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Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine

Gail Honeyman

4.27 · Rating details · 789,986 ratings · 67,881 reviews

Librarian's note: An alternative cover edition can be found here

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 unnecessary human contact, where weekends are punctuated by frozen piz ...more

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Hardcover, 336 pages

Published May 9th 2017 by Pamela Dorman Books / Viking

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Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

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May 10, 2017 Deanna rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: highly-recommended, my-favorites, giveaways

My reviews can also be seen at: https://deesradreadsandreviews.wordpr...

ALL THE STARS !!!

I won an advanced copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway. Thank you!

To be honest, I'm not sure if this book would have been on my radar if I hadn't won it. Although the great reviews may have pulled me in. At any rate, I am so happy I read it.

I LOVED THIS BOOK !!

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 ...more

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Jun 26, 2017 Susanne Strong rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, must-read, audiobooks, 2017-five-star-books

5 Stars.
“Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine” but after finishing this novel, I am not.

I was completely unprepared for the life of Eleanor Oliphant and that of her ‘Mummy.” To be frank, I was ill-equipped to deal with it, much like Eleanor. And it wrecked me.

At thirty years-old, Eleanor Oliphant is alone in this world. She always has been, actually. In and out of foster care since she was a little girl, she has never been touched by anyone in a loving way and doesn’t even know what that would 5 Stars.
“Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine” but after finishing this novel, I am not.

I was completely unprepared for the life of Eleanor Oliphant and that of her ‘Mummy.” To be frank, I was ill-equipped to deal with it, much like Eleanor. And it wrecked me.

At thirty years-old, Eleanor Oliphant is alone in this world. She always has been, actually. In and out of foster care since she was a little girl, she has never been touched by anyone in a loving way and doesn’t even know what that would feel like, but that’s ok. All of her physical needs are met, you see and she has never had any emotional needs.

Seeing as she doesn’t have any friends, Eleanor is quiet and socially awkward. Everyone thinks she is fairly strange, if you must to know. Not that she minds since people’s behavior makes absolutely no sense to her. She is good at being alone and she does not feel sorry for herself. Not even when ‘Mummy’ calls and viciously tells her daughter off and berates her for being being “naughty.” Eleanor, however wears a coat of armor and does her best to let her mother’s words bounce off of her.

Eleanor has no aspirations though she has done accounting at an office for the last 9 years. Every day of her life is the same and she would be nothing without routine. One night, all of that changes rather abruptly. After work, she and a coworker named Raymond whom she just met and who happens to be leaving the office at the same time as her, find themselves in the exact right place at the right time. Both Eleanor and Raymond see a man (named Samuel), go down on the sidewalk and they go have a look see and discover that he needs an ambulance. This incident ends up tying the three together and becomes one of the most significant in Eleanor Oliphant’s life. It forges a bond of friendship between them, which is something Eleanor has never experienced before in all her thirty years.

During this time, Eleanor also ends up finding him. The man she has been waiting for all of her life. The man she is meant to be with. Now she just has to get him to notice her. In trying to do so, Eleanor grows bolder and more confident. She also learns to lean on and open herself up to her new friends.

Throughout the book, Eleanor slowly experiences a metamorphosis, one that often makes you smile, laugh and of course, cry. She is damaged and quirky but oh so special. I loved her dearly. For more reasons than one. I identified with Eleanor Oliphant you see, and for that, I was unprepared. I did say that this book wrecked me right?! I get why Eleanor is Completely Fine. She had no choice. Unfortunately, Eleanor’s ‘Mummy’ is someone I recognized fairly well. When I heard her voice (in a Scottish accent) on the audiobook, and the way she spoke to her daughter, my chest got tight and my throat closed up and I sobbed. Unlike Eleanor's “Mummy” however, mine happens to be British instead of Scottish - though the accents are close, thus I therefore guess that listening to the audiobook had an even more profound effect on me. I’ve had similar conversations, in case it wasn’t obvious and I felt Eleanor’s pain more deeply as it related to her ‘Mummy’, for at certain times in my life, it mirrored my own. All that aside however, Eleanor does not go quietly into the dark goodnight (and neither did I, for what it’s worth).

