Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine

Just like it says in the title of the book, Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine....well she thinks she is. She is honestly not worried that she may be missing out on anything. She is content with her life. Eleanor is a little bit....odd. She's very intelligent and well-spoken with impeccable grammar (thanks to Mummy) but she lacks the ability to filter what she says and therefore she will tell you exactly what she's thinking. This can lead to very awkward situations. Eleanor is comfortable with her routines. She's worked at the same job for nine years. She starts work at 8:30, at lunch she buys a newspaper which she reads from cover to cover and then does the crossword. She finishes out her day, leaving work at 5:30. Eleanor listens to the Archers as she makes a simple dinner (usually pasta and salad - one pan one plate), watches TV or reads for a little while then off to bed at ten. Her weekday routine only changes on Wednesday when she talks with "Mummy" for ten minutes. Weekends are a bit different. After work Friday she picks up pizza, wine and two big bottles of Vodka for the weekend. She drinks the vodka over the weekend.....in a state where she's neither drunk nor sober, waiting for Monday to come. No one comes over and she doesn't go anywhere to visit. She sometimes wonders if she's a figment of her own imagination. But she's fine with it. She's fine. There's nothing missing, she doesn't need anyone else. Well that was what she told herself. But then it happens... "He was light and heat. He blazed. Everything he came into contact with would be changed. I sat forward on my seat, edged closer. At last. I found him" Now Eleanor is on a mission. First she decides a make-over is in order....and where she starts is both shocking and hilarious. I really want to write about what happened but I think I would spoil a very funny moment for many readers. Things don't go exactly as planned. When her computer at work stops working she meets Raymond from IT. An easy-going guy, Raymond is intrigued by Eleanor, but she's just not interested. She's busy trying to re-create herself for the man of her dreams. But after work one day Eleanor and Raymond come across a man who has fallen on the sidewalk. Together they help the man, Sammy and so begins a friendship along with the start of many changes in Eleanor's life. The story is told from Eleanor's point of view. We go along for the ride as she navigates her way through her life, learning to stand up for herself. But it won't be easy. Secrets and memories that have been tucked away for many years can be painful to remember. When you have trouble with social skills I can see how it would be easier to refrain from situations where things could go wrong so fast..... It would be easier being alone. As I mentioned there are many funny moments throughout the book. I really like how the author wrote these parts. I never felt like I was laughing AT Eleanor but at the things she said or the situations she ended up in. However, there are also many sad and painful moments. Times where I felt terrible for Eleanor. Some of the funniest parts came out of nowhere - the phone doesn't ring often but if telemarketers call Eleanor whispers "I know where you live" and hangs up. Often it was what she would be saying to herself that was funny. An incredible read that had me bouncing from one emotion to the next. The author did a tremendous job bringing these wonderfully unique characters to life. It's hard to believe this is the author's debut novel. There are so many words that can be used to describe this novel - hilarious , unique, heartwarming, heartbreaking, charming, hopeful, inspiring, and COMPLETELY unforgettable.

An outstanding debut by Gail Honeyman. There is something about this book which makes you feel deeply. It’s an easy, touching and engaging read. Eleanor Oliphant, a 30-year female is a survivor. She works in an office, follows a set routine for weekdays and weekend too. Monday to Friday she is on time for her work, has lunch alone and reads the newspaper and solves crosswords. Friday’s she buys Margherita pizza, wine and vodka. The booze spreads through the weekend so that she is neither drunk nor sober. She is well-read and well mannered but doesn’t seem to fit in this society. She is lonely in this world and many situations expressed by the author from her viewpoint moves you deeply. Like she doesn’t speak from the point at which she says her destination to the bus driver on Friday night, right through until she greets his colleague on Monday morning. We are busy with our lives that we don’t realize that such people do exist. We may think, but such people do indeed exist. She thoroughly researches all activities before pursuing them. She is neither close to someone nor she hangs out socially. The author has wonderfully described her first experiences of many things like bikini wax, manicure, fast food restaurant, getting shampooed, dancing etc. Her relationship with Raymond (nothing romantic here) has been beautifully described. Eleanor meets new people and feels the warmth around them. It’s overwhelming but pleasant for her. As she doesn’t hang around with people she is completely natural (not diplomatic), sometimes weird and deadly honest. Her thoughts are sometimes humorous and sometimes silly. She thinks Bobbi Brown is a female, who works at the store. It’s moving how things that are considered normal doesn’t cross someone’s mind e.g. job change, moving to another city, etc. Eleanor had never walked hand in hand with someone; no one had ever rubbed her tired shoulders or stroked her face. There are times when she felt she would die of loneliness. A paragraph I would like to quote, “ These days, loneliness is the new cancer – a shameful, embarrassing thing, brought upon yourself in some obscure way. A fearful, incurable thing, so horrifying that you dare not mention it; other people don’t want to hear the word spoken aloud for fear that they might too be afflicted, or that it might tempt fate into visiting a similar horror upon them.” Read this page-turning book to find out more about Eleanor and life from an angle of a person who is in loneliness. For me this book is unforgettable, unmissable, powerful, deeply moving with perfect combination of humor and sadness. I would rate this book 4.5/5. Happy reading!

beautifully written read with unexpected layers. Eleanor’s dry, quirky humour keeps you smiling throughout, and just when you settle into her routine, the story takes a twist you truly don’t see coming. A touching mix of wit, warmth and surprise — absolutely worth reading.

