Member Reviews
Eleanor is such a relatable character. I loved her so much. The writing is engaging and it is sad at times but the humor gives it a good balance. This one stayed with me for a long time.
A great book for discussion groups. While Eleanor is a little hard to take in the beginning, you soon come to know her and understand her more.
I liked this book but it was kind of slow moving. Because the character lives alone and doesn't have a lot of friends it's easy to see how a lot of plot might not happen right away. I liked being in her head though and seeing things from her point of view. I also listened to some of it and she's actually quite hilarious. I did find the situation with her mother intriguing, although I think it was drawn out a bit too long before it was told what happened. Overall I liked it! Definitely not a fluff read like the cover implies.
Excellent book. It's different which I so appreciate! The author writes a unique perspective very convincingly. It's a quick but affecting read.
Eleanor Oliphant *is* completely fine. So was this book. In fact, I really enjoyed this novel. I most enjoyed the development of the characters, particularly Eleanor's empowering storyline.
I received an advanced reading copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Well. There's a reason that is book has over 400,000 reviews and its overall rating is over 4 stars. I loved this book. I'm not a crier, but there were points that I teared up. I want to hug Eleanor and hold her hands. Raymond is one of my favorite characters of all times. This is one of those books where you miss the characters one you have finished reading it. Read this book!
This is my third try but unfortunately, this book just did not appeal to me. I just did not find anything that made me want to keep reading.
This book is great for fans of A Man Called Ove and Brit Marie was here. This book introduces us to the main character, Eleanor, and you are instantly curious about what makes her tick. Her social skills are practically non-existent, and her relationship with her mother is definitely off. You just can't stop reading and what to know more and more as you fall in love with her character. A fast, moving read.
I realize that I am in the minority on this book, but I did not care for it and don't get the hype. It was an ok read for me.
Eleanor is not completely fine. She is a "functional" alcoholic with a very disturbed childhood. I was hoping for a light read, this was not. It was well written, but hard to get through.
Surprisingly good and engaging. I thought the first-person narrative was really convincing, and able to get me in the mindset and understand her perspective really well. I would not call this a funny book but there were certainly moments that made me chuckle, and several moments where I could identify with her perspective on other people. This really would be a great book to discuss in a book group.
I initially pulled this title off of NetGalley simply because it had my grandmother's name - Eleanor - and you just don't see that name very often anymore! I didn't get around to reading it though, but then after it was published it got so much press and everyone was reading it so I had to jump on the bandwagon too, obviously! And boy oh boy was this good - and so different from anything else I've read! Eleanor reads like she's on the spectrum, but with all of her childhood trauma it's hard to tell if her social ineptitude is just caused by the latter. Raymond is the best person in the world, and everyone should have a friend like Raymond in their life! (Side note - there's a passage late in the book when Raymond gifts Eleanor with a cat, which she names Glen - I almost died because Glen was my grandfather's name! Eleanor and Glen, together again in this book - it just gave me pause :-) ) There were two twists at the end - one of which I saw coming from early on but the other caught be completely off guard, which I always love a good surprise. Eleanor and Raymond are just a pair of characters that are going to stick with me for a while - I already find myself wondering how they're doing!
***Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review***
This book started out a little slow for me. Eleanor is indeed a peculiar character and she is a little off putting at first.
As we learn more about Eleanor's upbringing it is easy to see why she is the way she is. The tragedy of her past unfolds slowly giving us small glimpses into the horror of her childhood.
Eleanor wants to live and be happy and she goes on a journey to self discovery. Making friends, trying new things, a makeover, and learning to live in the world forces Eleanor to come out of her shell. She must, however, battle her demons in order to survive.
A story about friendship and grief, guilt and love, Eleanor Oliphant is not completely fine and that's ok.
There isn't much more to say about this book than has already been said in the thousands of reviews that it has received except to say that Eleanor Oliphant is (becoming) completely fine. This gem of a novel takes us deep into the life of a woman who has suffered unfathomable abuse as a child and is navigating life in the only ways she knows how, including few human interactions and using alcohol to survive weekends and the legacy of her "Mummy."
Eleanor has no social filter and little self-awareness, qualities which ironically enough lend much humor to this book and makes the reading bearable as we observe and experience Eleanor's pain.
Despite her bleak prospects, Eleanor's story is ultimately hopeful and reminds us that help comes from unexpected sources and in unexpected ways., an original and much recommended read.
Full Disclosure--NetGalley and the publisher provided me with a digital ARC of this book. This is my honest review
Thank you very much for allowing me the opportunity to read this book! I appreciate the kindness. <3
I wanted to love this book.... Heck, I wanted to even *like* this book, but I was so annoyed at Eleanor that I wanted to throw my Kindle across the room. I could not discover what was charming or likeable with the main character and I tried SOOOOOOOO hard.
This was a fun read. I liked Eleanor and all her quirks and personality. It’s funny, romantic and a great read. Would recommend to friends.
A+++++++ I absolutely loved it! Eleanor Oliphant is a character that could have been more of a cartoon rendering. However, she was written with empathy and realism. This one is a home run!
I have heard of this book for a while and I am glad I finally read it. Eleanor has a lonely life. She works Monday thru Friday and spends the weekend alone watching tv and drinking. She meets Raymond at work when he services her computer and after work they save an elderly man who falls. If she didn't meet these people, her lonely life would have continued but Raymond and Sammy and his family change her life. She tries new things out and finally admits to her horrible childhood and her life turns around
I could spend the next three hours writing a review about this book without pausing. Oh, Eleanor! I love her! What a story - rides the waves of both witty humor and intense sadness that is one very interesting person’s life. At times I would be laughing out loud and the next I would be crying like a baby. VERY well written. The emotions and struggles of someone who has been through unimaginable horror hit home for me. I kept picturing Eleanor as Miranda Hart (Chummy) from “Call the Midwife”, and Chris O’Dowd (Brides Maids) as Raymond. A treasure about humanity. Must read!!!