Though it affected me greatly, “Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine” is without a doubt one of the most incredible, profound, and beautifully well written novels I have absorbed in ages. It wrecked me in the best and worst ways possible. In case it’s not obvious, it will stay with me for a long time. I think I came across it on purpose as both Eleanor Oliphant and I needed something from it and I think we were both lucky enough to receive it.

Published on Goodreads and Amazon on 6.26.17. ...more

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Jul 15, 2017 Emily May rated it it was amazing

Shelves: contemporary, 2017

Eleanor Oliphant is completely 100% fine. She goes to her office job five days a week and then treats herself to a frozen pizza and a bottle of vodka on a weekend. She lives alone and doesn't have any friends, but that's okay. She's doing real well, thank you very much.

Except maybe she isn't.

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine caught me completely unawares. I'll be honest - I picked it up because it got some buzz and the author is British, but it actually turned out to be one of those perfectl ...more

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Nov 07, 2018 Miranda Reads rated it really liked it

Shelves: audiobook

Need a good read for a bad day? Here's a Booktube Video all about it!!

The Written Review

If someone asks you how you are, you are meant to say FINE. You are not meant to say that you cried yourself to sleep last night because you hadn't spoken to another person for two consecutive days. FINE is what you say.

Ohhh, I could not wish for a more perfect book.

Eleanor Oliphant is an office manager at a company. She's worked there for years and yet...she's never fit in.

The other girls ...more

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May 14, 2017 Julie rated it it was ok

Shelves: 100-pages-too-long, nobody-talks-like-this, don-t-believe-the-hype

No. No. No. No. No. No.

All apologies to my lovely Goodreads friends who have liked (or loved) this book, but it's not for me.

And it's sad. . . because I wanted it, I waited for it, and I was finally able to start it. It's Mother's Day, and my family handed me bath salts and my new book and told me to go for it. They know I'm just crazy enough to read an entire book in one bath, and I was ready to do it.

And I prepared my bath, and I began reading, and I was (very quickly) almost in physical pain No. No. No. No. No. No.

All apologies to my lovely Goodreads friends who have liked (or loved) this book, but it's not for me.

And it's sad. . . because I wanted it, I waited for it, and I was finally able to start it. It's Mother's Day, and my family handed me bath salts and my new book and told me to go for it. They know I'm just crazy enough to read an entire book in one bath, and I was ready to do it.

And I prepared my bath, and I began reading, and I was (very quickly) almost in physical pain. I don't mean to be rude to the author; I know how hard it is to write a novel and get it published, but this would not have made it past my eyes, if she had handed it to me.

Again, ALL APOLOGIES, but this is Mother's Day, and you have one annoyed mother on your hands. You have ruined my bath, and in doing so, you have released the Kraken!!

MUST the reader be invited in to experience every one of Eleanor's bowel movements and meals? MUST we suffer through every not-interesting-in-the-least observation on life?

And, how must we EVER believe that a woman this bizarre would be able to function in the world and/or experience a friendship or a romance?

According to Eleanor, she has "white contours of scar tissue that slither across my right cheek." Here's where I just about threw the book. Explain. No, seriously. Explain how scar tissue slithers across a face. Do you mean as you are speaking or making funny faces? Did you attend Hogwarts? Are you a Slytherin? Help, please!

Also. . . somehow. . . Eleanor hangs up phones quietly. But, it's 2017, and we all just use that little button now. There's no loud, there's no quiet, there's just that one button. Explain.

Oh, and when she hangs up the phone with her Mummy (choke and gag), "It was only when the air went dead that I noticed I'd been crying."

How does the air go dead? No, I'm not kidding. Please, explain what that sounds like, what it looks like. How does the air go dead?

If you want to read about a WAY more adorable person with Asperger's. . . go find Don Tillman. If you want to read about a WAY more delightful curmudgeon, go find Olive Kitteridge.

I saved myself from drowning by stopping at page 50. ...more

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Apr 15, 2018 Charlotte May rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favourites, illness-mental-terminal, contemporary-recent, crime-mystery-thriller, alcoholism-drugs, tear-jerker

4.5! What an incredible story!

