and he is a true Monaghan man and has words at will and the majority of those words are swear words.
I enjoyed every moment spent with this novel and I really look forward to reading more books by this author.
Eugene Duffy is turning 70 and his son is turning 40, both have had their share of tough times but Eugene is determined that his son finds love and the process is comical and hilarious.
I loved Eugene and he is a true Monaghan man and has words at will and the majority of those words are swear words.
I enjoyed every moment spent with this novel and I really look forward to reading more books by this author.
April 11, 2022
Been some time since I finished it but it was an enjoyable listening experience. But not a new favorite or something that evoke any strong feelings but definitely a good read. 3.5 stars
April 14, 2022
I didn't really find this book to be neither "hilarious" nor "heartwarming", let alone a "masterpiece". It was okay.
For the better part of it nothing significant happens. The plot moves slow and without much of a fuss. The whole family dynamics felt off, the reluctant conversations the siblings were having with their father always felt overly spiteful and forced. The whole story in general was more about the father's past regrets than the almost 40 year old son finally leaving the nest and meeting the love of his life.
If you're expecting some inspiring love story you won't find one here.
I couldn't connect to any of the characters and by the time the story wrapped up I was just glad it was over.
For the better part of it nothing significant happens. The plot moves slow and without much of a fuss. The whole family dynamics felt off, the reluctant conversations the siblings were having with their father always felt overly spiteful and forced. The whole story in general was more about the father's past regrets than the almost 40 year old son finally leaving the nest and meeting the love of his life.
If you're expecting some inspiring love story you won't find one here.
I couldn't connect to any of the characters and by the time the story wrapped up I was just glad it was over.
February 21, 2025
Enjoyed every moment! 5-stars
Apologies to my friends and followers. There's too much insanity disrupting world order these days. Canadians and others, especially, have been unfairly targetted, and this makes me angry, scared, and upset. Until it stops, I won't be able to write reviews, other than perhaps a few words. Please pray for goodness and decency to prevail.🩷☮️
Apologies to my friends and followers. There's too much insanity disrupting world order these days. Canadians and others, especially, have been unfairly targetted, and this makes me angry, scared, and upset. Until it stops, I won't be able to write reviews, other than perhaps a few words. Please pray for goodness and decency to prevail.🩷☮️
March 26, 2023
Very funny and cute (for the most part). Eugene Duffy is perturbed by the fact that his son is turning 40 and shows no interest in women, in moving out of the house, or in much of anything, really. Eugene owns a hardware store which he opened about 40 years earlier after he and his wife married. He is now turning 70 and has turned the keys over to his son.
During their marriage, Eugene's wife had several affairs (some that he was aware of) and eventually ran off with a traveling salesman (ok maybe not a traveling salesman but someone just as cliché), leaving the cuckolded Eugene to raise two kids on his own. Eugene is a hoot, and we listen to his inner snarky curmudgeonly reflections from page one of the novel. I laugh and giggle out loud, while listening to books on my evening constitutional. This is probably why all the dogs in the neighborhood take the liberty of lunging at the oblivious crazy old bat, crossing their paths. If you read in the evening tabloids that a looney old lady pepper-sprayed an "innocent" dog-owner out for a stroll with its dog, you'll know it was me!
So there you have it - it takes one to know one, and this old curmudgeon was definitely on the same wavelength as our protagonist, at least for most of the novel.
It became obvious early on in the book that the rambling was going to reach a point/climax somewhere along the line. Those poignant and/or serious bits were my least favorite parts of the book, but they didn't interfere with my overall enjoyment.
I think the funniest scene in the book is when Eugene decides that he should push his son to go out for salsa lessons at the neighborhood social club. Eurgene joins for the evening, sizing up all the women in the room in search of the perfect gal for his son. While doing so he makes a major faux pas or two with uproarious repercussions. I loved it.
This is a quick and fun read. Mostly heartwarming. Did I mention that the book takes place in Ireland? The raspy narration was very good - I combined audio with ebook to move thing along.
