Fatty O'Leary's Dinner Party Audiobook By Alexander McCall Smith cover art

Fatty O'Leary's Dinner Party

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Fatty O'Leary's Dinner Party

By: Alexander McCall Smith
Narrated by: Steven Crossley
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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 Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Literature & Fiction Satire Comedy
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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.

Funny enjoyable

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

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

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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.

Everyone's Dinner Party

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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.

Dissapointing

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With the exception of Bertie Pollack's mother, all of AMcS's characters engage. Not these. Sorry.

Almost deserving of the Turner Prize

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This story dragged on, wandered about and wasn’t up to Smith’s usual fabulous entertainment. Surprising, really.

Not His Best

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I read all of AMS's novels set in England and Scotland. This one is not since it is an American couple visiting Ireland and I should have stayed with England and Scotland. Not good in any way. Wish I hadn't wasted a credit but I did finish it for some reason.

Not up to par

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I didn't care for any of the characters in this book, except possibly Betty, Fatty's wife. Most of the people Fatty met in Ireland were either snobby or dishonest and conniving. Fatty himself seemed clueless and entitled. It was disappointing because I'm a staunch fan of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series, and I also loved La's Orchestra Saves The World and the Corduroy Mansions series. At least I didn't have to buy this one, as it was a freebie from Audible.

Not McCall Smith's Best

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