#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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One of my favorites!
Much in the vein of Bridget Jones’ Diary, this story is a fun look at the life of a quirky, single, British woman seeking love. Totally engaging and laugh-out-loud funny. I recommend!
I doubt I would have chosen this book on my own but our book club picked it to read. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Eleanor is an intriguing character who you get to know layer by layer, page by page. Her quest for love is tragically funny and as the secrets that haunt her are slowly revealed you will fall in love with her quirky character even more.
Eleanor is a surprisingly unique, funny/sad, memorable character. One of those you want to be friends with. Great debut novel! I am looking forward to Gail Honeyman’s next books.
Gail, I am sooooooo proud of you! Thank you for writing this book and sharing it with the world:) I love, love, loved this book! Your writing and the characters and plot line, and dialogues and setting and…..well everything about it! Even though I read it weeks ago, I am still thinking about Eleanor, (I never thought I’d have so much in common with someone so uncommon!) This book will stay with me and in my heart as one of my all time favorites. Thank you Gail!
Could I add a few more stars? I loved this book, and when I’d finished reading it the first time, I read it again. It was uncomfortable (I cringed at some of the things Eleanor said and did) and sweet and sad and hopeful in surprising ways.
I cannot say enough good things about this book. Great book. Just a wonderful!!!
Eleanor Oliphant is eccentric, perceptive, socially awkward and thoroughly engaging. Her journey to self-knowledge is funny but also deeply troubling; my heart ached for her even as I enjoyed her witty observations of our social norms. Don’t be surprised to find yourself rooting for Eleanor all the way.
… An impressive debut novel, bravo!
The best book I’ve read in ages – quirky, hilarious and deeply moving. Eleanor Oliphant is a heroine for our times, reflecting our crazy world through the lens of her honesty and lonely innocence, while she struggles to find a way to survive the mental devastation of trauma.
I’d heard about this book and closed the final page last night. It did not disappoint. What began as a slow boil exploded in the last quarter of the book and I was unable to put it down.
Eleanor is a thirty-year-old woman who lives on the fringe of society. She is a creature of habit, working at an office during the week, doing cross words, eating pizza and drinking vodka on the weekend by herself in her tiny flat. She cocoons herself away and you know there is something not quite right. She’s never known the warm touch of love and wonders what it might be like. Her observations of the world around her are comical, sad and poignant. What social interactions she has, is extremely awkward and naïve until she meets Raymond who works at the same company and takes the time to try to understand her.
To reveal too much would spoil it, but this novel is a study on loneliness and isolation which we often associate with the elderly, not someone of this age. Eleanor’s awkwardness and naiveté makes for some very funny moments. If you think the story sounds a bit morbid, it isn’t. Eleanor
is a survivor and to watch her grow is glorious. The author cleverly hints about her childhood and builds on it until the explosive reveal toward the end, when we discover why Eleanor is the way she is.
It’s memorable and heart-warming. I really enjoyed it.
“Jane Eyre. A strange child, difficult to love. A lonely only child. She’s left to deal with so much pain at such a young age – the aftermath of death, the absence of love. It’s Mr. Rochester who gets burned in the end. I know how that feels. All of it.”
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine is quite a sad book hidden behind a blanket of quirkiness and humor. Debut author Gail Honeyman has written Eleanor Oliphant as a memorable character that many readers won’t soon forget. I know I won’t. She’s awkward, literal, practical, witty, lonely, damaged…but above all, she’s a survivor. Read Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and meet this sweetie-pie. I will be re-reading it again soon
My favorite quote:
“In the end, what matters is this: I survived.”
