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A review by scytmo
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
1.0
No. Just… No.
Did not finish, at 23%
If I’m being generous, then this book is casually uncaring. If I submit to my discomfort reading this, then I’m going to say it’s cruel and heartless.
Eleanor Oliphant is obviously not completely fine - that’s no surprise as the title is intended to be ironic. However, she’s clearly had some horrific trauma early in her life. I have no training that qualifies me to say this, but it seems like she has PTSD. She may well have other disorders that could be identified and addressed with appropriate therapies. However, despite the fact that she has social workers visit regularly who are clearly familiar with her awful background, there is no evidence that Eleanor has had any issues diagnosed or is getting any meaningful support or treatment.
As a result of her damaged upbringing, she has difficulty relating to people and normal social situations. And she drinks heavily - something that also seems to be treated in a casual throw-away manner. And through all this, we’re invited to laugh at her as she makes various ‘humorous’ mistakes as she misjudges various situations. These same situations might be funny if the reason for Eleanor’s detachment and lack of social understanding weren’t so tragic (even so, I found the ‘humour’ quite heavy handed), but in the context of the what we’re supposed to believe about Eleanor’s background and upbringing, it feels like I’m being encouraged to point and laugh at the amusing freak. The freak who is a deeply damaged individual.
OK, so I stopped at only 23% of the way through the book, and maybe the author turns it around later on in a way that can mitigate this first quarter. But I searched out some other reviews from readers who feel the same way but had the tenacity to see it through to the end, and I don’t believe that’s the case.
So, no. Just… No.
Did not finish, at 23%
If I’m being generous, then this book is casually uncaring. If I submit to my discomfort reading this, then I’m going to say it’s cruel and heartless.
Eleanor Oliphant is obviously not completely fine - that’s no surprise as the title is intended to be ironic. However, she’s clearly had some horrific trauma early in her life. I have no training that qualifies me to say this, but it seems like she has PTSD. She may well have other disorders that could be identified and addressed with appropriate therapies. However, despite the fact that she has social workers visit regularly who are clearly familiar with her awful background, there is no evidence that Eleanor has had any issues diagnosed or is getting any meaningful support or treatment.
As a result of her damaged upbringing, she has difficulty relating to people and normal social situations. And she drinks heavily - something that also seems to be treated in a casual throw-away manner. And through all this, we’re invited to laugh at her as she makes various ‘humorous’ mistakes as she misjudges various situations. These same situations might be funny if the reason for Eleanor’s detachment and lack of social understanding weren’t so tragic (even so, I found the ‘humour’ quite heavy handed), but in the context of the what we’re supposed to believe about Eleanor’s background and upbringing, it feels like I’m being encouraged to point and laugh at the amusing freak. The freak who is a deeply damaged individual.
OK, so I stopped at only 23% of the way through the book, and maybe the author turns it around later on in a way that can mitigate this first quarter. But I searched out some other reviews from readers who feel the same way but had the tenacity to see it through to the end, and I don’t believe that’s the case.
So, no. Just… No.