Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
Eleanor Oliphant had a childhood that she doesn't completely remember, but one thing is certain: her mom was a real bitch.
Now Eleanor is thirty years old, single, friendless, and working in an office doing accounts receivable. Her life is unremarkable and she's completely fine with that. Sometimes she aches out of loneliness but it's nothing vodka can't drown out.
She's simultaneously completely lovable and incapable of normal conversation because she can't pick up on nuance. All conversation for her is literal. It makes for constant chuckles for the reader but also tenderness for Eleanor. She tries to communicate but it goes south on her every time so she can't hook into regular life.
As we get to know her, we see her open up to an opportunity here, and one there. Pretty soon, she has an actual friend and people who appreciate her. It's a big change in her adult life. If she keeps opening up, she'll start to undo all the things that make her shut herself away into a box, and rid herself of the demons that plague her.
This is skilled writing with momentum. I read the entire book in two days and feel changed as a person. It had real depth and a power to heal.
General consensus: Beautifully done. Balances humor and depth perfectly.
No comments:
Post a Comment