Wow! What a great read. Highly recommend. The first couple of tasks for a novelist when starting a book (among others) is to first establish the Fictive Dream and second endear the reader to the character. This author starts the book out with the character telling us how mundane her life is. Yikes. What a huge risk. But the voice of the character is so superb, the voice actually picks the story up on its back and carries it for the length of the book. This is not an easy task. I loved the voice. What the author also does so well is relate to the reader (this is what Stephan King does so well, his trademark that allows him to draw readers from across all genres), the reader can relate to similar instances where he/she has witnessed someone socially challenged trying to navigate a difficult world. I was stunned at the craft level, how the author could make me laugh at comments or situations that were both sad and at the same time humorous. In A Man Called Ov the author was able to do something similar.
In the story, Raymond’s character is a peach of a guy the way he carries his love of Eleanor and for the way he keeps coming back time and again after he’s been socially dismissed. The story Arc centers around Eleanor’s love for a rock star who has no idea she even exists. Eleanor’s lack of realty going after her true love is like watching a slow-motion car accident only this accident has five cars and a gasoline truck involved. The waxing scene early on is a hoot.
If you haven’t read this one, drop what you’re doing and pick it up, you won’t be disappointed.
David Putnam author of the Bruno Johnson series.
It took me a bit to get into this story. I listened to the audiobook, so I turned the speed up because I wanted to see if I could get into it without wasting too much time.
The good news — it grabbed my attention. I really enjoyed Eleanor’s view of life and her willingness to confront her struggles. Her attitude is really quite impressive considering her circumstances. I did think the book was a bit predictable, but I grew to care for Eleanor and Raymond, so I stuck with the book. I couldn’t give it five stars because it started slowly and I always prefer a good romantic subplot, but it was still a great book that I will gladly recommend.
If you enjoyed The Rosie Project, you might enjoy this book too.
(I HIGHLY recommend listening to the audiobook — the accents are so fun!)
R-rated for thematic elements, drinking, and language.
It took me a chapter or two to get into this book—Eleanor wasn’t very likable at first—but then I just loved it and couldn’t stop reading! I actually found myself relating to Eleanor after awhile, not because my life was anything at all like hers had been (far, far from it!) but because if someone hadn’t lovingly taken me under their wing and taught me about social behavior, I’d have been just like Eleanor. Sometimes she’d do something and I’d think, “I could see myself doing that!” Her obsession with “the musician” was kind of funny. Her research was hilarious, especially how she would justify everything she did. So good.
Raymond is an all-around good guy. He does some dumb stuff (I’m in agreement with Eleanor on this one: quit smoking, dude!) but he’s just nice. He is good friend and I liked him almost immediately. And his mother is darling as well.
The themes of the book are vast and written into the story very well: loving motherhood, depression and mental illness, judging people before you know them, friendship, getting professional help when you need it, doing kind things just because it’s the right thing to do, social expectations. It’s all very well written.
Note: there is a lot swearing, particularly the f-word and taking the Lord’s name in vain. I’d have been bothered less by it if I hadn’t been listening to the audio book, but even then, its plentiful.
AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Read by Cathleen McCarron. She does a marvelous job with this reading. Her accents are very good (as far as my American ears can tell) and I love the thicker or slight differences for the different characters. It’s a very good reading and makes the book even more delightful.
The book was nothing like the description. I expected a charming, funny, possibly romantic story. Nope. Eleanor is unpleasant, incredibly judgemental. So many scenes and things don’t make sense. There’s no way she went to university but has no understanding of the simplest of things (doesn’t know the difference between a computer, laptop or tablet??). Then it turns out Eleanor is someone who is deeply, deeply traumatized. The story involves child abuse, murder, stalking, domestic abuse, etc.. How this book can be described as “incredibly funny” is beyond me. I can usually finish a book in a matter of a few days (less if it’s really good), but I just couldn’t with this one. I never wanted to pick it up to read. I finally gave up and read a synopsis online. I’m sorry I wasted the time that I did on this book.
Funny, heartwarming, and tragic all at the same time. A good reminder that everyone needs at least one real friend in their life.
Gail Honeyman’s Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine is one of the most captivating novels I’ve read this year.