During their marriage, Eugene's wife had several affairs (some that he was aware of) and eventually ran off with a traveling salesman (ok maybe not a traveling salesman but someone just as cliché), leaving the cuckolded Eugene to raise two kids on his own. Eugene is a hoot, and we listen to his inner snarky curmudgeonly reflections from page one of the novel. I laugh and giggle out loud, while listening to books on my evening constitutional. This is probably why all the dogs in the neighborhood take the liberty of lunging at the oblivious crazy old bat, crossing their paths. If you read in the evening tabloids that a looney old lady pepper-sprayed an "innocent" dog-owner out for a stroll with its dog, you'll know it was me!
So there you have it - it takes one to know one, and this old curmudgeon was definitely on the same wavelength as our protagonist, at least for most of the novel.
It became obvious early on in the book that the rambling was going to reach a point/climax somewhere along the line. Those poignant and/or serious bits were my least favorite parts of the book, but they didn't interfere with my overall enjoyment.
I think the funniest scene in the book is when Eugene decides that he should push his son to go out for salsa lessons at the neighborhood social club. Eurgene joins for the evening, sizing up all the women in the room in search of the perfect gal for his son. While doing so he makes a major faux pas or two with uproarious repercussions. I loved it.
This is a quick and fun read. Mostly heartwarming. Did I mention that the book takes place in Ireland? The raspy narration was very good - I combined audio with ebook to move thing along.
March 23, 2022
Duffy and Son by Damien Owens publishes March 31st with Harper Collins Ireland and is described as ‘a funny and heart-warming novel which celebrates the messiness of ordinary lives’.
For anyone who has had or is having an aging crisis, part of the inspiration behind Duffy and Son will resonate. Damien Owens recently suffered what he jokingly refers to as ‘a terrible trauma’, he hit fifty-years of age. This defining birthday forced him to re-consider the whole business of approaching the more mature years of his life and this is reflected in his latest novel, Duffy and Son. Centred around Eugene Duffy, who is about to turn seventy, and his son Jim, who is about to turn forty, Damien Owens, with plenty of humour highlights the many emotional and physical sides to getting old. I can totally resonate with Damien on this one having myself hit the big 5-0 in 2020. It was a moment of panic as I looked back over my life and looked forward to what was ahead. In that timely tradition of many adults I said ‘where did the time go?’ and began to get a touch maudlin but in Duffy and Son, Damien Owens brings joy and light to the whole prospect of aging, with wonderful characters and just really classic banter that entertains and provides every reader with a much-needed escape from the world we are living in at the moment.
Eugene Duffy reared his two young children when his wife left him. Running a small hardware store in Co. Monaghan, Eugene had accepted his fate and did his very best to provide for his changed and diminished family. Eugene’s early years had been traumatic so he was always adamant that his kids wouldn’t suffer emotionally like he did. His daughter, Eleanor, had married and settled down in Dublin, but his son Jim remained at home with Eugene. Jim had taken over the family business but on a personal level, Eugene was concerned for him. Jim never really had any relationship worth talking about and Eugene is now concerned for Jim’s future, so he puts together a plan, of sorts!
Finding a wife for Jim becomes a project for Eugene, but along the way he makes some discoveries about himself. Has he lived a successful and joyful life? Has he been the best he can be? Was he an inspiration or a disappointment to his children? How would he be remembered? When faced with his own mortality, and after his best friend’s health takes a turn, Eugene has to work through some issues. He never wished for Jim to end up like him, on his own, working in a small town. He always had bigger plans for Jim but as he tries to put a plan of action in place for Jim, he realises that his own life may have taken an unexpected direction from the dreams and ambitions of his own younger years.
The story of aging is not new but Damien Owens has put a fabulously positive spin on how to age gracefully, or disgracefully, whichever way you look at it. The dialogue between Eugene and everyone he comes into contact with is packed full of hilarious comments and witticisms that really provide the reader with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments in every chapter. These are ordinary people living ordinary lives in a small community in rural Ireland and Damien Owens has beautifully imbued them all with a charm and a warmth that leaves the reader wanting more. For anyone who has read and was smitten by Leonard and Hungry Paul by Rónán Hession, I think Duffy and Son would be the perfect read. Damien Owens describes Duffy and Son as a comedy, which it is, but it is also a very thoughtful and, at times, sentimental story with gorgeous characters that will delight and appeal to every reader.
Joyous, warm, sensitive, engaging and, most definitely, very entertaining, Duffy and Son is a book I happily recommend to all. I do really hope you get the opportunity to meet the Duffy boys, you will not regret it!
