Access a growing selection of included Audible Originals, audiobooks, and podcasts.
You will get an email reminder before your trial ends.
Audible Plus auto-renews for $7.95/mo after 30 days. Upgrade or cancel anytime.
Fatty O'Leary's Dinner Party  By  cover art

Fatty O'Leary's Dinner Party

By: Alexander McCall Smith
Narrated by: Steven Crossley
Try for $0.00

$7.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $10.02

Buy for $10.02

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

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

What listeners say about Fatty O'Leary's Dinner Party

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    17
  • 4 Stars
    17
  • 3 Stars
    4
  • 2 Stars
    7
  • 1 Stars
    7
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    21
  • 4 Stars
    13
  • 3 Stars
    7
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    3
Story
  • 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    14
  • 4 Stars
    13
  • 3 Stars
    5
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    9

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

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.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

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.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Almost deserving of the Turner Prize

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

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

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.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Not up to par

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.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful