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

dark emotional funny sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book reminds me of this artwork by Jaako Pallasvuo - https://preview.redd.it/not-solitude-and-loneliness-by-jaakko-pallasvuo-v0-oxqc8u2obb1b1.jpg?width=1080&crop=smart&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=ffde693e984b8c129c0c64fe3e5b3616a9a75956

I think the author did a great job of portraying how crushing loneliness can be, and how small moments of connection and kindness can colour your whole life.

In places I felt as though Eleanor's dialogue switched jarringly from overly formal to quite natural sounding, but I think this might have been a deliberate artistic choice to create familiarity or add distance based on the scene, and it didn't overall take me out of the book. Enough details were dropped about the end mystery that you could piece it together, but rather than being frustrating that Eleanor wasn't catching up, you felt bad that she wasn't letting herself draw those conclusions. 
Overall, well written, entertaining, full of longing.
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