Leonard and Hungry Paul

Starred review from March 1, 2020
Two men shape lives of uncommon integrity. In his radiant first novel, Irish musician Hession (aka Mumblin' Deaf Ro) takes readers into the quiet, seemingly ordinary world of two unusual men, both in their 30s, both solitary by nature: Leonard, who writes entries for children's encyclopedias, and Hungry Paul, a substitute postman, who works, when needed, on Mondays. Leonard lived with his mother, who has just died; Hungry Paul, with his parents, a retired economist and his cheerful wife, a primary school teacher, nearly retired herself. Although gossips may disparage an adult still living with parents as indolent, Hession portrays the men with respect and generosity. Hungry Paul "never left home because his family was a happy one, and maybe it's rarer than it ought to be that a person appreciates such things." The two appreciate their friendship as well: They play board games together, take walks, and confide in one another. Their friendship is 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." Of the two, Hungry Paul seems the more content, blessed with an inviolable "mental stillness" and "natural clarity" that inure him to troubling thoughts: "He just had no interest in, or capacity for, mental chatter." Leonard is more inclined to second-guess himself and to conjure problems. He becomes afraid that withdrawing from the world might narrow his perspective, turn him "vinegary," and make other people seem increasingly "unfathomable and perplexing." He wants to open himself to experiences but worries that if Hungry Paul is content within his small universe, Leonard's yearning to break out of his "own palpable milky loneliness" will threaten their friendship. The prospect of change propels the plot, prodding each man to articulate, with surprising self-awareness, the depths of his identity and to realize, as Hungry Paul reflects, that "making big decisions was just as consequential as not making them." No one is "entirely outside of life's choices; everything leads somewhere." A charming, luminous debut.

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April 1, 2020
Children's encyclopedia writer Leonard's mother has recently died, leaving him the family home. His best friend, Hungry Paul, is a substitute postman. He lives with his parents, and his family is in the midst of preparations for his older sister's wedding. These lonely, thirtysomething bachelors have been friends for years, convening regularly for game nights and quiet conversation. Both suffer from "lack of assertiveness and lifelong social invisibility," but small changes begin to nudge the two into the world. An office mate begins to flirt with Leonard, and he screws up the courage to ask her on a date. For his part, Hungry Paul enters a contest to devise a new closing for emails, and he wins. His timid forays into the world have unexpected repercussions when he connects with (of all people) a mime, which leads to possibilities for independence. Readers in search of high drama and action will not find it in Hession's understated debut; rather, they will meet lovely, beautifully-realized characters. An especially delightful read for Anglophiles.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

Starred review from June 1, 2020

DEBUT Leonard ghostwrites children's encyclopedias. Hungry Paul is a substitute postman. They are best friends who both live with parents, enjoy learning and discussing facts, and prefer strategic board games to other forms of entertainment. When Leonard's mother passes away a few weeks before Hungry Paul's sister, Grace, is to marry, they find themselves poised at the thresholds of diverging futures. For Leonard, a budding romance may fall apart because of his guilelessness. And Grace has been pushing the idea that Hungry Paul needs to get a full-time job and leave their parents' house, for the good of all. These and other circumstances compel both men beyond their comfort zones, and their friendship undergoes some strain. But their decency prevails, and their friendship expands as they embrace new experiences. In the end, Leonard and Hungry Paul's love for each other and for others around them might change the world for the better. VERDICT Dublin-based songwriter Hession has written a tender and hilarious debut. The title characters are unforgettable, and their shared amazement of the world is a gift to readers. Essential reading, especially in these times.--John G. Matthews, Washington State Univ. Libs., Pullman

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