For anyone who has had or is having an aging crisis, part of the inspiration behind Duffy and Son will resonate. Damien Owens recently suffered what he jokingly refers to as ‘a terrible trauma’, he hit fifty-years of age. This defining birthday forced him to re-consider the whole business of approaching the more mature years of his life and this is reflected in his latest novel, Duffy and Son. Centred around Eugene Duffy, who is about to turn seventy, and his son Jim, who is about to turn forty, Damien Owens, with plenty of humour highlights the many emotional and physical sides to getting old. I can totally resonate with Damien on this one having myself hit the big 5-0 in 2020. It was a moment of panic as I looked back over my life and looked forward to what was ahead. In that timely tradition of many adults I said ‘where did the time go?’ and began to get a touch maudlin but in Duffy and Son, Damien Owens brings joy and light to the whole prospect of aging, with wonderful characters and just really classic banter that entertains and provides every reader with a much-needed escape from the world we are living in at the moment.
Eugene Duffy reared his two young children when his wife left him. Running a small hardware store in Co. Monaghan, Eugene had accepted his fate and did his very best to provide for his changed and diminished family. Eugene’s early years had been traumatic so he was always adamant that his kids wouldn’t suffer emotionally like he did. His daughter, Eleanor, had married and settled down in Dublin, but his son Jim remained at home with Eugene. Jim had taken over the family business but on a personal level, Eugene was concerned for him. Jim never really had any relationship worth talking about and Eugene is now concerned for Jim’s future, so he puts together a plan, of sorts!
Finding a wife for Jim becomes a project for Eugene, but along the way he makes some discoveries about himself. Has he lived a successful and joyful life? Has he been the best he can be? Was he an inspiration or a disappointment to his children? How would he be remembered? When faced with his own mortality, and after his best friend’s health takes a turn, Eugene has to work through some issues. He never wished for Jim to end up like him, on his own, working in a small town. He always had bigger plans for Jim but as he tries to put a plan of action in place for Jim, he realises that his own life may have taken an unexpected direction from the dreams and ambitions of his own younger years.
The story of aging is not new but Damien Owens has put a fabulously positive spin on how to age gracefully, or disgracefully, whichever way you look at it. The dialogue between Eugene and everyone he comes into contact with is packed full of hilarious comments and witticisms that really provide the reader with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments in every chapter. These are ordinary people living ordinary lives in a small community in rural Ireland and Damien Owens has beautifully imbued them all with a charm and a warmth that leaves the reader wanting more. For anyone who has read and was smitten by Leonard and Hungry Paul by Rónán Hession, I think Duffy and Son would be the perfect read. Damien Owens describes Duffy and Son as a comedy, which it is, but it is also a very thoughtful and, at times, sentimental story with gorgeous characters that will delight and appeal to every reader.
Joyous, warm, sensitive, engaging and, most definitely, very entertaining, Duffy and Son is a book I happily recommend to all. I do really hope you get the opportunity to meet the Duffy boys, you will not regret it!
March 8, 2025
Lovely gentle humour and nice to see someone taking the romance format - and it is kind of that even if it doesn't quite fit the narrative arc – and writing it from a men's point of view. Eugene Duffy is a good man - but one who has made a lot of mistakes in his life. Good story, great characters.
April 8, 2022
Best book Ive read this year by some distance.
Light, heart warming, funny- laugh at loud in parts, and a small tear ot two in others. Well written, uplifting, and cant thing of the last Irish book Ive enjoyed as much. The wit and turn of phrase is at times genius- subtle but genius, a sharpness wrapped in a warm blanket.
In short I happily turned off Ozark to go to bed early and read- which is high praise indeed!
Light, heart warming, funny- laugh at loud in parts, and a small tear ot two in others. Well written, uplifting, and cant thing of the last Irish book Ive enjoyed as much. The wit and turn of phrase is at times genius- subtle but genius, a sharpness wrapped in a warm blanket.
In short I happily turned off Ozark to go to bed early and read- which is high praise indeed!
August 14, 2022
I really enjoyed this one. Came across it in Borrowbox library never having of the the book or the writer and I got a lovely surprise. Story of an Irish family told with gentle humour.
