“Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine” by Gail Honeyman

I was in the Library, looking for movies on DVD, when this book’s title grabbed me in the Library. ELEANOR OLIPHANT IS COMPLETELY FINE? Really?

Yes, really. ELEANOR OLIPHANT is bigger than life, on one hand, and totally believable on another. She’s one of the most messed up protagonists I’ve ever had the pleasure of groaning over, and one of the most engaging. I loved being inside Eleanor’s head, at the office where she works and at home for her nightly routine, as she reveals, over time, her traumatic past and the ways her psyche protects her with a stunning degree of isolation and fantasy. Something happened to Eleanor in the past that we don’t quite “get”, though we see pieces of that “something” as she tries to keep her life together.

When Eleanor develops a crush from afar, complete with an outrageous dream world about her would be lover, I became riveted and pretty much stayed that way till the end of the book. I was eager to see how Eleanor’s carefully contrived plans to capture the man of her dreams would transpire and to see what would happen to her telephone relationship with her horrifically abusive mother. I was touched and intrigued by Eleanor’s relationship with Roy, a co-worker who befriends and supports her in a way she’s never imagined.

Not many authors can revulse and tickle me as often and as well as Gail Honeyman. I ached for Eleanor at the same time I was cracking up. And when she decides to get help from a therapist, I, of course, rooted for her, big time.

Eleanor’s process and progress in therapy didn’t ring very true to me, as is often the case with fictional therapeutic situations. But I was happy with the ending, including the revelation of the “something” from Eleanor’s past and the hints foretelling her future. ELEANOR OLIPHANT celebrates aspects of healing and hope, including friends who help us through painful journeys. If you like character driven novels, this one is a great read.

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