#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER AND THE PERFECT HOLIDAY GIFT A Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick“Beautifully written and incredibly funny, Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine is about the importance of friendship and human connection. I fell in love with Eleanor, an eccentric and regimented loner whose life beautifully unfolds after a chance encounter with a stranger; I think you will fall in love, … stranger; I think you will fall in love, too!” —Reese Witherspoon
No one’s ever told Eleanor that life should be better than fine.
Meet Eleanor Oliphant: She struggles with appropriate social skills and tends to say exactly what she’s thinking. Nothing is missing in her carefully timetabled life of avoiding social interactions, where weekends are punctuated by frozen pizza, vodka, and phone chats with Mummy.
But everything changes when Eleanor meets Raymond, the bumbling and deeply unhygienic IT guy from her office. When she and Raymond together save Sammy, an elderly gentleman who has fallen on the sidewalk, the three become the kinds of friends who rescue one another from the lives of isolation they have each been living. And it is Raymond’s big heart that will ultimately help Eleanor find the way to repair her own profoundly damaged one.
Soon to be a major motion picture produced by Reese Witherspoon, Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine is the smart, warm, and uplifting story of an out-of-the-ordinary heroine whose deadpan weirdness and unconscious wit make for an irresistible journey as she realizes. . .
The only way to survive is to open your heart.
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I loved this book. The focus is on loneliness, but this is due to her past. Her past is interweaved as she carries on day to day.
She makes a friend, and he helps her out of her loneliness and help her in social situations. They soon become quite close, when she fails at the task she has given herself, he is there and helps her out and provides essential support.
As she goes for counselling, her past becomes more and more evident.
A beautiful read, fantastic characters, and how her past has effected her, and she overcomes it.
I loved the book, sad story which has a lovely ending.
One of my all time favorites!!! I was saddened to finish the book because I knew I’d miss Elinor. There has to be a sequel so we can experience more of Elinor’s life with her! Such a beautifully developed character, as are all the other supporting roles. I’d read it again & again!!
Distinctive, deep and rich, this memorable book focuses on the ability one human can have on the life of another — for good or ill.
Eleanor is a quirky 30 year old with a steady job and her own apartment. But she seems emotionally stuck in her pre-teen years. She has her own unique way of looking at the world that does NOT include a gift for reading the social cues of others. Consequently, she lives the life of an outsider.
Through a chance encounter alongside Raymond, the Information Technology person at her company, Eleanor winds up helping an elderly man (Sam) facing a health crisis and begins experiencing a series of life changing events.
It’s Eleanor’s unique take on the world that makes this book such a joy to read. She is VERY funny, even though she doesn’t often intend to be. I wound up reading a few passages aloud to my husband because they made me laugh.
The book gets increasingly more serious as it unfolds. Some of the themes explored are loneliness, love, friendship, motherhood, foster care and child abuse. But in the end, all is well. And readers find out that there’s nothing bad that a good friend and a good therapist can’t make better.
A book you can’t put down.
We all know the person who blends into the background. This is a story about loneliness and a young woman’s struggle to find acceptance.
This book made me laugh out loud, and tugged at my heart!
I love this book! It took me a bit to get into it, but by the end I did not want it to end. I wanted to keep reading about these people. This was my favorite book of the year.
This is a heart warming read about an eccentric loner whose life changes when she and an equally socially awkward IT guy from her office rescue an old man who has fallen on the street. It’s both a tragic and witty novel, which I very much enjoyed.
The best book I’ve read in a long time! Intelligent, witty, charming and yet poignant all at the same time. You will cheer for Eleanor from the beginning. You will get deeply involved in her story–character driven, a bit a mystery, great plot–who could ask for more?
This is one of the most moving and enjoyable books I have read in a long time. The titular protagonist is an original and poignant character – funny, endearing and irritating in turns, and though it’s not stated, shows signs of being on the autism spectrum.
There were some laugh out loud moments, along with the sad, but it never becomes maudlin, and it ends on an optimistic note. Highly recommended.
A real feel good read! Great ending and very likable witty main character.
Very well-written book with wonderful character development. Eleanor’s personal journey is very realistic. The book depicts the endeavors of dealing with psychological trauma very well. It’s funny and heart-warming. It’s unlike any other book I have read.
First let me say it’s been a couple days since I finished this book and it still haunts me. The characters are well drawn and the story is both heart wrenching and beautifully written. Eleanor is both a tragic character and one of the wittiest I have ever read. I was literally laughing and crying throughout. The subtext of how we are affected by our mothers is the haunting part of the book. Starts you to realize your own commonalities with this piteous character. 5 star recommended
This book was truly a page turner for me. The character development was unique as the author allowed the story to unfold through quirky Elenor’s voice. Her thoughts and comments to others often served up a curious clue to Elenor’s secretive past. I loved this book.
You can’t help but fall in love with the very flawed main character. Definitely couldn’t put it down and it keeps you guessing til the end.
I received this book a while ago, read a bit, but then put it down. I picked it up again and this time couldn’t stop reading. Eleanor and her quirky ways are a delight and the author has an excellent way with words. Her humor made me laugh out loud more than once. The book is touching, courageous, and meaningful. Eleanor and her naivete will stick with you for a long time after you finish it. I just hope the author will come up with a sequel or a continuation of Eleanor Oliphant, because I for one, want more of her.
Eleanor Oliphant is a quirky, unique and intriguing character. I liked her development throughout the book.
At first, just reminded me of a noir comedy but has a serious undertone that develops with the story. Very good book
This book is simply wonderful…