I finally got around to reading this book and I can see why, for the most part, many people seemed to enjoy it. I liked Eleanor a lot more than I liked Don Tillman in The Rosie Project and found her fairly self aware and definitely funny. There were several laugh-out-loud moments.

I was really pleased that the relationship between Eleanor and Raymond remained open ended with the potential for romance, but with it being OK if it stayed platonic. In the day and age of insta-love, this relationship was quite honest and refreshing.

I thought the musician character was horrible and hilarious; enjoyed Eleanor's character development and forward trajectory; but found her return to work and her co-worker's reaction to her to be a bit unrealistic.

Wow! I thought I was in for a light-hearted romp of a read, but I was very wrong. Contrary to the book jacket blurbs, I didn't find this to be very funny.
There were many funny, awkward moments, but mostly, it was just a bit sad and almost creepy.
It is a wonderful journey that keeps us turning the Pages to find out what had happened to Eleanor.
The story is beautifully written;, sad, but never maudlin or manipulative.
Highly recommended.

<p><b>There are many spoilers for <A href="https://www.librarything.com/work/18440381/book/148666763">Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine</a> in this review. Also there is cussing. Proceed at your own risk.</b></p>

<p>&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;<br /></p>

<p>This book made me cry. Eleanor gets sad, super sad, depressed, and I know that feeling. I am that feeling. So I cried and cried and cried along with Eleanor. Between this and <A href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt6542608/?ref_=ttep_ep6">that BoJack Horseman episode</a>, it'll be hard for me to say that I'm all alone in the world. So yay, I guess, for all the other people out there that have moments when that voice in the back of your head telling you you are worthless is so loud that it's impossible to drown it out. </p>

<p>So at that point, in the middle of the novel, I started to forgive it for the standard tropes earlier along -- Eleanor starts off dowdy, but she gets a makeover, she gets her nails done, she buys some stylish clothes, because <del>her life fixes itself</del> she's still sad and depressed and lonely and that voice is louder than ever. The love interest fails her (not that he ever even knows who she is) and the secondary love interest, the nice guy who was there all along, is still a nice guy and they don't hook up, and all these standard chick-lit tropes are falling apart, and it quiets that little voice for a bit, in between my crying bouts for Eleanor because she is feeling sad, and so I feel sad too.</p>

<p>And then <b>fuck this</b>, in the last ten pages or so, one of the characters is revealed to be a hallucination. F-Uhhhhhhhhhhh-C-K. Every piece of goodwill squandered. I could handle one bait-and-switch (look, this is going to be a standard maekover and smile and get the guy chick-lit novel, oh nope it's not, it's a meditation on depressed and loneliness), but two, especially the second one being so stupid. So I'm mad at this book because <i>what the fuck</i>? I can't even rate this book because the last ten pages suck whereas the earlier ones aren't that bad. In fact, they're pretty good. And then this. I'm going to add a few more fucks here: fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck.</p>

<p>At least I still have BoJack Horseman.</p>

<p><A href="https://www.librarything.com/work/18440381/book/148666763">Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine</a> by Gail Honeyman went on sale May 9, 2017.</p>

<p><small>I received a copy free from <a href="https://www.netgalley.com/">Netgalley</a> in exchange for an honest review.</small></p>

"Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine". Yeah... sure. If you fell off a cliff and someone stumbled across your prone body on the ground and asked "How are you?" and you replied "I'm fine". That kind of 'fine'. When strangers say they are 'fine', they are usually not - and everyone is essentially a stranger to Eleanor.

"It wasn't that I needed anyone. I was, as I had mentioned, perfectly fine."

From page one of this marvelous book, I loved Eleanor. Yes, she is socially inept (to put in mildly), yes, she can be rude, abrasive, intolerant, and even (unknowingly) unkind. Still, I loved her. She is quirky, strange, highly intelligent, judgmental, and lonely. Oh, so lonely...

"When the silence and the aloneness press down and around me, crushing me, carving through me like ice, I need to speak aloud sometimes, if only for proof of life."

Although she has a degree in Classics, she works in the unexciting field of accounting - keeping the books for a digital design firm in Glasgow. Her routine never varies. She works, she buys food, she goes home to her council flat, she sleeps. Repeat. Repeat. The only day that is slightly different is Wednesday, when she speaks to Mummy. Until the weekend, when she buys at least two bottles of vodka to make the time pass until she can go to work again.

"I rarely imbibe alcohol in public.
I only really enjoy it when I'm alone, at home."

Eleanor confesses to an unconventional upbringing. We know that she has a nasty scar on one side of her face, and others on her hands. There was an 'incident' when she was ten years old. After that time she was in foster care, with myriad different foster parents, siblings, and homes, all of which culminated in her going to university.

"Mummy has always told me that I am ugly, freakish, vile. She's done so from my earliest years, even before I acquired my scars."

Eleanor is now thirty years old. She knows this because she saw the date on a stranger's newspaper. She had forgotten it was her birthday. An easy thing to do when no one knows it is your special day - and when no one has ever given you a birthday gift.

