Book Review: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman // a subtle and emotional read

Title: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine

Author: Gail Honeyman

Published: May 9, 2017

Pages: 327

Genre: Adult Fiction, Contemporary

Amazon / Barnes & Nobles / Goodreads

I picked this book up on a whim, not expecting anything from it, and was hooked from the first chapter.

Eleanor Oliphant, a thirty-year old woman, is content with the routine she has carried out for the past nine years of her life: wake up, work, crossword, work, avoid confrontation, takeout, radio or book, the weekly phone call with “mummy”, alcohol, sleep. She prefers to spend her time alone as she believes other people around her are uncultured and rude. She finds an unexpected friend in Raymond when they help an old man named Sammy after he has a fall on a sidewalk. With Raymond’s assistance, Eleanor begins to break out of her shell, discuss her “mummy” issues and past, and discover that maybe she isn’t completely fine.

My favorite part of this book was definitely the characters. Eleanor’s personality and bluntness was a little off-putting at times, but as I learned more about her past, I understood why she acted the way she did. She would often say “rude” things because of her lack of social skills and would end up upsetting people. It got me thinking that, even though we should all think before we speak, we should also try understanding others before getting so offended.

~~By the end of the book, I kind of wished Eleanor was a tiny person, so I can put her in my pocket and protect her from everyone 🙈.~~

Raymond was a lovable supporting character. He remained friendly and patient with Eleanor despite of all of her intricacies, and even when he had problems of his own. ~~He sort of reminds me of a marshmallow 🤗.~~ I think Raymond’s character communicated the overall message of the book that it’s okay to not be fine. Your friends are there to support you and listen to you talk when you have problems. And, if you don’t have friends or don’t want to talk to them, there are plenty of other decent people who want to help.

If I had to describe this book in two words, I would say that it’s subtle and emotional. It had it’s fair share of surprises, and even a big plot twist at the end, but it never felt like it was trying too hard to impress.