Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine - Book Review

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Fiction
Author: Gail Honeyman
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Buy at:  Amazon

“Sometimes you simply needed someone kind to sit with you while you dealt with things.” ― Gail Honeyman, Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine

Review

A much-hyped book within the bookish community and I always end up on the wrong side of liking a much-hyped book. The quarantined state made me pick this from my bookshelf and I am glad I read it because not only I enjoyed Eleanor’s character but it also enriched my vocabulary.

Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine. She goes to work, works for 5 days a week, enjoys her weekend in her apartment. Maybe she isn’t fine because she had a traumatic childhood and had been in and out of foster care all her childhood. She never had any friends thus, she is socially awkward.

This book reminds me of The Rosie Project. A traumatic issue leading to social ineptness. Certain characters stay with you for a long time and Eleanor is one of them. Her boldness in speaking her mind out, ignoring her colleagues’ scorn and trusting Raymond with friendship made me love her so much. This book is packed with laughter, smiles and cries but not overly-sentimental. So be prepared, it is a roller coaster ride of emotions.



Gail Honeyman’s writing is immensely focused on Eleanor and her feelings. I am so glad that it doesn’t end up a romantic book. The author has done a brilliant job in picturing Eleanor’s routine with different incidents and limited social interactions. Her character is consistent throughout and never comes out as a sympathetic one. A reader gets to know about the sentiments and traumas going inside her mind while she tries to fit in the “norm” of the society. What a superb debut for Honeyman!

If you love reading about quirky and witty characters, challenging “norm” of the society and self-discovery, grab this book!