May 24, 2024
Love, love, loved listening to this book, couldn’t wait to hear more. Such a simple story of a life well lived in the face of growing older. Beautifully Irish with laugh out loud moments throughout.
October 5, 2022
My desperate attempts to find something similar to ‘A Man Called Ove’ had me perusing (virtually) some less traversed alleys of Goodreads until I discovered ‘Duffy and Son’.
Duffy and Son is a celebration of ordinary life that depicts relationships with a stark honesty. Like Ove, it features a grumpy old man called Eugene Duffy who will turn seventy soon. He lives in a good natured bachelor harmony with his son Jim who is about to turn forty. However, Eugene is worried about Jim’s future and decides to intervene. His objective: Find Jim a wife before he dies (without letting Jim even get a whiff of this scheme) so Jim wouldn’t be alone. However, history has proven time and time again that nosy matchmaking schemes do more damage than good.
The main focus of this book is the relationship between Eugene and his children (son and daughter). Overall, Eugene’s relationship with his children was nice but they had their ups and downs. The relationships felt so real because they were not perfect.
Quite a chunk of it is revealed through flashbacks but I didn’t mind those at all. I loved how it subtly presented the theme of leading an ordinary life and how people can actually be content in smaller houses and their work is just a means to an end and not a passion. I believe that in recent years, we have created an unhealthy narrative that the only people who are happy are the ones who are the richest and glorified working long hours to make money. It’s absolutely okay if this is what you actually want but it’s alright even if you don’t and you want a quiet comfortable life for yourself! There are so many more themes but they will be spoilery so READ TO FIND OUT ;).
While I loved the overall witty tone of the story, the writing is not the best. It felt a little rough on the edges and the character did lack a bit of depth. The conflicts resolved too easily and the plot twists were predictable. However, I knew going in that this will be no Backman, I just wanted to read about people and relationships and messy real life and that is exactly what I got.
I will not recommend this to everyone. I feel like this would be enjoyed more by an older audience and then too not by all of them. But I absolutely loved it. However if you do decide to read it, please share your thoughts with me! I WANT TO DISCUSS THIS WITH PEOPLE!!
Duffy and Son is a celebration of ordinary life that depicts relationships with a stark honesty. Like Ove, it features a grumpy old man called Eugene Duffy who will turn seventy soon. He lives in a good natured bachelor harmony with his son Jim who is about to turn forty. However, Eugene is worried about Jim’s future and decides to intervene. His objective: Find Jim a wife before he dies (without letting Jim even get a whiff of this scheme) so Jim wouldn’t be alone. However, history has proven time and time again that nosy matchmaking schemes do more damage than good.
The main focus of this book is the relationship between Eugene and his children (son and daughter). Overall, Eugene’s relationship with his children was nice but they had their ups and downs. The relationships felt so real because they were not perfect.
Quite a chunk of it is revealed through flashbacks but I didn’t mind those at all. I loved how it subtly presented the theme of leading an ordinary life and how people can actually be content in smaller houses and their work is just a means to an end and not a passion. I believe that in recent years, we have created an unhealthy narrative that the only people who are happy are the ones who are the richest and glorified working long hours to make money. It’s absolutely okay if this is what you actually want but it’s alright even if you don’t and you want a quiet comfortable life for yourself! There are so many more themes but they will be spoilery so READ TO FIND OUT ;).
While I loved the overall witty tone of the story, the writing is not the best. It felt a little rough on the edges and the character did lack a bit of depth. The conflicts resolved too easily and the plot twists were predictable. However, I knew going in that this will be no Backman, I just wanted to read about people and relationships and messy real life and that is exactly what I got.
I will not recommend this to everyone. I feel like this would be enjoyed more by an older audience and then too not by all of them. But I absolutely loved it. However if you do decide to read it, please share your thoughts with me! I WANT TO DISCUSS THIS WITH PEOPLE!!
March 23, 2023
Duffy and Son has been popping up here and there since it’s release last year, I spotted it on BorrowBox and having read the blurb (above) I decided to give it a go.
The story here is quite a simple premise – a father is turning 70 and his son, who has yet to flee the nest and marry, is about to turn 40. As with a lot of people, hitting the big numbers has started Eugene (the father) thinking about his son’s future. After an awkward conversation or two Eugene decides there is only one thing for it – if his son is going to find a partner – he’s going to have to interfere.
