cherndon's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
slumpreader247's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
emmareeser's review against another edition
4.0
CW: emotional and physical abuse, depression, PTSD, addiction, suicidal ideation
gbarker_author's review against another edition
4.0
I found Eleanor's deadpan quirkiness absolutely hysterical if not slightly off-putting. But brace yourself. This isn't so much a book about 3 strangers saving each other from loneliness (as the back jacket indicates), but a book about how a few strangers help save Eleanor Oliphant from her excessive, unacknowledged loneliness, beyond which, very dark secrets lurk. It was sweet, and sad, and funny, and just...heart-wrenching when you got down the bones of it. On the whole, a lovely read, with a hopeful ending.
lenreadsbooks's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
elise04's review against another edition
5.0
For me, this book epitomises the phrase 'don't judge a book by its cover'.
I put off reading this book for so long because I was expecting a cliched and monotonous chick-flick. I finally got around to reading it and my incorrect judgements have been exposed painfully to me.
I loved this. Eleanor is so likably unlikable. She is judgemental, aloof and pedantic but she never realises it and spends the whole book with only the best intentions. She is naive to society, and this results in hilarious satire mixed in with heartwrenching loneliness.
I don't feel that I know enough to comment on the themes of trauma in this book so be warned that trigger warnings will need to be looked into. For me, the slow drip of information as Eleanor faces up to the trauma that she has been suppressing for so long only adds to the heartache. The main message that I have taken away from this book is that everyone deserves kindness. I knew this already of course, but I know that if I met the sort of person Eleanor is in real life, I would distance myself from them due to the perceived arrogance she exuberates. However, reading it from Eleanor's perspective was both heartwarming and heartbreaking, and I was painfully aware of her need for companionship and kindness.
I put off reading this book for so long because I was expecting a cliched and monotonous chick-flick. I finally got around to reading it and my incorrect judgements have been exposed painfully to me.
I loved this. Eleanor is so likably unlikable. She is judgemental, aloof and pedantic but she never realises it and spends the whole book with only the best intentions. She is naive to society, and this results in hilarious satire mixed in with heartwrenching loneliness.
I don't feel that I know enough to comment on the themes of trauma in this book so be warned that trigger warnings will need to be looked into. For me, the slow drip of information as Eleanor faces up to the trauma that she has been suppressing for so long only adds to the heartache. The main message that I have taken away from this book is that everyone deserves kindness. I knew this already of course, but I know that if I met the sort of person Eleanor is in real life, I would distance myself from them due to the perceived arrogance she exuberates. However, reading it from Eleanor's perspective was both heartwarming and heartbreaking, and I was painfully aware of her need for companionship and kindness.
mollie23's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
jnlundy's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25