Scan barcode
lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition
4.5
I picked this up as a buddy read with a friend.
"Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine" follows Eleanor, a young woman who is striving to have a very okay life. Eleanor really struggles in most social situations, and she follows a pretty rigid routine, even on the weekends. But her life is completely fine, until she meets a new character: Raymond. Raymond's presence causes Eleanor to begin to question her life and Eleanor begins to wonder if there could be more to living than her monotonous, mundane day-to-day.
Eleanor is such a plain, ordinary character, but she captivated me in a way I cannot describe. I felt a kinship to Eleanor and her desire to lead a simple life, and I really enjoyed her commitment to a predictable routine. Eleanor being socially awkward and not being able to read people super well is also highly relatable. I wanted more for her and wanted to see her truly live her life, not just survive. I loved the balance Raymond brought to her life, and how, without really trying, he brought her out of her shell and showed her that there is more to life than what she thought, and that it is okay to live a more fully.
Eleanor's relationship with her mother is clearly toxic from the first interaction, but I did not see the direction that relationship was going until it was revealed. Eleanor's complicated relationship made her all the more relatable and I had even more empathy for her.
The writing style of this book really reminded me of Fredrik Backman, and Eleanor specifically reminded me of the main character in "Britt-Marie Was Here". The writing is very approachable, but engaging, and has a plainness to it that should not be misconstrued as boring.
I really enjoyed this novel, and I will definitely be keeping Gail Honeyman on my radar in the future.
"Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine" follows Eleanor, a young woman who is striving to have a very okay life. Eleanor really struggles in most social situations, and she follows a pretty rigid routine, even on the weekends. But her life is completely fine, until she meets a new character: Raymond. Raymond's presence causes Eleanor to begin to question her life and Eleanor begins to wonder if there could be more to living than her monotonous, mundane day-to-day.
Eleanor is such a plain, ordinary character, but she captivated me in a way I cannot describe. I felt a kinship to Eleanor and her desire to lead a simple life, and I really enjoyed her commitment to a predictable routine. Eleanor being socially awkward and not being able to read people super well is also highly relatable. I wanted more for her and wanted to see her truly live her life, not just survive. I loved the balance Raymond brought to her life, and how, without really trying, he brought her out of her shell and showed her that there is more to life than what she thought, and that it is okay to live a more fully.
Eleanor's relationship with her mother is clearly toxic from the first interaction, but I did not see the direction that relationship was going until it was revealed. Eleanor's complicated relationship made her all the more relatable and I had even more empathy for her.
The writing style of this book really reminded me of Fredrik Backman, and Eleanor specifically reminded me of the main character in "Britt-Marie Was Here". The writing is very approachable, but engaging, and has a plainness to it that should not be misconstrued as boring.
I really enjoyed this novel, and I will definitely be keeping Gail Honeyman on my radar in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, and Alcohol
Moderate: Death, Medical content, Death of parent, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
nocturnalqualia's review against another edition
emotional
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
alyssayuminelson's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Quirky fun and reflective
tildahlia's review against another edition
2.0
I don't get the fuss with this book. Just like I didn't get the fuss with The Rosie Project. I found the writing to be very patchy, the motivations of a lot of the characters unclear and implausible and a lot of the plot devices to be blunt and unnecessary. As an exploration of trauma it falls well short; failing to convey all that is messy, unresolvable and non-linear in healing and recovery.
alexrosecandle's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
lindsayaunderwood's review against another edition
4.0
First finished book of the year. Just a wonderful and enjoyable read. Not sure if I've fallen in love with a character more than Eleanor in awhile.
pundiraakanksha's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
emmalemonnz's review against another edition
5.0
Every now and then you meet a character who reveals you to yourself in surprising ways. When I first started getting to know Eleanor, she was as strange to me as the moon is to a marigold. But then... Then she spoke words to her counsellor... The exact same words I've said to my counsellor... and she didn't say things, but thought things... The exact same things I've never said, but thought...
This is a remarkable book. I'm to emotional to write anything noir more about it just yet... But wow!
This is a remarkable book. I'm to emotional to write anything noir more about it just yet... But wow!
big_ju_reads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5