I’m happy to say the hype wins, at least for me, with Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. Only twelve percent of the books I read make it to my favorites shelf, thanks to Goodreads, for my ability to keep flawless records of every book now residing in my brain. Eleanor is currently sitting among the books that have in some way changed or encouraged me throughout my life. Stay tuned as I add my thoughts to the thousands of others singing Eleanor Oliphant’s praises.

BLURB:

Eleanor Oliphant has learned how to survive – but not how to live. Eleanor Oliphant leads a simple life. She wears the same clothes to work every day, eats the same meal deal for lunch every day and buys the same two bottles of vodka to drink every weekend. Eleanor Oliphant is happy. Nothing is missing from her carefully timetabled life. Except, sometimes, everything. One simple act of kindness is about to shatter the walls Eleanor has built around herself. Now she must learn how to navigate the world that everyone else seems to take for granted – while searching for the courage to face the dark corners she’s avoided all her life. Change can be good. Change can be bad. But surely any change is better than. . . fine?

I’m always gloriously cheerful when I come across quirky characters in books or movies, and especially in real-life. I love the odd ones, the underdogs, the “nutters”. I think most people are ashamed of the things that make them different, the idiosyncrasies that could be considered weird. We all desire to be accepted and fit in, of course, which makes us often hide our flaws or oddities. The quirky folks are the most real, in my opinion. These rare birds are the ones I want to flock to and that is particularly why I loved Eleanor so much. She was picked on by her coworkers because people only saw what they wanted to see, someone different. “Other” is intimidating, but through books, we are allowed to see the inside of characters, not the odd outer facade. I only wish in the real world humans would do more of looking for the inner beauty of those around us, rather than seeing the differences, and immediately drawing a line in the sand.

“A very small boy, his face smeared with, one hoped, chocolate, answered and stared at us.”

This book was the perfect mix of heavy and light. I laughed numerous times, truly loving the dry, sarcastic British humor, sometimes unintentional on Eleanor’s part. Mixed with the darkness of her past, we are able to feel less burdened by the sadness and truly appreciate her character all the more. There were plenty of moments that brought the tears as I was reading, but they were short-lived, thanks to the overall positive tone of the story. I appreciated the way this novel was crafted in every way. The author took great care in making this an educational and emotionally touching novel without ever letting the tough topics get in the way of the story being told. I think those who found fault in the story attributed it mostly to the tone of the story in regards to Eleanor’s alcoholism, but this was never an issue for me. I think it only added to Eleanor’s humanity.

I especially loved how the author chose to tackle the topic of loneliness in adulthood. I think this is becoming more of a rampant issue in modern society, thanks to technology, something meant to bring us together, and the do-it-yourself/individualistic attitudes we have cultivated in society. Many adults are probably more lonely than they will let on, myself included. Reading this book allowed me to realize how damaging isolated lifestyles can become, without the help of true friends willing to sometimes tear down those barriers we place in our lives.

“These days, loneliness is the new cancer—a shameful, embarrassing thing, brought upon yourself in some obscure way. A fearful, incurable thing, so horrifying that you dare not mention it; other people don’t want to hear the word spoken aloud for fear that they might too be afflicted, or that it might tempt fate into visiting a similar horror upon them.”

I truly cannot express how deeply I loved this novel. Every detail was perfectly done, in my opinion, and completely geared for my tastes. The language and Eleanor’s intense vocabulary were welcome additions to this story. I did not find her style of speaking pretentious, but instead, something to simply add to her quirkiness.

I cannot wait to see what comes of the movie adaption. I only hope Eleanor will remain British, her eccentricities will be intact, and the events in the novel will not be sugarcoated. I’m placing my faith in Reese Witherspoon to deliver something excellent next year!

Purchase on Amazon!

Social Media:
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram| BlogLovin’