From the Bookshelf of Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge…

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine

Gail Honeyman

Start date: January 1, 2020

Finish date: January 3, 2020

Discussion: 2020 Read Harder Challenge

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2020 Read Harder Challenge

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* 2020 Read Harder Challenge
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last updated Dec 06, 2019 03:56PM

Task #20: Read a middle grade book that doesn’t take place in the U.S. or the UK
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last updated Dec 31, 2020 02:39PM

What Members Thought

Sep 15, 2017 Melissa rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I read this as an audio book because it came highly recommended by readers I respect and I was told that it was even better to listen to. I concur that it is an interesting story and that Eleanor is a compelling character. However, I may have been better off reading it in print instead.

The story is narrated by Cathleen McCarron. I was not expecting her to have an accent when I started the audio book, so I was in for a bit of a surprise there. I also couldn't tell where the story took place, bas I read this as an audio book because it came highly recommended by readers I respect and I was told that it was even better to listen to. I concur that it is an interesting story and that Eleanor is a compelling character. However, I may have been better off reading it in print instead.

The story is narrated by Cathleen McCarron. I was not expecting her to have an accent when I started the audio book, so I was in for a bit of a surprise there. I also couldn't tell where the story took place, based on her accent. I thought she sounded Irish, but the story seemed to be set in the UK, if I am not mistaken. Some words were hard to understand, as well. However, she distinguished character voices pretty well and made "Mummy" sound truly evil. There were some things I understood better by listening, but I also felt like her voice took away from the story. Eleanor did not sound like she was 30 years old. I thought she was in her forties until she said her age.

In any case, there were some really interesting parts, along with some sweet moments that carried the book along. However, it felt slow at times and I was willing things to move along instead of just reporting on minutiae. After a while, it picked up and then kept my attention the rest of the way through. There were some dark moments that could easily be emotionally triggering for people who may have been able to relate to Eleanor's childhood better. And then, there's this shocking twist that I did not see coming at all, but I wish it was explored more instead of brushed off afterward.

Eleanor is really quite a character and I enjoyed seeing (or hearing) her come into her own as the story progressed. Her blunt responses to people were very amusing. I also liked Raymond a lot. He was supposed to be annoying initially, but he became endearing over time.

Overall, it was a thoughtful story, but I don't know that it was the right fit for my tastes. I enjoyed it for the most part, but I didn't feel a strong emotional attachment. If the synopsis grabs you, I would encourage you to go for it, since no two readers are alike and you might just fall in love with it.

I was told that Reese Witherspoon is turning this story into a movie. Here are some casting suggestions for her. (I'm guessing it will end up taking place in the US on film.)
Eleanor: Tina Majorino
Raymond: Chris Sullivan
Laura: Betty Gilpin
Johnny: Max Minghella
Sammy: Bill Nighy
Maria: Illeana Douglas ...more

10 likes · Like · see review

Mar 09, 2024 Sarah added it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, uk, scotland

This book. I have a lot of thoughts and feelings. What is most prominent right now is that a) I really loved this book and found it fun to read while simultaneously dealing with such heavy topics; except b) Gail Honeyman has repeatedly said that Eleanor Oliphant is not on the autism spectrum, which I find essentially impossible. It reads very much like a case of an author extracting a lot of autistic traits, using them to make a "difficult woman" who is compelling and funny and who really sells ...more

2 likes · Like · see review