Gail Honeyman, Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine

Thirty-year-old Eleanor Oliphant lives a quiet, routine life. She works in an office — the accounts receivable department of a graphic design company — and usually spends her weekends alone with a book and a couple liters of vodka. She doesn’t much care for her coworkers, and she has no friends, which is just how she likes it. Other people are often too rude or stupid to be congenial companions. But Eleanor’s life begins to change when she meets unprepossessing IT guy Raymond, and the two of them help an old man, Sammy, who has fallen in the street. As Eleanor interacts more with Raymond, Sammy, and their friends and family, she slowly begins to imagine a different life for herself. But when a tragedy from her past resurfaces, it becomes evident how very far from “fine” Eleanor really is.

I keep wanting to describe this book as “light” because it’s a fast read with an engaging style, but the subject matter is absolutely brutal. Honeyman does a painfully vivid job of portraying loneliness — I think it’s no accident that the heroine’s name is Eleanor, because she is definitely one of “all the lonely people.” She’s far from likable at times; she’s aloof and judgmental and can be downright mean to well-intentioned people. But as the story slowly reveals Eleanor’s past and the way she has isolated herself just to survive, I couldn’t help but pity her and root for her to change and grow. I also loved her friendship with Raymond; it’s obvious to the reader when he is hurt or confused by her (although she herself doesn’t perceive it), but he is always patient and kind. Overall, I thought this was an excellent novel with unexpected depth and an uplifting, but still realistic, ending. Highly recommended.