Eleanor Oliphant is not completely fine
But the book sure is [no spoilers]
Before I get into the book and my thoughts, this book has been in my ‘to-read’ pile for well over a year. I opened it when I first bought it, got a few chapters in and just really struggled to connect with the plot and the main character, Eleanor.
I’m a big believer that books should leave their mark on you, whether that be through changing your perspective on something, a lesson you can take forward with you, or through just warming your heart. I’m also a big believer that the timing of when you read a book plays a big part in that.
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, by Gail Honeyman draws on themes such as loneliness, kindness, and emotional connections. So why did I pick up the book again and read it front to page in less than a week after giving up on it so quickly the first time? The key themes are much more prevalent in my own life now than they were a year ago. We weren’t on lock down a year ago, and I wasn’t pondering how loneliness can creep in all too quickly while we’re social distancing.
This book has left a warm mark in my life, and the timing was just perfect.
I found Eleanor, the main character, to be relatable and un-relatable all at once. She has qualities and experiences throughout the book that I’m sure many of us could relate to, but she also has a past and current situations that I found far from my own. But our heroine represents a ‘normal’ woman in her early 30s, who is living a life that to her, is completely fine. She wears the same clothes to the same job she’s had for 9 years, and for a large chunk of the book believes that she has everything she needs, until she realises that perhaps some things are missing. It’s through other people and new experiences that she starts to realise just how much she has been missing through living a routine and habitual life, and just how much her terrible past has hindered her, which I won’t say too much about as I don’t want to spoil it for you.
I’ve lived like this before, moving from one day to the next, going through the same routine, eating at the same places for lunch each day, keeping the same company. Like Eleanor, I’ve also pushed myself outside of my comfort zone, met new people, moved on from jobs, and tried new places to eat, all of which have not only helped me grow as a person, but also helped me to see what might have been missing from my life.
The pace of the book is quite leisurely, and there are no huge ‘OMG’ moments… well, maybe one, but it was the connection with the main character that kept the pages turning for me.
You’ll feel like you are moving through her life with her, braving each new experience with her, and creating each new connection with her.
