murphl30's review against another edition
dark
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
4.5
projectshalfdone's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
amid's review against another edition
2.0
Eleanor Oliphant is a disturbed woman in her 30s who lives a hermit lifestyle which consists of work, vodka and books. She talks to her abusive mother once a week. Her life then suddenly changes when she, along with Raymond (“Unhygienic IT guy”), rescue an elderly stranger from an accident.
Shortly afterwards, Eleanor and Raymond become besties, Sammy (the old guy) dies and Eleanor starts getting invited to parties, becomes more social and so on. Later, Eleanor gets the courage to approach her crush but finds out that he’s an asshole. So she goes back home, drinks vodka and tries to kill herself.
Raymond arrives at her apartment to rescue her. She then starts going to therapy. Finally, the therapist convinces her to cut off her abusive mother, who turns out to be alive only in Eleanor’s imagination (Surprise!). We also learn that many years ago her mother deliberately set fire to their house, thus killing herself along with Eleanor’s little sister.
I personally loved the funny, unusual personality of Eleanor (reminds me of the character Holly from the Bill Hodges Trilogy) but found the whole plot to be utterly boring.
Shortly afterwards, Eleanor and Raymond become besties, Sammy (the old guy) dies and Eleanor starts getting invited to parties, becomes more social and so on. Later, Eleanor gets the courage to approach her crush but finds out that he’s an asshole. So she goes back home, drinks vodka and tries to kill herself.
Raymond arrives at her apartment to rescue her. She then starts going to therapy. Finally, the therapist convinces her to cut off her abusive mother, who turns out to be alive only in Eleanor’s imagination (Surprise!). We also learn that many years ago her mother deliberately set fire to their house, thus killing herself along with Eleanor’s little sister.
I personally loved the funny, unusual personality of Eleanor (reminds me of the character Holly from the Bill Hodges Trilogy) but found the whole plot to be utterly boring.
ghouldie's review against another edition
4.0
Quite a good read! I love seeing how trauma affects people and how it impacts their life. While I did find a good chunk of the storyline predictable, there was a piece at the end that caught be off-guard. Overall, a really great book about a girl coming to find and love herself as she escapes the control of an abusive parent.
khaines's review against another edition
4.0
Overall I'd give this book a 3.5. It resolved too quickly (yet took forever to reach the climax) and had some serious plot holes. However, I kept wanting to read...so, for a summer entertainment read, I rounded it to a 4.
Side note - Eleanor's voice reminded me somewhat of Ignatius Reilly's from a confederacy of dunces.
Side note - Eleanor's voice reminded me somewhat of Ignatius Reilly's from a confederacy of dunces.
senexosaweffers's review against another edition
5.0
The first thing you’re likely to see when you pick this book up is a snippet from Reese Witherspoon: “Beautifully written and incredibly funny.”
She’s right; Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine is both of those things. It’s also much more than that, though. It’s heartbreaking, inspiring, strange, infuriating . . . It’s a lot of things.
Eleanor takes things pretty literally, kind of like Amelia Bedelia, although the similarities stop there. She follows a strict routine and drinks to keep her emotions at bay. She has trouble interacting with other people and can be a bit hypocritical. She fixates on things. But her life has been far from easy, and Honeyman does a lovely job of slowly letting us see into Eleanor’s past as she finally begins to heal.
She’s right; Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine is both of those things. It’s also much more than that, though. It’s heartbreaking, inspiring, strange, infuriating . . . It’s a lot of things.
Eleanor takes things pretty literally, kind of like Amelia Bedelia, although the similarities stop there. She follows a strict routine and drinks to keep her emotions at bay. She has trouble interacting with other people and can be a bit hypocritical. She fixates on things. But her life has been far from easy, and Honeyman does a lovely job of slowly letting us see into Eleanor’s past as she finally begins to heal.
mariana24's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
5.0
lucycoates13's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
jennthumphries's review against another edition
emotional
funny
sad
medium-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
5.0
anneduff's review against another edition
5.0
I read this book a few months ago and it's still one of the few that I suggest when friends ask me to recommend a good book that I've read this year. It will probably remain as one of my all time favourites.