Fatty O’Leary’s Dinner Party by Alexander McCall Smith

 Fatty O'Leary's Dinner Party cover

Fatty O’Leary’s Dinner Party by Alexander McCall Smith is a very quick read at just 174 pages of fairly big print, so it’s ideal for taking with you to the beach (if you’re that way inclined, I’m not) or to a hospital appointment or bus trip, as it’s not something you have to concentrate on, it’s a piece of light entertainment.

Fatty O’Leary lives in Arkansas with his wife Betty, they’re very happy, were childhood sweethearts and can honestly say that they never argue. They’re really very contented, but Betty wants to surprise Fatty with a birthday present of tickets to Ireland to visit his roots. It’ll be the trip of a lifetime for them.

Unfortunately things go badly for Fatty from the very beginning when their flight has been overbooked and they are looking for someone to volunteer to miss the flight and go on a later one. When no volunteer comes forward it’s suggested that Fatty should be bounced off the flight due to him being rather overweight. Poor Fatty, he’s mortified and when he does get to Ireland he discovers that his case is missing so he has no clothes and he can’t find anything to fit him in Ireland.

The whole thing is a complete disaster with Fatty and Betty left feeling they have been very poorly treated by the Irish as they suffer one indignity after another and so they opt to go home early.

This has some hilarious situations in it, it’s a bit of a hoot in a completely silly way and although on the surface it might be viewed as being ‘fattist’ it isn’t really and eventually has a happy ending.

I had a cheeky wee keek at Goodreads to see what other people thought of this book and I think it really depends on how much of a sense of humour folks have. It is supposed to be very tongue in cheek I’m sure but the negative comments made me laugh almost as much as the book did. One reader said that – as Fatty was an antique dealer he couldn’t be that stupid as they were sure you had to have qualifications for that job. Really! Well it made me laugh my socks off.

This one counts towards the Read Scotland 2016 Challenge.

I am left wondering how Alexander McCall Smith finds the time to write so many books, maybe he has managed to clone himself!

2 thoughts on “Fatty O’Leary’s Dinner Party by Alexander McCall Smith

  1. What a coincidence – I was thinking of Alexander McCall Smith and his books just yesterday. I’ve only read a few – I was working through the Sunday Philosophers’ Club. Your Edinburgh post put me in mind of the city and that led to me remembering the books. He does write so many books! I’d never heard of this one and I’m sure there are many others that I don’t know either. Glad this book raised a chuckle!

    • Sandra,
      I’ve just read one of the Sunday Philosophers’ Club books but have read all of the Scotland Street series and the two Corduroy Mansions books which are set in London. You should give the Scotland Street series a go.

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