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A review by phantomgecko
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
funny
sad
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
A friend recommended this to me because she thought I'd think it was funny. Unfortunately, I suffered from too much secondhand embarrassment to be very amused.
This is a story about a very unwell woman. Who does outrageously inappropriate things because she is unwell.
Tbh, she turned out to be much more unwell than I originally assumed what with all the mommy issues and hallucinations etc etc
My greatest quibble is Eleanor purports to be very good at crosswords, particularly cryptic (the best kind) and yet she is lacking in so much pop culture knowledge that this cannot possibly be true. Even cryptics, which rely heavily on wordplay, necessitate a basic foundation of cultural knowledge. Like, girlie doesn't know who the Grinch is. She is not completing crosswords.
Otherwise, it is an interesting if uncomfortable novel.
This is a story about a very unwell woman. Who does outrageously inappropriate things because she is unwell.
My greatest quibble is Eleanor purports to be very good at crosswords, particularly cryptic (the best kind) and yet she is lacking in so much pop culture knowledge that this cannot possibly be true. Even cryptics, which rely heavily on wordplay, necessitate a basic foundation of cultural knowledge. Like, girlie doesn't know who the Grinch is. She is not completing crosswords.
Otherwise, it is an interesting if uncomfortable novel.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol