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.
Leonard's mother recently died, but this has done little to effect his daily life writing children's encyclopedias until he encounters the prospect of a romantic relationship with a vibrant-haired woman. His friend Hungry Paul lives a fairly non-committal existence working part-time as a postman. But he's not even a full postman as he merely covers the shift of the regular postmen when he's too hungover to work. Why he's called “Hungry” is never explained but it might just be an ironic nickname given that he seems entirely without ambition. Even when he enters and wins a contest he doesn't see it as an achievement so much as an instance of being helpful and he can't conceive of doing anything with the substantial prize money except squirrelling it away in an account. Since he lacks definite purpose or drive his family worry about him when in reality he's as passively self-sufficient as a sunfish (which his sister likens him to after observing one in an aquarium.) His skill at quietude becomes useful in different ways. Firstly, as a volunteer at a hospital where he keeps a patient company by silently holding her hand. Secondly, and more humorously, he finds new employment as the organizer of a “Quiet Club” for the National Association of Mimes. This reflects the overall tone of the novel which playfully points to aspects of human nature that aren't often valued in life or in fiction - such as the value of silence and steady companionship.
I haven't read many novels which get the right tone of writing about such reserved characters and ordinary situations, but I think “Leonard and Hungry Paul” achieves this admirably. Perhaps the only other recent novel I can think of that does something similar is Eley Williams' “The Liar's Dictionary”. Since I'm more of a quiet and introverted individual myself, I naturally related to Hession's characters and their occasional awkwardness when trying to communicate with others. There are moments of emotional sincerity which felt tremendously poignant because their expression is so personally difficult. It made this a sympathetic as well as a deeply pleasurable and comforting book to read.
