They’re awkward and often overthink what they should say, resulting in their saying nothing (or, worse, saying the wrong thing). In any other book the run up to the contest and its outcome would be the driving plot, the result would be the resolution for both narrative and characters. The quiet, unobtrusive and meaning-filled book is the story of two friends – Leonard and Hungry Paul – both quiet 30-ish year old men living quiet, unobtrusive but still meaning-filled lives, still based in their childhood homes. They each live at home, they play board games, take satisfaction in their work, like to read, and are, in general, nice. Hungry Paul is pretty quiet, maybe not getting on with his life as others would like, but happy in his own skin.

Leonard to his best buddy Hungry Paul, while playing a game of Yahtzee and mulling over the meaning of life. When the drip was done, I carried her to the park, put her down, and not even the amplified bass rehearsing on the Great Lawn for tonight’s concert could jar our peace. It’s Bianca’s fab review that caught my eye, so thank you to her for shining a light on this little beauty.

Stattdessen gibt es tiefe Freundschaft, familiären Zusammenhalt, den Zufall mit seinen wundersamen Zaubereien und eine der zärtlichsten Annäherungen, die ich seit langem gelesen habe! Leonard is now alone following the death of his mother and trying to cope with the grief and that is so much worse when you are alone.

He has befriended a Mrs Hawthorn, an elderly lady at the local hospital where he and his Mum are volunteers. It is funny throughout, though in a much gentler way than this suggests, and engaging; I enjoyed the read and cared about the characters. The writing is sharp, witty, observant, the humour is wry and I found myself giggling and smiling often. He voices the risks and fears encountered when two strangers tentatively open up to each other – their expectations and the likelihood of misinterpretations. I enjoyed it immensely, bidding farewell to our two friends with great reluctance, so it’s probably for the best that having come to it so late, I’m actually just in time for Hession’s next book – and, judging by the fact that the publisher had to reprint Panenka before it even came out, it’s safe to say that this one is also set to do well.And there were many genuinely well-observed passages written about Leonard or Paul but there were just too many excursions into farcical unreality so I found it a bit disappointing. This is a novel where people are allowed to be themselves without fear of being left behind, and it’s a refreshing change. 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. Any conflict, such as it is, is handled with such loving, gentle truth, as Hession puts it towards the end, that even when any occurs it is smoothed over with barely a ripple.