Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine

I have been mentioning Gail Honeyman’s debut novel, ELEANOR OLIPHANT IS COMPLETELY FINE, to several people lately since I found that I really do want to introduce readers to Eleanor. She undergoes an amazing, but gradual, transformation from a socially inept and rather unlikeable character to the person in charge of planning the office Christmas Party. Initially, Eleanor’s life at thirty years old is full of routine – she has been in the same job for close to a decade, lived in the same apartment, and spends her weekends alone drinking vodka to help forget a troubled childhood.

But a catalyst of sorts occurs when she and co-worker Raymond stop to help Sammy, an elderly man who has fallen and needs to get to hospital. Over time, Eleanor meets Sammy’s family and becomes more able to accept and respond to overtures from others, even recognizing her own limitations: “I tried to fathom his expression. I find it hard to work out people’s expressions sometimes. The cryptic crossword is much, much easier.” Eleanor forms an almost obsessive crush on a musician which leads to a major change in attitude (being willing to try new actions). And that, in turn, leads to small changes in appearance (clothing and hairstyle) and in her social life (attending parties, meeting Raymond for lunch) so that she slowly morphs into someone who begins thinking of others and becomes someone about whom I really cared. Her observations, though seemingly naïve, are often humorous and spot on. ELEANOR OLIPHANT IS COMPLETELY FINE received a starred review from Booklist and was the top LibraryReads recommendation for May.