Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman: A Review

Hello, hello, hello!

“‘How brave are you prepared to be, Eleanor?’ Laura asked. This was the correct question. I am brave. I am brave, courageous, Eleanor Oliphant.” Eleanor Oliphant by Gail Honeyman

Thanks for stopping by! Some of you have been kind enough to share my blog with your book clubs so maybe today I can return the favour by giving you a good recommendation. If you are looking for a book to read this fall, I think it should be Eleanor Oliphant in Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. The story follows Eleanor Oliphant, an entirely original main character. From the beginning, Honeyman hooked me with Eleanor’s dry wit. Her character is socially awkward to say the least but often Honeyman’s depictions of Eleanor’s attempts to puzzle out social situations had me laughing out loud (there is one scene with dancing … you’ll know it when you see it. I read it three times it was so funny).

At first, Eleanor’s character brought to mind The Rosie Project or maybe Sheldon from “The Big Bang Theory” but Honeyman creates a backstory for Eleanor that makes the novel more powerful than just laughing along at Eleanor’s social faux pas. Eleanor was raised in foster care and aside from her job and biannual visits from her social worker, she lives her life alone. She has no family, no friends. Eleanor’s frank voice reveals a tragedy in her past that in her own quirky and sometimes startling way, she attempts to overcome. Honeyman’s use of humour provides a sharp contrast to the events of Eleanor’s past in a way that allows the reader to develop a deep empathy for the character. In her attempts to find true love, make friends and carve out a little community around her, I found myself rooting for Eleanor as an unlikely anti-heroine.

Honeyman populates the little world of her novel with characters who feel familiar without being stale. One of my favourite things about Honeyman’s characters is that with the exception of Eleanor herself, they are so well, ordinary. But it is through these ordinary,  everyday people that Honeyman is able to reveal the power that simple acts of kindness can have. Helping Sammy, an old man who falls in the street, brings Eleanor together with Raymond, an IT guy from her office, and this chance encounter becomes the catalyst for change.  This, along with Eleanor’s off-beat observations about those around her and her attempt to transform herself, serve to create a narrative that is at times funny, and at other times heart-breaking. Ultimately, Honeyman explores how what we perceive to be true shapes everything around us and how others can act as a mirror to help us understand ourselves more clearly.

There is a lot to recommend about Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine – Honeyman’s writing is tight, the plot is unpredictable, and Eleanor is a character who will stay with you long after you’ve put down the book. And without giving anything away, I don’t think I will ever look at “Y.M.C.A.” by the Village People quite the same way again …

If you read Eleanor Oliphant, post a comment and let me know what you thought. Until next week, happy reading!