TV Pick of the Week: Leonard and Hungry Paul - review by Yvette Huddleston

Leonard and Hungry Paul was Hession’s debut novel and was published in 2019 by Hebden Bridge-based independent publisher Bluemoose Books. It very quickly became a word-of-mouth bestseller and has since gone on to sell 350,000 copies worldwide and has been translated into nine languages. The book’s appeal has been successfully incorporated into this excellent BBC/RTE co-production scripted by Richie Conroy and Mark Hodkinson – it is full of warmth, humour and wisdom.

Leonard (Alex Lawther) and Hungry Paul (Laurie Kynaston), both in their early 30s, have been friends and neighbours since childhood in the suburbs of Dublin. Leonard, a ghost writer of children’s encyclopaedias lives with his widowed mother and Hungry Paul, a part-time postman, with his retired teacher parents Helen (Helen Behan) and Peter (Lorcan Cranitch). Both slightly socially awkward, the two friends meet every week to play boardgames – sometimes sharing confidences, often in companionable silence; it is an important part of their routine and a habit in which they both find much solace, helping them to navigate the ever-growing complexities of the modern world.

Then when Leonard’s beloved mother dies suddenly, he feels a bit cast adrift until a lively new colleague appears in the office – Shelley (Jamie-Lee O’Donnell from Derry Girls) – who could herald potential romance. Her presence certainly inspires in Leonard a feeling like he would like to expand his universe a little. Meanwhile Hungry Paul’s instinctive wisdom and aptitude for sitting quietly could finally get the recognition it deserves – and change people’s lives at the same time. Not a great deal happens – aside from the preparations for the wedding of Hungry Paul’s sister Grace (Niamh Branigan) – but that isn’t the point. This is about human connection, love, finding your purpose, seizing the day and appreciating the simple things in life.

Having a Hollywood superstar as narrator might initially seem an odd fit for such an understated work that celebrates ordinariness and the value of the mundane, but actually Julia Roberts (an early fan of the novel) conveys the story’s sweet quirkiness with ease and charm. It helps too that the narration is used sparingly. If you are in need of some positivity to counter the current troubles of the world, this uplifting celebration of friendship, family, decency and everyday kindness is the perfect balm.