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. 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. 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. Leonard and Hungry Paul is the debut novel by Irish writer Ronan Hession, though many at home will be familiar with his music, performed under the moniker Mumblin’ Deaf Ro. Published by UK based Bluemoose Books, it has has built and perpetuated considerable momentum since its release, and was nominated for the Irish book of the Year Awards.

Writing a weekly column featuring débuts, I’m generally aware of everything produced by Irish writers, so I was surprised when Rónán Hession’s first novel was shortlisted for a Bord Gais Energy Book Award and was anxious to procure a copy. 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. 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.

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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. 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. 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).

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. 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 and Hungry Paul is almost deceptively well written. It’s clever, and insightful; the kind of book that makes you nod in recognition, and marvel at a writer’s ability to voice something you, yourself have thought, yet never articulated. Kindness is rarely looked upon with fondness when it comes to art. It is a view due for an assessment that kind is often deemed synonymous with boring. Rónán Hession’s debut novel Leonard and Hungry Paul is an extraordinary gentle wonder. Hession is perhaps better known as the Irish blues musician Mumblin’ Deaf Ro, based in Dublin. His main characters sit in warm kitchens, in warm light, and play board games in lieu of drama. Terrible external fears slide easily from their shoulders as they put the quiet pieces of puzzles and the world to rights. His plot pads forward through life’s events like soft footsteps on a carpeted floor. 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.It is a story of charm and wit that immerses the reader within the ordinary, everyday lives of our narrators. The titular Leonard works as a ghost writer of children’s encyclopaedias, of which he himself is an avid reader. Paul lives at home with his parents and works every second Monday as a postman. The wants and desires of both men are simple, and they remain gloriously void of external influences while steering well clear of extroverts. yazar Rónán Hession'ın ilk romanıymış bu. 30larında iki arkadaş olan Leonard ve Paul'ün süssüz dostluklarını merkeze alıp, ikilinin hayatının bir dönemine göz atıyor yazar ve bence bizi bildiğimiz kategorilerin dışında düşünmeye çağırıyor zarifçe. Hızlıca bazı kalıplara sokabileceğimiz karakterler bunlar aslında, mesela pekala "başarısız" diyebileceğimiz tipler ama o stereotiplerin dışında / ötesinde kim olduklarını görmemizi sağlıyor bu tatlı roman.