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More than 300,000 copies of Rónán Hession’s debut novel, Leonard and Hungry Paul, published in 2019, have been sold worldwide; the BBC adapted the novel into a series last year. And that’s for a book that seemingly isn’t *about* anything, at least not in the traditional sense. The novel has only recently been translated into Dutch, signaling a growing international interest in its understated charm.
The story centers on Leonard and ‘Hungry Paul,’ the central characters, two calm, socially awkward men in their thirties who have never left their childhood home in a quiet town. Leonard works as a ghostwriter for children’s encyclopedias, while Hungry Paul is a part-time mail carrier. Their evenings are consistently spent playing board games. But their friendship, as described in the novel, isn’t simply a matter of convenience for two solitary men with limited options. It’s “a pact. A pact to continue resisting the maelstrom of fuss and clumsiness that characterized the rest of the world.”
The enduring popularity of both the novel and the recent BBC adaptation, starring Alex Lawther and Laurie Kynaston, likely stems from a shared desire for that particularly pact. In a world often defined by chaos and complexity, Leonard and Hungry Paul offers a refuge – a story where nothing dramatic happens, where there’s no violence, threat, or hardship. It’s a gentle narrative that doesn’t rely on sensationalism, but rather on the subtle nuances of everyday life. The series, narrated by Julia Roberts, premiered on October 17, 2025, on RTÉ and BBC Northern Ireland, further amplifying the story’s reach.
Hession excels at character development. He captures the small, often overlooked details that make people relatable. For example, describing two people signing up for a badminton class, he writes: “He was a beginner who had enrolled with the advanced players with the thought: ‘How difficult can it be?’ She had played in her teens and would actually belong with the advanced players, but hadn’t played in so long that she was out of shape and wanted to take it easy.” It’s a microcosm of how differently people approach life.
The author similarly has a knack for observing and articulating telling details. He notes how someone might laugh a sneeze out of their nose on a promising date and quickly cover it with their hand, or how another person might suddenly utter an absurd phrase (“no biggie”) they’d never normally use. Hession provides ample space for amusing asides, such as the observation that “only middle-aged women and gangster rappers” seamlessly alternate and complement each other once they start speaking. Or the puzzling presence of duty-free shops at airports: “How often do people arrive at the airport with arms full of clothes to buy a suitcase on the spot?”
This all reads pleasantly, especially given that the novel has an omniscient narrator, allowing the reader to freely shift perspectives between characters. All the characters develop, albeit subtly. Leonard falls in love; Hungry Paul wins a competition (without necessarily striving to win); his sister, Grace, finally enters into marriage after extensive preparation, feeling both happy and liberated.
Leonard and Hungry Paul certainly offers entertainment, while the Dutch translation, according to one review, isn’t always seamless. The author, however, does occasionally overemphasize the book’s somewhat conventional message: that things will happen as they happen, and life will unfold as it will. Hungry Paul, often perceived as limited, ultimately embodies a certain wisdom. He represents a modern iteration of the “noble savage,” viewing the world as a complex place where humans are both the primary cause and the greatest victims of its problems. He delivers a lengthy plea for living fearlessly in the present moment, a contrast to his typically taciturn nature throughout the rest of the book. This feels somewhat jarring in an otherwise enjoyable read.
The appeal of Hession’s work, and the reason Julia Roberts was drawn to narrate the television adaptation, appears to be its quiet resistance to the noise of modern life. Roberts reportedly became a fan of the book and described it as “magical,” according to the BBC. The author himself received an unexpected email from Roberts’ assistant, confirming her interest in the project, a story he initially dismissed as unbelievable. The producers then reached out to Roberts, and she readily agreed to narrate the series.
The series, and the book that inspired it, offer a gentle reminder that meaning can be found in the mundane, and that genuine connection doesn’t require grand gestures or dramatic events. It’s a story about finding solace in friendship, accepting imperfection, and embracing the quiet beauty of ordinary life.
What’s next for fans of the story? The six-episode series concluded its run on RTÉ and BBC Northern Ireland, leaving viewers to contemplate the enduring power of a simple pact to resist the “fuss and clumsiness” of the world. The novel continues to identify new readers globally, and discussions about a potential second season of the television adaptation are ongoing.
If you’re looking for a story that offers a respite from the relentless pace of modern life, Leonard and Hungry Paul might just be the book – or series – you need.
Worth a look
