Fatty O'Leary's Dinner Party

By: Alexander McCall Smith

Narrated by: Steven Crossley

An all-new, never-before-published original short novel by the best-selling author of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, about a hapless American tourist's larger-than-life comical trip to Ireland. Shortlisted for the 2015 Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse prize for comic fiction.

Cornelius P. "Fatty" O'Leary and his wife, Betty, plan a vacation in Ireland for his 40th birthday, where they will tour his ancestral homeland and relax in the countryside. Almost immediately things go terribly wrong: the seats in economy class on the plane are too small; the country hotel's dinner spread and bathroom fixtures leave much to be desired; and the down-to-earth O'Learys find their fellow guests are more than a little snobbish. In this amusing and touching portrayal of a kindly, misunderstood soul, McCall Smith has created yet another memorable character who will become an instant favorite to his many fans.

©2014 Alexander McCall Smith (P)2014 W.F. Howes

Funny enjoyable

This story was just the right length had the Alexander McCall humor. It Made me laugh out loud many times. It was a good book. Definitely worth a listen thank you.

This book made you laugh and feel happy. The book was very original. I loved how OLeary told off the doctor in the weight contro

Alexander McCall Smith as very skillful writer. It is amazing how he can write books about so many type of characters.

Everyone's Dinner Party

If you could sum up Fatty O'Leary's Dinner Party in three words, what would they be?

funny, clever, sympathetic

What did you like best about this story?

I loved the interactions between the characters and how all of them experienced their own sense of misguidedness (if that is a real word).

What does Steven Crossley bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The narrator was excellent! He did a wonderful job portraying Irish and Arkansas accents, as well as having just the right about subtlety and nuance in his voice to highlight the ridiculousness of a situation.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I was moved by the many moments when Fatty expressed his sincere incredulity at the situation as well as Betty's steadfast support of him, regardless of the fiasco.

Dissapointing

What would have made Fatty O'Leary's Dinner Party better?

I generally love Mr. Smith's books. The humor is subtle yet his books are thought provoking. I felt that this one lacked any of the usual qualities that draw me to his books.

This book is terrible

What has happened to AMS? This is the most pitiful excuse for a book I have ever heard. No redeeming value on any level!