During the course of the book Eugene tries to come up with plans for his son, Jim, to socialise more, and as such, meet women. While his plan may have been to get a partner for his son, Eugene ends up reminiscing about his past and just where things may have gone wrong for him. His own relationship troubles become very clear early on and reminders of his past pop up throughout the story.
I thought this was a very engaging story that was both heart warming and at times hilarious. There were certainly a number of laugh out loud moments for me, I’m sure my fellow commuters on the M50 were wondering just what I found so funny about being stuck in traffic.
This is one I would recommend to all. It’s a nice read that should be a smile on (almost) anybody’s face.
The story here is quite a simple premise – a father is turning 70 and his son, who has yet to flee the nest and marry, is about to turn 40. As with a lot of people, hitting the big numbers has started Eugene (the father) thinking about his son’s future. After an awkward conversation or two Eugene decides there is only one thing for it – if his son is going to find a partner – he’s going to have to interfere.
During the course of the book Eugene tries to come up with plans for his son, Jim, to socialise more, and as such, meet women. While his plan may have been to get a partner for his son, Eugene ends up reminiscing about his past and just where things may have gone wrong for him. His own relationship troubles become very clear early on and reminders of his past pop up throughout the story.
I thought this was a very engaging story that was both heart warming and at times hilarious. There were certainly a number of laugh out loud moments for me, I’m sure my fellow commuters on the M50 were wondering just what I found so funny about being stuck in traffic.
This is one I would recommend to all. It’s a nice read that should be a smile on (almost) anybody’s face.
September 23, 2022
Eugene Duffy is turning 70. He runs the local hardware shop, (the titular "Duffy & Son) with his soon-to l-be-40 year old son Jim. Jim lives with him and has never had a relationship of any significance and so, after a discussion with his daughter, Eleanor, Eugene hatches a plan to "help" Jim find a wife. The opening exchange between them shows the subtlety of Eugene's approach to these matters 😂
What a heart warming, funny, hug of a book this is. It's a story about family, community, love and heartbreak and had me laughing out loud. Eugene remenices on times past and we learn about his traumatic childhood and how his met his wife. He is a man with a huge heart but he doesn't always get it right, as noble as his intentions are. He reared his children alone, after their mother left and it's clear to see that he did a wonderful job.
It's beautifully written, full of wit and I really recommend it. I knew I was on to a winner with a Damien Owens book as I loved Trivia, the RTÉ series that he created and wrote.
I listened to it on Borrowbox and the narrator was perfection.
What a heart warming, funny, hug of a book this is. It's a story about family, community, love and heartbreak and had me laughing out loud. Eugene remenices on times past and we learn about his traumatic childhood and how his met his wife. He is a man with a huge heart but he doesn't always get it right, as noble as his intentions are. He reared his children alone, after their mother left and it's clear to see that he did a wonderful job.
It's beautifully written, full of wit and I really recommend it. I knew I was on to a winner with a Damien Owens book as I loved Trivia, the RTÉ series that he created and wrote.
I listened to it on Borrowbox and the narrator was perfection.
January 18, 2024
This book was sent to me by an independent bookseller who sends out a questionnaire and sends books based on that. When I first got this book I was worried they just grabbed something and sent it to me.
Thankfully, I seemed to have been wrong. I can't point to one or two things that made this book so good, all I can really say is that I enjoyed the story. Life is hard and sometimes messy, how do we know if we're making the right choice? All we can do is do what we think is correct and hope for the best.
Thankfully, I seemed to have been wrong. I can't point to one or two things that made this book so good, all I can really say is that I enjoyed the story. Life is hard and sometimes messy, how do we know if we're making the right choice? All we can do is do what we think is correct and hope for the best.
July 17, 2023
This is very sad in a good way and very funny and emotional other times. Such a lovely book. ♡
July 8, 2025
Sweet and funny, though it was a sightly different book than the one I expected from the blurb. I plan to read more by Owens.
April 11, 2022
I havent enjoyed a book so much since...actually i can't remember! It's extremely funny and warm, all characters are wonderfully rendered, but Eugene was my personal favourite. During this time of doom and gloom, this book will lift your spirits and make you laugh!
