Leonard and Hungry Paul

Amazingly I’ve had a copy of Leonard and Hungry Paul sat on my bookshelf for ages, I’ve always loved the premise of it, but for one reason or another I never quite made it past chapter one though I loved the voice in it.

I picked it up again recently and a book more suited to the period I couldn’t dream of.

A period in the lives of Leonard and Hungry Paul is explored with tenderness and understanding, their pasts are explored to help explain their presents and we are treated to two initially similar people but whose internal lives are very different.

Both are going through periods of change, in the case of Leonard his mother has died and Hungry Paul’s sister is about to get married. Both have to deal with these changes and both deal with them in their fashion.

I could really see a lot of myself in Leonard with his inner monologues and doubts, and I’m sure so many others will see themselves there as well.

Hungry Paul copes in a brilliantly different way, with great depth and a clarity of thought which surprises.

I was enchanted with the writing and the characters and there was a thought which stunned me, and stopped me in my tracks

“Solitude and peace lose their specialness when they no longer stand in contrast to anything.”

this to me explained my own feelings about what is happening to me during the lockdown, I’m usually a solitary person, not anti-social but I’m happy in my own company. This has changed during this period as I have no choices, I can’t go out and sit in a cafe and listen to people, I can’t say hello to regular customers and pet their dogs. It is all solitude and peace now.

I was so happy to read this book at this time, it has made a special place in my heart and will always be a book I can return to for comfort and solace.