“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.”

Eleanor’s story hit me so much harder than I expected it to. She is thirty years old, has worked at the same job since she left university, speaks on the phone to mummy once a week ...more

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Nov 30, 2020 Kat rated it liked it

I’m really surprised that I (mostly) enjoyed this in the end. The plot itself is a somewhat dull slice of life, but the titular character really picks up the slack. Eleanor Oliphant is a good example of a well-written unlikeable character. She is aloof, judgemental, uncomfortably awkward, and I hated her until I didn’t.

Have some bullet points:
- This is a story about loneliness, which definitely hits hard during the current lockdown/pandemic where many of us are forced to be isolated in one way I’m really surprised that I (mostly) enjoyed this in the end. The plot itself is a somewhat dull slice of life, but the titular character really picks up the slack. Eleanor Oliphant is a good example of a well-written unlikeable character. She is aloof, judgemental, uncomfortably awkward, and I hated her until I didn’t.

Have some bullet points:
- This is a story about loneliness, which definitely hits hard during the current lockdown/pandemic where many of us are forced to be isolated in one way or another. Would I recommend reading it right this second? Depends on if you want to lay awake at 2AM thinking about how few people you've spoken to in person for the past nine months...

- I’m glad there was an emphasis placed on friendship between Eleanor and Raymond, because I was afraid up until the very last second that the author was going to throw in a completely unnecessary romance and ruin their whole thing.

- I'm really all for stories where people get out of their comfort zones & try new things. That's a pretty minor part of everything that happens, but it was fun to read about nonetheless.

- I have some mixed feelings about the way the book shifts tone throughout. The first 35% (or so) operates as a lighthearted, “quirky” contemporary before hurtling headfirst into the heavy shit. There were some elements of Eleanor’s past trauma & present mental health that I felt weren’t handled carefully (it sometimes seemed that Gail Honeyman just wanted to pile it on her character without adequately figuring how to conclude everything correctly, so she just dropped talking about some of the stuff that she didn’t want to deal with writing) (oh also, cw: depression, alcoholism, ptsd, murder of a child, emotional/physical abuse, rape, attempted suicide)

- I’m irked by the fact that this author had Eleanor become more likeable (partially) through her appearance. It’s literally like one giant rom-com makeover scene where the uncool nerd takes her glasses off, only for people to realize she’s been pretty the whole time! There’s a difference, to me, between self-care and how Eleanor’s moves towards looking more conventionally attractive make people *suddenly* care for her company.

In the end, this book had some heart and was weirdly comforting to read, despite my above issues. But, I don't think I would agree with the overwhelming adoration it receives, just like I think that the story is 'completely fine' in the same way that Eleanor Oliphant is (or rather, is not). ...more

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Mar 05, 2018 j e w e l s rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

5 STARS

Thank you, Eleanor Oliphant. Thank you for picking me up out of my reading slump. Thank you for being so funny, so sad, so smart, so blunt. Thank you for being a literary character that will live forever in the hearts of (most) anyone that reads you.

Oh, and a big thank you for enriching my own personal vocab. My Kindle dictionary has never had such a workout. What a nice perk!! Effortless writing that flows naturally fast, even though Eleanor O prefers to use crossword type clues as actu ...more

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Nov 03, 2018 Melissa rated it really liked it

Shelves: unforgettable-reads, 2018, emotional

As you can deduce from the title, Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine. Or, so she thinks. But, by most people’s standards, I’d say not.

When you first meet her, it’s hard not to feel overwhelmingly sad for Eleanor. Maybe even to pity her a bit. Eleanor is simply existing in a lonely and somber life without friends or family. And let’s be honest, at times her bluntness is sort of off-putting.

