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hannah_et1982's review against another edition
4.0
The beginning was a struggle and there's one bit of the ending that I didn't quite like, but overall this was an incredibly enjoyable read and I loved both of the character arcs.
valyriereven's review against another edition
1.0
[1/5] • DNF @ 10% • Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Insufferable.
I'm still trying to process the couple of chapters I just read. I have never read a book with a protagonist so completely unredeemable and unlikable. The author's energy reads to me as "mean girl" who is trying to write an awkward (or possibly attempting to write an Asperger's?) character but has no idea what awkwardness/neurodivergence actually entails. Thus, it comes off supremely artificial, hollow, and nonsensical. Eleanor is not "socially awkward". She's an outright bad person.
Now, a writer can have a protagonist who's a bad person. When done well, challenging protagonists are interesting and fun to read! Gotta love the journey of a good character growth arc. However, many authors know the principle of "saving the cat" — you have to give some reason for your audience to connect with and root for your protagonist. There is no reason to root for Eleanor Oliphant. She's miserable and nasty, and then acts like everyone else is the problem. Did not and will not finish.
I'm still trying to process the couple of chapters I just read. I have never read a book with a protagonist so completely unredeemable and unlikable. The author's energy reads to me as "mean girl" who is trying to write an awkward (or possibly attempting to write an Asperger's?) character but has no idea what awkwardness/neurodivergence actually entails. Thus, it comes off supremely artificial, hollow, and nonsensical. Eleanor is not "socially awkward". She's an outright bad person.
Now, a writer can have a protagonist who's a bad person. When done well, challenging protagonists are interesting and fun to read! Gotta love the journey of a good character growth arc. However, many authors know the principle of "saving the cat" — you have to give some reason for your audience to connect with and root for your protagonist. There is no reason to root for Eleanor Oliphant. She's miserable and nasty, and then acts like everyone else is the problem. Did not and will not finish.
brokenrecord's review against another edition
3.0
This was not bad, but not exactly what I was expecting. Eleanor's backstory was pretty extreme, and . I did like how Eleanor and Raymond's friendship developed, and I liked that their was an indication that they were going to pursue something at the end, but I was still annoyed at the lack of makeouts (there should always be makeouts!!) But I guess Eleanor probably would need a good amount more therapy before she'd be ready for a serious relationship, so like, it makes sense, but I still wanted more romance because I always want more romance.
Spoiler
the reveal that her mother was dead and that all the conversations she had with her mom throughout the book were imagined was kind of annoyinginkinherveins's review against another edition
5.0
A beautiful book with moments of poignant heartbreak but also humor. This book is warm, kind, and compassionate.
mlillis12's review against another edition
4.0
There’s so much to say about this book.. Is the plot line super interesting? No. It’s realistic though. It’s the fact that Eleanor goes to work, cooks, reads and goes to bed. What really grabbed my attention was how it was written from Eleanor’s POV. It makes you realize how trauma can truly affect us more than we think. I think this book can relate to many who have fallen into depression with covid going on or just not knowing who they ‘truly’ are.
jennveedee520's review against another edition
3.0
This was a good book. But something about it irked me and I can’t quite put my finger on it. After reading many books about socially awkward characters, this one just didn’t do as good of a job on it for me. I feel like the added elements of alcoholism and trauma were a lot. It was a good book with genuinely good characters (for the most part) and a good storyline but it was a little rough in spots and one element of the ending really kinda made me question elements of the plot. Overall just an okay one for me.
inuyasha's review against another edition
4.0
did not realize this was ultimately about Dead Sister Trauma - which i have a fucking surplus of - so idk how to think and talk about this objectively but i..... sad ❤️
sakibunreads's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked this book! I laughed out loud a few times and really enjoyed seeing the character development in Eleanor. It starts slow, but worth it.
annesbu's review against another edition
Eleanor is so eccentric and lovable I just want to hug her but, undoubtedly, she would not understand why. And her perceived reasoning as to why I would want to hug her would probably be hilarious.
Eleanor is a loner, partly by choice, partly because of her eccentricities. But when she encounters a singer in a band she believes he's "the one" and makes a plan to make herself irresistible to him when they finally meet. The descriptions in the steps she takes to meet her goal are so funny it was hard for me not to laugh out loud. In fact, I did laugh out loud more than once.
She also befriends Raymond, the IT guy at her workplace. He's just an ordinary, average-looking, normal guy who "gets" Eleanor. Most of the time. Even when he doesn't, he still comes back for more.
Throughout the book we learn, bit by bit, that Eleanor endured a traumatic childhood involving a mother who abused her physically and emotionally. After a series of current events, she is able to come to grips with that, too.
Be warned that Eleanor is one of the most unreliable narrators you could find. But, by the end of the book, you'll forgive her. You might even want to hug her, too.
Eleanor is a loner, partly by choice, partly because of her eccentricities. But when she encounters a singer in a band she believes he's "the one" and makes a plan to make herself irresistible to him when they finally meet. The descriptions in the steps she takes to meet her goal are so funny it was hard for me not to laugh out loud. In fact, I did laugh out loud more than once.
She also befriends Raymond, the IT guy at her workplace. He's just an ordinary, average-looking, normal guy who "gets" Eleanor. Most of the time. Even when he doesn't, he still comes back for more.
Throughout the book we learn, bit by bit, that Eleanor endured a traumatic childhood involving a mother who abused her physically and emotionally. After a series of current events, she is able to come to grips with that, too.
Be warned that Eleanor is one of the most unreliable narrators you could find. But, by the end of the book, you'll forgive her. You might even want to hug her, too.