July 1, 2023
How great it's that feeling when after reread a favorite you love it even more than the first time 🥰
February 3, 2023
A Sunday Business Post Fiction Book of the Year 2022 and shortlisted for the An Post Irish Book Awards 2022,
Duffy and Son tells the story of Eugene Duffy and his son Jim. Eugene is approaching 70, Jim is approaching 40, and neither has a woman in his life. Eugene decides to do something about Jim’s perpetual state of bachelorhood, which results in Eugene going on a reflective journey himself.
This is an easygoing, gentle, funny, warm-hearted story full of wit and wisdom. I listened to the audiobook and it is narrated perfectly by Gerry O’Brien. It was a balm for me after some sad books in January. I loved it and it made me laugh out loud several times (I especially loved Eugene and Frank’s friendship and witty exchanges).
Perfect for fans of Leonard and Hungry Paul by Ronán Hession, Duffy and Son may not set the world on fire but it might just lighten the load in between heavier reads. We need a sequel. 4/5 ⭐️
*I listened to the book on BorrowBox via Libraries Ireland.
Duffy and Son tells the story of Eugene Duffy and his son Jim. Eugene is approaching 70, Jim is approaching 40, and neither has a woman in his life. Eugene decides to do something about Jim’s perpetual state of bachelorhood, which results in Eugene going on a reflective journey himself.
This is an easygoing, gentle, funny, warm-hearted story full of wit and wisdom. I listened to the audiobook and it is narrated perfectly by Gerry O’Brien. It was a balm for me after some sad books in January. I loved it and it made me laugh out loud several times (I especially loved Eugene and Frank’s friendship and witty exchanges).
Perfect for fans of Leonard and Hungry Paul by Ronán Hession, Duffy and Son may not set the world on fire but it might just lighten the load in between heavier reads. We need a sequel. 4/5 ⭐️
*I listened to the book on BorrowBox via Libraries Ireland.
August 11, 2023
I heard about Duffy and Son through a radio interview with Damien Owens some months ago, and it's been on my list since then. The interviewer said it was a wonderful piece of work, but I don't think I was ready for how much I enjoyed it! I don't think I've read a novel that made me laugh out loud so often! The characters are so vivid, Eugene and Jim work so well together (and against each other, really); the little observations about life in a rural Irish town are spot on! And the dialogue, oh my God, the dialogue is so witty and sharp! I loved it!
Would I recommend this novel? Recommend? - it's required reading, in my opinion!!
Would I recommend this novel? Recommend? - it's required reading, in my opinion!!
July 17, 2023
I loved Eugene, the narrator of this story of a man about to turn 70, worrying about his own future, but more so that of his almost 40 year old son, who still lives at home with him. He's far from perfect, but he has real heart, and I was totally won over by him. This was funny and the characters were written with real empathy, and I felt it was a very realistic snapshot of life in a small country town.
June 6, 2024
I think the fabulous audio narration made this book for me, I don’t know if I would have enjoyed it as much if I had read it. I thought it was funny and lighthearted and looked forward to listening to the next chapter.
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January 2, 2024I couldn’t stop until the last second. Outstanding!!
January 14, 2025
A lovely story of rural Ireland family life. Lovely characters telling the story with humour and wit.
October 8, 2023
Delightful yet very poignant. Narrator was BRILLIANT. Told from 70 year old Eugene Duffy’s point of view as he tries to play matchmaker for his son. Liberal use of foul language it all just adds to the story.
May 3, 2024
A warm, funny, triumphant story that makes me want to go hug my whole family.
November 13, 2024
Really enjoyed this book about a father whose wife walked out on him and left him to raise his two children, now turning 70 and his son still living with him, it tells his story of attempting to find a girlfriend for him and his ex wife reappearing.. it’s really funny but also very honest
October 21, 2022
This is such an enjoyable story. I listened to it and it was wonderful narrated. I regularly laughed our loud. Eugene was such a typically Irish da. Una was despicable, Eleanor was mostly likeable. I loved Jim. It’s funny, sad, enjoyable and true for so many. I highly recommend this read!!
December 12, 2025
Loved it… need a sequel Duffy and Da 💞
April 9, 2024
Listened on audiobook highly enjoyable!
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