Eleanor is just fine living by her own self-imposed routine. The hour-long lunch spent with the same sandwi ...more

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Jul 22, 2018 Paul Bryant rated it liked it

Shelves: novels

Here is a novel at the exact room temperature everyone likes, not too cold, not to hot, just right, it’s like Goldilocks finding the right bed, everybody jumps in and goes right off to sleep, no one has a bad word to say, the Guardian loved it, the Irish Times said it “hits the accessible literary sweet spot”, Costa Book Prize, Reece Witherspoon to star in the movie, five stars rain down upon Eleanor Oliphant on Goodreads until she can no longer be seen, buried beneath tons of billowy love. If T ...more

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Jun 04, 2017 Always Pouting rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Eleanor Oliphant lives a fairly secluded life due to her lack of social graces and crippling self esteem and anxiety issues. She works at a graphic design firm in the finance department and spends the rest of her time at home, usually drinking. Her social life consists of a phone call with her mummy every week. Then one day she goes to a concert, for which she won tickets in a raffle, and falls in love at first sight with a musician. Eleanor decides to make some changes to herself as part of a p ...more

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Jun 24, 2017 Larry H rated it really liked it

I'd rate this 4.5 stars.

I'll admit, when I started reading Gail Honeyman's debut novel, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine , I thought about issuing a moratorium on quirky characters who can't seem to pick up social cues or are oblivious to how people usually behave when interacting with peers, coworkers, those who provide service, and others. Obviously these are colorful characters to write about—it seems as if the literary world is full of them.

But the more time I spent with Eleanor Olipha ...more

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May 13, 2017 Diane S ☔ rated it it was amazing

What an absolutely fantastic character Eleanor is, a character that grew on me the more I read. She has had a scarred childhood, though we don't learn exactly what happened until later in the story, she wears the evidence on her face. She remembers little from that time only knows she was burned in a fire. Raised in a series of group homes, given an apartment by social services who still check on her though she is now thirty. She has few social skills, is very matter of fact, has no friends, few ...more

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Jun 16, 2019 Matthew rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommended to Matthew by: Constantine

Shelves: 2019, audio, general-fiction, library

Eleanor Oliphant is NOT completely fine!

Well, at least not at first!

This book is a fantastic character study. The journey with quirky Eleanor through the past and present is bizarre at times, thought-provoking at others. But, I found it to be engaging no matter what. And, while it is mainly about Eleanor, there are a few other interesting characters met along the way as well. Such a fun ride!

Also, I thought from the start of the book it was just going to be a general humor-fiction sort of book. ...more

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Apr 30, 2017 Angela M rated it it was amazing

At first it’s easy to think that Eleanor is just a quirky social misfit with no friends and no social life and she is, but I soon found out that there is so much more to Eleanor and so much more to learn about her. It’s a lonely life she leads and she says everything is fine but we learn eventually that it isn’t, and that life hasn’t ever been fine. While hints of what happened to her are slowly divulged, we never really find out everything until the end . It’s heartbreaking to learn why she dro ...more

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Nov 04, 2017 Justin rated it really liked it

What an emotional roller coaster, this book! I laughed. I thought about crying. I was angry. I was delighted. I was empathetic. I was completely fine, sometimes.

What started out as a book that could have easily been called A Woman Called Eleanor ended up being far superior to that Ove stuff. There were legit moments that made me laugh, and the book turned in directions that were hard to get through, assuming you have a heart inside your chest that beats about 65bpm as mine does. A heart that fe What an emotional roller coaster, this book! I laughed. I thought about crying. I was angry. I was delighted. I was empathetic. I was completely fine, sometimes.

What started out as a book that could have easily been called A Woman Called Eleanor ended up being far superior to that Ove stuff. There were legit moments that made me laugh, and the book turned in directions that were hard to get through, assuming you have a heart inside your chest that beats about 65bpm as mine does. A heart that feels emotion and pumps blood at the same time. Have you one of those? Are you human?

This could have easily been just a three-star, that was nice, thanks, see ya later kind of book. It wasn’t. It was a cut above that because it had memorable characters and situations and relationships and conditions and events and circumstances that made it a more powerful book than I anticipated. The last third of the book was heavy.

This thing took me all over the place emotionally... and physically. I mean I guess I physically took this book all over the place since I read it on my phone and also listened to the audiobook. Whatever. I didn’t read the synopsis. I just liked the cover and people I like liked the book so I just went for it. I’m glad I did. I should go for more things in life. Take more risks. That’s what life is all about. Taking risks and reading books without knowing too much about them.