You know something is amiss with Eleanor right from the start. She applies for a job in Glasgow, Scotland, sporting a black eye, missing teeth, a broken arm, and an old scar on her cheek. Even with these marks of violence, she’s hired for an accounts receivable position, which she does with crisp efficiency. She tends to business and doesn’t involve herself with office gossip. Eleanor keeps to herself. She doesn’t share her life, nor does she show interest in anyone else’s. She follows a strict schedule. On weekends she treats herself to take-out pizza and vodka. Every Wednesday evening she talks to her mother on the telephone, a depressing, insulting conversation that leaves Eleanor depleted. Her only entertainment is working the newspaper’s crossword puzzles.
Eleanor has a problem with her computer at work and asks Raymond, the IT guy, for assistance. Later, he asks her to join him for lunch. It’s nothing Eleanor wants to do, but feels it would be impolite to refuse. On the way, they encounter an old man who has passed out on the street. They stay with him until help arrives. Raymond suggests they visit the old man in the hospital to see how he is doing. Although this is way too much social life for Eleanor, she accepts, seeing the good that it might do the patient. One thing leads to another, and Eleanor accepts another invitation, this time from the man’s family to attend a birthday party. She sees, for the first time, a closely knit family, a family who laughs and accepts one another with love and patience.
Along the way we learn more about Eleanor. She was shuffled from one foster family to another. She loved school—it was her only joy. Slowly, slowly we learn more about her. Or do we?
When a crises occurs, Eleanor’s life is revealed—not only to the reader, but to herself.
I loved this book. Eleanor’s existence is so painful, I ached for her, but I laughed at her preciseness, too. Honeyman does an excellent job of depicting this type of personality and the internal suffering that belies what we first see in individuals who are “different.” I highly recommend Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine.
5 Things I Liked About Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine (and why I have THOUGHTS about the marketing of this one)
1. The main character. Main characters who do not understand how “normal” people interact and are actively trying to work that out are like catnip to me. Let’s don’t think too hard about what this says about my personality.
2. The story progression. Lots of things happen, but they’re all regular things. It’s the person they’re happening to that makes them important.
3. The main character’s positive—if definitely flawed—outlook on all she is and all she has been through.
4. ALL the characters. Once again, this is a book where you’d hang out with everyone involved. They’re all decent people. (Well, with one notable exception who really doesn’t count.) It’s what they’re working through and experiencing, and how, that makes them interesting.
5. The POV. I thought the first person here was incredibly well done. We never once know a single thing that Eleanor doesn’t know, and she knows a fair number of things that we don’t, but in a way that really feels like these are her thoughts and who she is at this moment in her story. It felt smart and right, and yes, sometimes funny. BUT:
Ok, this is where we come to my thoughts on the marketing of this book. The back of the book is all “she’s deadpan weird” and “wacky and charming” and “everything changes when she meets the bumbling IT guy with the big heart!”
Does any of that suggest to you that the book is about a person who was severely abused as a child—or a story where that history really lies at the core of the character’s inner journey?
Let me answer that for you. It doesn’t. And maybe that’s because no one would read it, and that would be sad, because this is STILL a charming and weird book. It’s hopeful and funny and definitely goes in the #booksthatwon’tbumyouout category. And I liked it a lot. But the first time I tried to read it, I put it down, because that was so deeply not what I was expecting. I felt confused, especially because it was like a back-of-the-book conspiracy: NOTHING suggested the real story.
I’m glad I went back to Eleanor Oliphant. But I’m still questioning what went on there—although, it seems to have worked. If you know what to make of that, I want to hear it!
Eleanor is one of those characters who stays with you long after you’ve closed the covers of the book. Very sly.
A great book to read in terms if how to write a best-seller. Clever, well-contrived, funny, poignant and really strong in terms of character and plot. Don’t be put off this book because of it’s success – it’s a really intelligent story and a powerful read.