Hungry Paul is pretty quiet, maybe not getting on with his life as others would like, but happy in his own skin. Stattdessen gibt es tiefe Freundschaft, familiären Zusammenhalt, den Zufall mit seinen wundersamen Zaubereien und eine der zärtlichsten Annäherungen, die ich seit langem gelesen habe! I really teetered toward 5stars here, but the ending didn't blow my skirt up as much as the entire rest of the book. Yani gercekten ilk sıraya koymak; sadece sevgililer günü kartına bir tanem yazmayı ya da buna benzer şeyleri kastetmiyorum. Der Buchhändler*innen-Liebling aus England und Irland konnte mich bereits ab der ersten Seite in den Bann ziehen.

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 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. 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. Hession’s novel is an ode to the joys of a quiet life, and to the importance of prioritising the little things. 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.Hungry Paul takes judo lessons (he’s not very good) and works one day a week as a substitute letter carrier. Leonard has just lost his beloved mother and is finding loneliness hard, but is glad he has a friend like Hungry Paul, who lives with his parents. 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.

On the other hand, most of the sections written about Leonard were much more authentic and interesting and there was some great writing with genuine insight, depth about a person like Leonard. It’s such a wholesome book, and a perfect bit of peace which is desperately needed in the world today. Leonard’s mother has recently died leaving him alone in trying to work out how to cope with his quiet grief.

Equally, in other books minor tensions like Leonard missing game night for a date, or Grace trying to tell her brother he needs to move out of the house, would be spun into big dramatic moments which had repercussions and provided tensions throughout the book.