Life is also about other things, too. Some of those other life things can be found in the pages of this book. Others can’t be found in any book because they just have to be experienced in, you know, real life. Experiences are good.

So here’s another book for me to recommend. If I recommend anything, it’s worth your time. I don’t recommend anything unless I’m 100% sure everyone in the entire world will agree with me. So here I am, confidently recommending this book to you all because I know you will thoroughly enjoy it much the same way I did, and perhaps even more, but definitely not less. If that’s the case, don’t blame me. It’s not my fault. ...more

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Mar 23, 2017 Elyse Walters rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fiction, humor, mental-health-psychology-self-help

Update.....I found a copy in my notes from last year ---

Here is the review I wrote right after I read it. I realize - almost a year later I can still remember so much about this story: ELEANOR is a terrific character ... and this book is great!!! Even GROWS on you!!!

Eleanor Oliphant, almost 30 years old, is one of those odd characters we think we may have seen before in our books --- lonely - awkward - lacking social skills. She doesn't have filters when it comes to saying what she's thinking. Y ...more

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Nov 14, 2017 jessica rated it liked it · review of another edition

eleanor oliphant may be completely fine but i, on the other hand, am not. sigh.

ugh. i feel so bad for not really enjoying this. this was the debut heard around the world, the debut that won numerous awards. and i saw so many people rave about this nonstop. but i think that was where i went wrong to begin with. the book blurb did not sound interesting to me in the least, so i probably shouldnt have picked it up to read just because everyone else was.

next, eleanor drove me up the wall. im talking ...more

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Jun 26, 2017 Debbie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: omg-twists, best-reads-2012-through-2019, debuts, almost-all-time-faves, funny, quirky

I dare you not to think Elephant when you hear this title. This writer is so clever! We've got the first part of elephant at the beginning of her first name, and the rest of the elephant in the last name. No, of course this book is not about elephants, but the writer sometimes plays with words--and that alone is a selling point for me. Maybe it's sort of like subliminal advertising, except the author isn't trying to sell us elephants. Eleanor Oliphant. Elephant elephant elephant!

I can get all an I dare you not to think Elephant when you hear this title. This writer is so clever! We've got the first part of elephant at the beginning of her first name, and the rest of the elephant in the last name. No, of course this book is not about elephants, but the writer sometimes plays with words--and that alone is a selling point for me. Maybe it's sort of like subliminal advertising, except the author isn't trying to sell us elephants. Eleanor Oliphant. Elephant elephant elephant!

I can get all analytical and talk about how Eleanor--the fact that half of her face is badly scarred and that no one knows (or dares to ask) how she got that way—is the elephant in the room. (In fact, the author makes a pun once, referring to an Oliphant in the room.) And like an elephant, Eleanor Oliphant indeed fills the room, even though she would prefer that no one see her, that everyone leave her alone. The world is too scary to her and she is the poster child for anti-social behavior. In one venture she is completely delusional--she thinks her crush on a famous person will lead to marriage. She is a riot, but she has no idea she is. It's also true that she's sad and feels isolated and unlovable. Formal, literal, awkward, and very very funny in her skewed world view, are also part of her package. Routines, crossword puzzles, and vodka are her mainstays. I usually like oddball characters; Eleanor is definitely one of my favorites. Her character is so well-drawn, I'll remember her I'm sure.

This book sure isn't all laughs and all light by any means. This is also a dark book. Something awful happened to Eleanor when she was a kid, and throughout the book we get hints about what it is. The ending had a very clever surprise that made me shake my head in wonder. I loved it.

The middle of the book dragged a little for me, which made me call it a 4-star read at first. (I just had to change my rating to 5 stars, though--the book is just too damn good and I can't get Eleanor out of my head.) Eleanor has a hilarious adventure in a salon early on (one I just have to reread), and there's a lot of other funny energy. Absurd situations described in language that hopped, gave me the feeling that I was on an amusement ride. The author seemed “on”, jazzed up, and I couldn’t get off the ride even if I wanted to. Of course, I wanted the book to keep up that level of hilarity, and it didn't. Still, Eleanor was relentlessly fascinating, both her public, regular side (that’s a poor choice of words because there is nothing regular about Eleanor) and her private, dark side.

