Duffy and Son

By: Damien Owens

Narrated by: Gerry O’Brien

A heart-warming and hilarious novel about life, love, and the weight of all we leave unsaid, Duffy & Son is a quietly moving masterpiece from one of Ireland’s most gifted comic writers.

Eugene Duffy is turning 70; his son Jim is turning 40.

For decades now, they’ve been running the family hardware shop and living in good-natured bachelor harmony. But time is marching on, and with thoughts of old age weighing heavily on his mind, Eugene is growing increasingly concerned about his son’s future.

He resolves to help in the best way possible: by finding Jim a wife. And he’s not going to let anyone – let alone Jim himself – stand in his way.

Reminiscent of Fredrik Backman’s bestselling novel A Man Called Ove, Duffy and Son contains a likeable but curmudgeonly main character, wry humour, tremendous heart, as well as a strong sense of community. It is a funny and heartwarming novel which celebrates the messiness of ordinary lives and would make a perfect reading group choice.

©2022 Damien Owens (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

‘Funny, sweet, charming and just a little bit heart-breaking’ – Dara O’Briain

‘Immensely enjoyable … By turn, hilarious and heartbreaking, we rarely hear the perspective of the ageing working class man worrying about his bachelor son and I think that’s why it was such a refreshing read … It’s such a tender, warmhearted portrait of a man who has always thought he’d done his best and is now suddenly faced with the notion that he might have failed. Skilfully drawn characters jump to life and the storytelling is enormously entertaining … a universal story, told in a uniquely Irish way.’ – Liz Nugent

Loved it!

Heart warming and so Irish. And very well narrated. A really lovely listen, thank you.

A heartwarming tale

It’s a heartwarming story of parental love for your children, and what you’ll do to help them out. If you like, Irish stories and Irish accents. This is a good one got a few funny moments. However it’s not hilarious It’s more amusing. Probably funnier if you’re Irish, and understand the humor.
Nothing much happens it’s just a slice of someone’s life . But I liked it abd listen to the whole thing in about a day on a drive,

Disappointing

The summary tries too hard to sell the book.This book is neither "hilarious and heart warming" nor "reminiscent of A Man Called Ove", as the summary claims. There are a few light laughs but that is it. I definitely would not describe it as a "quietly moving masterpiece".

The book is boring, nothing much happens. The blurb led me to believe the story would focus on the son's search for a wife. The story is more about the father's past regrets and mistakes than the son's quest for love.

The son is a very one dimensional character, we don't know much about him. The son ultimately finds his match on his own, but it happens behind the scenes. It is pretty easy for the listener to determine the identity of the secret romantic interest before the big reveal.

It is a tiresome book, and I couldn't wait for it to be over. I had high hopes for this one, but it ultimately fell flat.