She worries that one day her beloved brother will become her responsibility, as he's really never had to be completely independent before.

Of course, Rónán for writing a book that I think will be around for a long, long time, a book that has given so much solace to people in these troubling times. But I persisted, and finally I did warm - a little bit - to this gentle pair of friends, satisfied with so little. He grew up in Beaumont, went to school in O’Connells in the north inner city and was wandering around the city at the age of 12. Hungry Paul, in particular, knows exactly who he is, and can sum up exactly what’s important to him.And our publishing relationship continues with Rónán as we look forward to publishing his second novel Panenka in May and his third, Ghost Mountain, in 2024. And yet, these simple cards are available as a signal of encouragement to anyone who needs it; a statement – an understatement perhaps – that that there will always be a place reserved in the world for the imagination. And without ruining the finer moments of the novel, it can be said that Hession’s work is one for introverts to enjoy and extroverts to marvel at. Jemanden seine volle Aufmerksamkeit zu schenken ist der größte Respekt, den man einem Menschen entgegenbringen kann.

He still lives at home with his parents, and his older sister’s wedding is a central focus of the plot. 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). 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. They’re awkward and often overthink what they should say, resulting in their saying nothing (or, worse, saying the wrong thing).The story is so slow because people relentlessly speak in whole sentences and, toward the end, they seem to recite the kind of stuff you learn after years of psychotherapy or awareness work and meditation. I just thought it quite easily could have been a lot more genuine and real, by making some of the silliness a bit more realistic, and for me at least, more enjoyable. Rónán Hession’s first novel, 2019’s Leonard and Hungry Paul, won the word-of-mouth success that small publishers dream of, and it hasn’t stopped rolling yet: shortlisted for half a dozen prizes, it recently made the One Dublin One Book choice for people across Hession’s home city to read. 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.

Though his life had been largely quiet and uneventful, his choices had turned out to be wise ones: he had already lived longer than Alexander The Great, and had fewer enemies too. The two friends, who are adept listeners, begin to hear the universe close in around them, as Leonard loses his mother, and Hungry Paul’s parents start to feel their parental duties coming to a close as his sister Grace’s wedding day nears. This morning, as every morning, when I gave Maya her IV drip, both of us went into a peaceful trance; we became one with the saline as it coursed down the line into Maya and I imagined it gently spreading, bathing all her organs with love, leaving happy kidneys before exiting out and back into the earth.

Hungry Paul, on the other hand, is a part-time mail man, motivated only by his considerate helping of those around him. He yearns to connect with someone to join him in appreciating the mystery and beauty of the universe. You don’t often get good novels about ordinary people living tranquil lives almost completely devoid of incident – no shocking discoveries, no crises, no coming to terms with a dark past.

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.I know, I know, some of you are thinking that these guys are losers, but that's where you'd be wrong. On the positive side, it is hard not to sympathise with Hession for wanting to create a kinder, gentler world, and characters like his two leads are pretty rare in literature, if all too common in real life - many of the situations they face were very familiar. Bücher, bei denen du bereits auf den ersten Seiten merkst, dass sie einen Ton treffen, den dein Herz gebraucht hat, eine Harmonie, die es auffängt.