Eleanor Oliphant is an accounting clerk who works all week, stays at home every Friday night enjoying her supermarket pizza and vodka, and wait for Monday to come. She’s fine keeping her distance from the people around her until she finds her “soulmate” and at the same time, forms an unlikely friendship with one of her colleagues. Eleanor is a fascinating and definitely a very memorable character. This book is written in her perspective which I really loved. We get to see what she sees and know what she thinks. She can be off-putting at times but still very relatable and realistic. I loved her humor and honesty. Her relationship with Raymond was so sweet and enjoyable to read. The author’s writing is compelling and beautiful. I can’t believe that this is her debut novel. This book is sad and painful to read at times but the author still managed to tell Eleanor’s story in a lighter way (if that makes sense). There’s also a mystery surrounding Eleanor’s past which is slowly revealed throughout the book. I appreciated how the author handled mental health issues in this book. It’s raw and very moving. I know that this book is not for everyone because you might love or hate Eleanor. But I’m pretty sure that you can relate to her in some ways. This book is about loneliness, unspoken sadness, friendship, and kindness.

A beautiful story about trauma, self discovery, and love.

It's a wonderful, funny read! It brings out the best and the worst in humans. I enjoyed every page.

Não é fácil definir resenhar este livro. Antes de começar a ler, esperava que ele fosse completamente diferente, que fosse mais leve, mais engraçado, menos pesado. A verdade é que ele é muito triste desde o começo. Essa é a melhor palavra para ele, triste. Até mesmo quando parece que a protagonista não percebe o quanto sua situação é triste, o leitor percebe. Antes mesmo de saber tudo que aconteceu, isso já fica claro. A solidão de Eleanor é palpável e dolorosa. Apesar de não ser um livro alegre, tem algumas partes divertidas, sim. Ver o atrito que o jeito literal e de falar tudo que pensa da Eleanor causa em situações que, para a gente, são bastante simples e comuns é engraçado! Tem partes fofas também, personagens amáveis, como o Sammy, o Raymond e a mãe dele, mas também tem aquelas ainda mais tristes que vão te fazer chorar. Passei o livro todo com vontade de abraçar Eleanor e nunca mais soltar. Ela é preciosa demais para sofrer tanto sem ao menos perceber. A narrativa é bem dentro de sua cabeça, e acho válido mencionar isso, porque tem bastante gente que se incomoda quando o livro não tem tantos diálogos e é mais um monólogo. Eu, particularmente, achei perfeito. A autora é muito boa, deu as informações na medida e parece entender tão, mas tão bem a cabeça da Eleanor, que é até um pouco assustador. E a Eleanor é tão real e única, que é difícil não acreditar que ela existe de verdade. Ela é única mesmo, com sua mentalidade literal, seu jeito direto de falar tudo que vem à cabeça e sua falta de tato em situações sociais, a ponto de beirar o autismo. Mas ela é tão maravilhosa também, não merecia nunca ter que passar pelo que passou, e eu só queria poder protegê-la do mundo. Eleanor Oliphant é definitivamente uma personagem marcante! Fico bem feliz de que a autora não tenha transformado esse livro em um romance, porque ele é sobre Eleanor e sua solidão, suas causas, consequências e solução, e transformar um romance em solução milagrosa tiraria toda a credibilidade e o valor da luta dela. Mas confesso que amo o Raymond e, na minha cabeça, eles ficam juntos no final. Também achei ótimo a autora não ter "curado" Eleanor magicamente, primeiro, porque não seria muito realista, mas principalmente porque o jeito dela não era o problema. Ela definitivamente não precisava mudar de personalidade ou fingir ser como os outros. Ela é o suficiente exatamente como é. E foi só agora, enquanto escrevia sobre este livro que percebi que ele já faz parte da minha lista de favoritos. Ele é marcante, doloroso e emocionante. Se você não se sentir tocado pela história da Eleanor, precisa de um pouco mais de compaixão na sua vida. Eleanor Oliphant marcou a minha, e eu vou fazer questão de dar este livro de presente para muita gente, porque ela precisa marcar a vida de todo mundo!

First 50 pages was hard to convince me to keep going, but after that, I loved it! It suddenly picks up and becomes a great read.