Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine in Books and Jams Readalong

Jan 11, 2018 Karen_RunwrightReads rated it really liked it

Shelves: own

Although Eleanor Oliphant definitely has some robotic characteristics, it is hard not to be drawn in by her naive understanding of society. She's been through a lot and she has the scars to prove it, but now that she's had time to heal and has decided it's time to change her life, the reader will definitely want to hang around and watch, even if only to see what happens when she decides to look past the scars that we stopped noticing after a while too.
There were definite laugh out loud moments i ...more

1 like · Like · see review

May 03, 2018 Robin rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fiction-general, book-group

I suspect this is the kind of story you either love or hate, and I would not recommend it to everyone, despite my rating. This is Eleanor's story, and therefore requires that you can get inside her head. For me, I understand Eleanor, although I've not suffered the trauma she has, and I am always the person who roots for underdogs.

Eleanor has structured a careful life for herself. It is filled with routine, even eating the same things on certain days, always from the same shops. She is not intere I suspect this is the kind of story you either love or hate, and I would not recommend it to everyone, despite my rating. This is Eleanor's story, and therefore requires that you can get inside her head. For me, I understand Eleanor, although I've not suffered the trauma she has, and I am always the person who roots for underdogs.

Eleanor has structured a careful life for herself. It is filled with routine, even eating the same things on certain days, always from the same shops. She is not interested in talking to her co-workers beyond talking work. She simply cannot understand why they care about the silly things she hears them discuss, and they aren't very interested in including her either. She has visible scars, and even more invisible scars. She drinks 2 bottles of vodka each weekend to bide her time until work starts again on Monday. Eleanor is completely fine with her life as it is. She is completely fine keeping to herself.

One day, despite her carefully timed exit from work, she bumps into Raymond from the IT department. Being polite, he walks with her, completely oblivious to her desire to walk alone. At the stop light, a man falls over. Raymond, being a kind sort, rushes to help him and drags Eleanor along, even tho she protests that they should not interfere with a drunkard. Raymond continues to involve Eleanor in going to the hospital to visit the man they rescued, and treats her as if she is not scarred.

Thanks to Raymond's prodding, Eleanor has become "involved" in activities outside her routine - going to the hospital to visit a stranger, having lunch at a cafe, exchanging emails that are not strictly about work. And then there's the singer in a local band, who Eleanor is convinced is the man she is meant to be with. The simple act of helping a stranger causes great disruptions to Eleanor's careful life.

(view spoiler)

It takes time, but the tale of why Eleanor is the way she is, does come to light. I found Eleanor's tale compelling, and more than once I cried, and more than once I laughed out loud over some of her thoughts. She, by the way, did not mean those comments to be funny, she was simply trying to make a point. Some of her points, however, are very sharp indeed! ...more

Like · see review

Jul 07, 2018 Cath rated it really liked it

Very Moving story with a quirky, strong heroine. I really liked the voyage of discovery that Eleanor takes. The author lets the reader into her gradual understanding of social niceties and the reason Eleanor struggles with them. I'm sure the plot has been described thousands of times so I will just say it is a fast read with plenty of heart, some humor and a little something I did not expect near the end. ...more

Like · see review

Mar 18, 2018 Nancy Altizer rated it it was amazing

One of the best books I have read. I really couldn't put it down. It is amazing how this book led me through its plot and led Eleanor into my heart. ...more

Like · see review