I recommend this book wholeheartedly. I'm shocked that this is a debut--it's so well-written, and the lovable, weird heroine is so so vivid. I'll be in line for the author's next book, although this book will be a hard act to follow. ...more

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Oct 07, 2017 Nilufer Ozmekik rated it it was amazing

Tragic comedies with WTF endings with broken characters should be my all time favorite genre.

I read this book 2 years ago and I wanted to reread some parts to make myself remember how ultra amazing read should be so I can make my further choices wiser.

Eleanor has intimacy issues, having hard time to make friends, spending weekends with frozen pizza and vodka to reward herself. The storyline seems like a typical New Yorker’s story but it’s not. She seems all right but she is not. She is in deep p ...more

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Apr 24, 2017 Fran rated it it was amazing

Eleanor Oliphant is a thirty year old accounts receivable clerk who has a humdrum existence. She calls herself a self contained entity, eating lunch alone while doing crossword puzzles and spending every weekend alone with bottles of vodka. She feels freakish and ugly since she has scar tissue across her right cheek, a result of third degree burns suffered during childhood. She speaks to Mummy by phone every Wednesday. Eleanor lives with the only item to have survived her childhood, her parrot p ...more

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May 13, 2018 Jaline rated it it was amazing

Shelves: xx2018-completed, x-favourites

Eleanor Oliphant is one of the heroines of literature that I am sure I will remember always. She is brilliant, yet socially awkward. At the age of 10 she experienced a trauma that she never received any help with to sort through it. So, she repressed her memories and more importantly, she repressed her emotions. By the age of 30, she was so good at repression that it completely froze parts of her being and the underlying, unacknowledged fear of any of her repressions getting out were the root ca Eleanor Oliphant is one of the heroines of literature that I am sure I will remember always. She is brilliant, yet socially awkward. At the age of 10 she experienced a trauma that she never received any help with to sort through it. So, she repressed her memories and more importantly, she repressed her emotions. By the age of 30, she was so good at repression that it completely froze parts of her being and the underlying, unacknowledged fear of any of her repressions getting out were the root cause of her lack of social skills.

When dealing with intellectual matters, she is formidable; her vocabulary and the facts at her fingertips are beyond many people’s comprehension. Yet even as she grew and matured, some parts of her remained in the stunted, closed-in world of her 10-year-old self.

Despite everything she had experienced, with both physical scars and those on her psyche, not once does Eleanor feel self-pity or get caught up in, “I am a victim”. She simply does not see herself that way and it is one of the reasons I admire her as a character to be honoured and respected.

At her workplace, she meets the new IT guy Raymond, and her critique of him is definitely offhand and dismissive. Although they do eventually become friends, Eleanor has her sights set on someone else – far more glamourous, exciting, and sophisticated.

When her world takes a nose dive, she is wise enough to know it is because of her own poor decisions based on influences from her past, and she takes brave measures to turn her life around with help from her friend Raymond. Her long and slow recovery is a testament to the human soul’s willingness to strive and thrive against all odds.

I found this book to be a compelling read, funny in places, deadly serious in other places, but always, always buoyed by Eleanor’s determination and resilience. It was rewarding to watch her friendship with Raymond grow, and his support of her is inspiring.

I loved this book; it is yet another amazing debut novel by an author I hope to read more of in the future. This one is going straight to my Favourites shelf, and I know that if ever I need inspiration, all I need do is think about Eleanor Oliphant! ...more

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Jul 11, 2017 Lindsay - Traveling Sisters Book Reviews rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2017-favourites, favorites

4.5 stars! Oh Eleanor, I desperately wanted to reach into this story and hug you (even though a hug would be extremely awkward for you) and welcome your quirky self into my life!

