A review by jyothym
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Eleanor Oliphant is so unlike anyone I have ever met, but her experience with loneliness is so deeply relevant because it echoes that of humanity. In the modern world, loneliness has become an aspect of daily life and, in some ways, a definition of what it means to be an adult. But Eleanor's development through the book - her slowly coming out of her shell - is proof that humans are not meant to be this way. We gravitate towards one another, despite everything, because it is in our nature, and we are all we have. Love does not have to be transactional. Did you know a healed femur once evidenced human civilization? Our survival depends on and necessitates helping one another, and healing requires a community. When I read about everything Eleanor had been through, I wondered how she would ever find peace again, how she would ever forget. By the end, I had hope - she is not alone. We are not alone. 

 I loved this book overall and read it literally in maybe a night and a half!! I did have some small critiques with how the author handled some of Eleanor's trauma. I'm also overall not a huge fan of the "makeover" trope :( BUT I'm so happy with how Raymond and Eleanor's relationship was handled. There was a particular scene when Raymond was talking about his ex girlfriend that gave me a major red flag, but it was a dialogue issue if anything and I don't think it reflected his character in the rest of the book. Generally an interesting read!
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