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Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine

Gail Honeyman

Start date: June 1, 2018

Finish date: June 30, 2018

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Aug 28, 2017 Ahtims rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ebooks, borrowed

Absolutely loved this book.
Eleanor Oliphant is a peculiar 30 year old who lives alone and minds her own business. She phones her mom once a week at clockwork regularity. Her life becomes topsy turvy when she meets a computer serviceman Raymond, her almost opposite in most things, and somehow their friendship grows. She also is fascinated by a local musician and tries to improve her looks to be noticed by him. She also saves Sammy, a septugenarian with an extended family

I enjoyed the antics of E ...more

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Aug 11, 2017 gudetamama rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. (This review contains spoilers. Also, sorry, very choppy review, just thoughts here and there.)

Stunning. I'd come across some reviews mentioning the plot twist at the end, and I had my suspicions, which were eventually confirmed. It wasn't out of the blue for me, but having already been done (Miss Meadows), it wasn't as world upending as it might have been.

Eleanor sounded like Amy Farrah Fowler (The Big Bang Theory) in my head, and Raymond I kept thinking of as Roy (The IT Crowd). I highlighted (This review contains spoilers. Also, sorry, very choppy review, just thoughts here and there.)

Stunning. I'd come across some reviews mentioning the plot twist at the end, and I had my suspicions, which were eventually confirmed. It wasn't out of the blue for me, but having already been done (Miss Meadows), it wasn't as world upending as it might have been.

Eleanor sounded like Amy Farrah Fowler (The Big Bang Theory) in my head, and Raymond I kept thinking of as Roy (The IT Crowd). I highlighted so many of her observations. She's like a stand up comedian who's also the straight man. She never tries to sound profound or deep, she's just, as she says, stating the facts. She's book-smart but isn't quite socially well-adjusted, an effect of her traumatic past combined with her reclusive lifestyle. My favorite moment was when Raymond gives her a Sponge Bob Square Pants balloon, and, unfamiliar as she is with it, she responds with "is it... is it cheese?" She's so precious. I was so happy when she found love, not with the singer, but with a rescued cat.

I liked that Sammy had a loving family, and it wasn't "cranky old man meets young person and they learn life lessons from each other". The blurb made it sound like it was headed that way, but he's almost mentioned as much (or as little) as Eleanor's boss, Bob. I cried at one point, where she receives Sammy's red sweater.

I got a little bit emotional as well when after the haircut she thanks Laura for making her "shiny".

As a mother who wanted a little girl, my heart ached at the news article that described how little Marianne was found.

As a bit of a homebody (although closer to "shut in", as a full-time SAHM, and expat), I connected with so many of her thoughts. This book therefore, though sad, was also life-affirming for me. How lucky that I have a loving family. I also feel grateful that I have at least 3-4 humans with whom I interact, in the real world, offline. Then a handful of friends and family I am able to keep in touch with through the Internet. And here I was feeling sorry for myself.

Eleanor sometimes thinks, What would a ferret do? Or some other animal.

The next time I find myself in a slump, I shall think, what would the new and improving Eleanor Oliphant do? She's really stronger than she knows, and is a kind and caring person. She really came alive as a character, for me, and I find myself mentally wishing her happiness and healing. That's more than I care about some former co-workers.
...more

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Feb 20, 2018 Jillian Vicinanza rated it it was amazing

What an amazing book! There is literally every kind of emotion on these pages executed so expertly that you feel yourself right there in every moment. I loved this book so much I couldn’t put it down while at the same time not wanting it to end. I haven’t read such equally funny and heartbreaking characters in a very long time. I recommend this book to literally anyone who loves fiction.

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