Eleanor’s journey took me on a roller coaster ride of emotions. Eleanor is obliviously socially awkward. She had me laughing out loud on one page and then holding back tears while breaking my heart on the next. Eleanor Oliphant is one of the most remarkable characters I have ever ‘met’! Eleanor’s inner thoughts (and ofte ...more

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Oct 11, 2017 Crumb rated it really liked it

Shelves: women-s-fiction

Oh, Eleanor! How delightfully quirky you are! This book..well..let's just say was one of the most unusual and gratifying journeys that I have ever been taken on in the literary world. Thank you, Gail Honeyman for creating such a wonderfully, unique character that is Ms. Eleanor Oliphant. And that name? I.N.C.R.E.D.I.B.L.E.

I'm not going to attempt a summary of this book because that would seem slightly gratuitous. Therefore, I will simply say, that this novel is a character study of a woman, that ...more

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Oct 04, 2017 Mary Beth rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

4.5 stars!

I just loved Eleanor! She is a loner and avoids social interactions and lives in isolation. She speaks out without thinking, to whatever pops in her mind. She has never received hugs, or held hands and has never felt loved, she never received anything when she was sad to cheer her up. Never received balloons and received a balloon from Raymond with Sponge Bob on it and it was so special to her. She never heard of Sponge Bob.

She had an awful childhood with a scar on her face and bruise 4.5 stars!

I just loved Eleanor! She is a loner and avoids social interactions and lives in isolation. She speaks out without thinking, to whatever pops in her mind. She has never received hugs, or held hands and has never felt loved, she never received anything when she was sad to cheer her up. Never received balloons and received a balloon from Raymond with Sponge Bob on it and it was so special to her. She never heard of Sponge Bob.

She had an awful childhood with a scar on her face and bruises would show up all over her body. She had an emotional traumatic past. She was bought up in foster homes and then gets herself her own apartment from a social worker.

Eleanor is now thirty years old and works in a office. She drinks a lot of vodka and spends time on the weekends talking to her Mummy on the telephone. She drinks her vodka so she can forget her traumatic past, all what she remembers is a fire. She then goes through counseling and things come together and she remembers everything that
happened in her traumatic past

She then meets Raymond and things start to change for her, she finally meets a friend. She is in love with a famous musician. That is how quirky she is, she actually wants a relationship with him. Her relationship with Raymond builds and it works for her. She then goes through counseling and things come together and she remembers everything that happened in her traumatic past. She is changing and turns out being very brave. She is so humorous. I just loved Eleanor.

My Thoughts

This book really made me feel so many emotions!! I laughed, I cried, tears running down my face. I cheered for Eleanor near the end. I loved this book. It really made me feel! I just loved Eleanor.

It was a slow burn but the book started building suspense when I read about her scar on her face and had to find out why. Then it got me turning the pages to find out what happened. I was so surprised when I found out what happened. It was so sad and heartbreaking what she went through. While I was reading this I thought it was a whole different genre in what I usually read, it wasn't a thriller but it was the mystery of what happened that turned this into a page turner. Once all the pieces came together, I fell in love with this book. I can understand why it was a little slow, you needed to really get to know Eleanor. Once I started loving Eleanor that is when it started getting really good. I then couldn't put it down. Eleanor will make you laugh, she will make you cry, and she will have you cheering her on. If you love a book that will make you feel, this is the one for you!! I loved it.

This book was an awesome character driven novel. I just loved Eleanor's character. ...more

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May 31, 2017 Tucker rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: my-favorites

I’ve heard a lot of good things about “Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, “ but I must admit I was somewhat reluctant to read it. I’ve recently read several novels about social misfits like Eleanor and felt like I needed a break from that type of character. Also, Gail Honeyman is a debut author whose work was only discovered through a writing competition. (How good could she be?) I decided to give Eleanor half an hour, but after only ten minutes of reading I was totally hooked and my reluctanc ...more

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Jul 03, 2018 Candi rated it really liked it

Shelves: women-s-fiction, contemporary-literary

"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."

I couldn’t help but think that the above presumption somehow rings quite true in this day and age. If we look around and see so many interacti "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."

