Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine Book Review by Gail Honeyman
This book was more than completely fine—it was totally great!
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman is not a new book, but it’s the first time it’s come across my radar. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine was published in 2017 and never once did I hear about it.
However, I’ve been on a big slice-of-life kick lately and when I was looking up awards on Goodreads, this book came up as a notable selection for fiction. I jumped on it—a decision I wholeheartedly stand by.
This book’s plot is nothing special. A thirty-year-old woman named Eleanor Oliphant says she is completely fine before realizing that she is missing out on essential life moments and significant experiences.
This epiphany comes after meeting and befriending the new IT guy at work, Raymond, and it dawns on her that while she is alive, she isn’t living. Not truly.
The book then progresses to show Eleanor’s attempt to choose happiness and improve her life. Not over night, not in a day, but slowly and carefully choosing hope and prosperity instead of expected complacency.
I really loved the characters of this book. No one was super archetypal, stereotypical, or even amazing, really, but that is the beauty of it.
They are just people.
People trying to live their lives, excel at work, make friends, fall in love, and deal with the rollercoaster that is life.
It was so refreshing to read about that I fell in love with Raymond’s bad attire, Eleanor’s wit, and all the side characters like Eleanor’s coworkers and Sammy’s family.
While this book deals with heavy themes like loss and childhood trauma, never at any point was the trauma the focus. Never did the book wallow in angst and melancholy. Instead this book is the epitome of hope and looking to the future.
It’s the idea that meeting someone—a friend, a family member, even a cat—can change your life. It shows that people are influenced by others for the better, that people need people in their life.
It’s not enough just to go to work, go home, drink vodka, and repeat.
Eleanor realizes this.
It’s so simple, but so beautiful and realistic.
I’ve thought about that myself: am I making the most of my life? Am I truly living or am I coasting by?
These are the questions that Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine covers in an eminently human way. Eleanor’s inexperience with life makes her a delightful narrator.
Not that she’s the kindest, if anything she can be candidly rude, but that makes it all worthwhile. Even Eleanor, who thinks she doesn’t need other people and sees herself as above them, realizes that she does and that being with others is the key to living a good life.
Recommendation:
People need people,
To walk to
To talk to
To cry and rely on,
People will always need people.
To love and to miss
To hug and to kiss,
It’s useful to have other people.
To whom to moan
If you’re all alone,
It’s so hard to share
When no one is there.
There’s not much to do
When there’s no one but you.
People will always need people.
To please
To tease
To put you at ease,
People will always need people.
To make life appealing
And give life some meaning,
It’s useful to have other people.
It you need a change
To whom will you turn.
If you need a lesson
From whom will you learn.
If you need to play
You’ll know why I say
People will always need people.
As girlfriends
As boyfriends
From Bombay
To Ostend,
People will always need people-
To have friendly fights with
And share tasty bites with,
It’s useful to have other people.
People live in families
Gangs, posses and packs,
Its seems we need company
Before we relax,
So stop making enemies
And let’s face the facts,
People will always need people,
Yes
People will always need people.
–Benjamin Zephaniah
Score: 8/10