I couldn’t help but think that the above presumption somehow rings quite true in this day and age. If we look around and see so many interacting personally with their cell phones rather than one another, and think about the hordes of people sitting at home in front of the television watching mindless shows or playing video games, and those of us… ahem, sitting at our computers alone but attempting to engage with others online – I am nearly convinced that loneliness could very well be a disease of this technologically advanced century.

Eleanor Oliphant certainly knows something about loneliness. In fact, it was this issue that really stood out for me the most in this novel. I mean, yes, there are a number of other problems to reflect on here as well – alcoholism, mental abuse, and physical abuse for starters. And then it seems we could also touch on Asperger’s. In fact, I think you could open up a copy of a DSM-5 if you had one handy (I didn’t) and slap quite a few official diagnoses under Eleanor’s name. However, I really don’t mean to make light of any of Eleanor’s problems because even just one of these would be enough to make me feel for this quirky and solitary soul. Initially, Eleanor is a bit unlikeable… judgmental, aloof, and not always very nice – she just might tell you exactly what she thinks. She is also quite funny… not purposefully, of course, but I dare you not to laugh about some of her observations! In the very least, you may nod your head. "I do feel that tube tops are best suited to the under twenty-fives, if, indeed, they are suited to anyone." And then she little by little grows on you as you learn her story and you not only sympathize with her, you might actually find yourself caring for her and cheering her on.

There are a number of excellent reviews out there so I won’t dwell more on Eleanor’s personal history or the plot here. The balance seems to be overwhelmingly tipped in favor of this book, but there are some fantastic reviews that also sit on the other side of the scale and are well worth their weight. There were some things that bugged me while reading this - a number of inconsistencies in Eleanor’s character, for example. She would say one thing and then act in an opposing manner. An unbelievable love interest comes to mind immediately. And what about the vodka binge drinking? "Vodka is, for me, merely a household necessity, like a loaf of bread or a packet of tea." Does one quit this without a recovery process? Are there no withdrawal symptoms? Okay, enough said about that.

However, despite several of these inconsistencies, I could not help being entirely charmed by this novel! I seriously adored Raymond! I like to think that there really is that nice guy (or gal) out there that will make a difference in someone’s life – a person who doesn’t necessarily shine when you first glance at him or her, but one with that unassuming presence whose friendship is truly priceless. My personal enjoyment of the book as well as the importance of bringing the issue of loneliness into the forefront are what tipped the scale in the right direction for me.

"There’s no shame, you know, no shame at all in being… depressed, or having a mental illness or whatever..." ...more

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May 02, 2018 Warda rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: i-fell-in-love, mental-health

I loved this book. It took a while, but I fell in love with it. I finished reading it whilst I was at a cafe and realised how much of a trance I was in when I looked up and noticed my surroundings.

This is the story of Eleanor Oliphant, a 30 year old woman who's suffered a lot. The tone of the book is quiet, steady and slowly reveals her life to the reader. You can sense something traumatic has happened, but you're unsure, because Eleanor is unsure. Slowly, it is uncovered, and thus this is the ...more

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Aug 18, 2017 Liz rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: book-clubs, repeat-read

Eleanor makes a great pretense of being fine. She manages her days with the help of vodka and by not engaging with others. Then, a chance event with a co-worker helping a man that has fallen in the street leads to the beginning of social engagement. At the same time, she thinks she has found the love of her life; a good looking rock musician that she doesn't actually know.

This books reads like a mystery. I kept turning pages to see how things would evolve. And to find out what about her past ha ...more

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Feb 10, 2021 David Putnam rated it it was amazing

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. ...more

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About Gail Honeyman

Gail Honeyman

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Gail Honeyman wrote her debut novel, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, while working a full-time job, and it was shortlisted for the Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize as a work in progress. She has also been awarded the Scottish Book Trust's Next Chapter Award 2014, was longlisted for BBC Radio 4's Opening Lines, and was shortlisted for the Bridport Prize. She lives in Glasgow. ...more

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“If someone asks you how you are, you are meant to say FINE. You are not meant to say that you cried yourself to sleep last night because you hadn't spoken to another person for two consecutive days. FINE is what you say.” — 881 likes

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