When her computer malfunctions at work, the new IT guy comes to her assistance. His name is Raymond, and he will unknowingly change Eleanor's life. She thinks he is unkempt and she disapproves of his clothing and shoes. She hates that he always smells of cigarette smoke, and that he chews food with his mouth often open... Also she thinks him a 'spectacularly unsophisticated conversationalist'. Strangely, over time, they become 'pals'.

I loved that Eleanor's favourite book was "Jane Eyre". She identified with Jane as both she and Jane were left with so much pain at a young age. Her only quibble with the story was that there is insufficient mention of Pilot. Because, as she says, "You can't have too much dog in a book."

Because Eleanor has no knowledge of what is socially acceptable behaviour , no experience to have learned it, no one to teach her how to conduct her life, she has no filters. She believes that honesty is the best policy, so she says exactly what she thinks. Often to the chagrin, or, sometimes amusement, of those around her.

Near the end of the book, Eleanor procures a female rescue cat which she calls Glen. (named for the brand of vodka she drank). Their relationship was wonderful.

Eleanor was such a strong and memorable character. I will never forget her. While visiting Eleanor's world I was sad for her, I cried copiously, and... I laughed aloud. Any book that has the reader running that gamut of emotions is a stellar read in my book.

You MUST read this book!

What a fabulous book and another character who will stay with me long after the last page of the book.

This book is funny, heart wrenching and lovely - yes, all at the same time. Eleanor's character grows on you and you feel more attached to her as she grows. She is a strong woman from the start to the end of the book.

A must read for anyone who loves a character who is not like everyone else and is ok with that. Don't pass up the opportunity to fall in love with Eleanor just like I did!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

Eleanor Oliphant lives alone, has no friends and spends her weeks working in accounts at a design company and her weekends drinking vodka. Then she falls for the singer in a local band and believes that her life is about to be transformed. At around the same time she and Raymond, the IT guy at her company, call an ambulance for Sammy, who is taken ill on the street. Soon Eleanor finds herself spending time with Ray and and his mother and with Sammy and his family.

This novel has a fantastic title and manages to be both moving and amusing at the same time. There is no denying that Eleanor is lacking in normal social skills - she fails to pick up on any cultural references and has no idea what amounts to "normal" behaviour in any given situation. This is entertaining for the reader and, since Eleanor is such a strong, bracing character in many ways, we mostly feel sympathy rather than pity for her. However, there were occasional scenes where the tone felt a little off- the Hollywood wax scene grated on me and felt a little unkind.

I thought the author did well in portraying Eleanor's friendship with Raymond, which is believable and perhaps by the end ready to become something more. The revelation of the story of Eleanor' past was a tiny bit underwhelming after so much foreshadowing, even with the (now obligatory?) twist, but it was fitting with the overall tone.

Highly recommended.

I made a mistake. Before picking up this book I looked at a few quick snippets of reviews - you know, those taglines that claim a book is like "such and such" a book. And that kind of decreased my enjoyment of the book. You see, I read that Eleanor was the female version of Ove (from A Man Called Ove) (whom I absolutely adore) and so I had that in mind ... and she wasn't really that. At least not to me.

I also started reading this book when I was pretty exhausted and so I can't say that I committed to reading it as well as I should have from the beginning: it did take me a minute to warm up to Eleanor and her story.

That said.

3.5 stars.

Eleanor is wonderful in that she remains true to herself; smart, comfortable with who she is, unapologetic for being honest. She made me smile a number of times thanks to her social interactions - she never felt awkward, even though as a reader you know that perhaps she had messed up or misread a situation. So it's especially lovely to meet Raymond and Sammy and Bob and a handful of other characters who accept her for who she is. Aware that perhaps she won't do what is socially acceptable, but that she has a kind heart and means well.

This is a story about a woman who is coming to terms with her past, who is welcoming other people into her life, and adapting to what comes her way. It's a really lovely story that will give you all the feels - just like Ove did (oops... I guess I do see the resemblance). I have to say that the ending was especially nice; I liked that Gail Honeyman didn't try to turn Eleanor into someone she isn't; what you see is what you get. She grew as a person without changing who she really is.

Recommended read.

ps. And because I can't help myself ... If I were writing a tag line for this book it would be that Eleanor is the female Don Tillman from The Rosie Project ... and that Raymond is her Rosie.

I received the e-book, Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, by Gail Honeyman from its publisher, Penguin Random House Canada through NetGalley on May 8, 2017; my first title to review in the form of an e-book. Otherwise, I’ve only reviewed hardcopies I have received from publishers, or bought myself, or borrowed from the library.

And because the narrative of the novel as first-person was not only effectively written, believable, and intelligent, I literally could not put the book down. Though such a claim is usually considered a cliché, it was in fact, true in my case (or at least, I couldn’t put my Kindle down). And the end result? I finished the novel in a record pace of two days. Two days! That’s a personal record for me in terms of reading a full-length novel.
And I can’t credit any personal speed reading ability on my account (because, no, I don’t speed read), but can only credit that the book was indeed that enjoyable, and therefore easy to read extremely quickly. (Lucky for me! Faster reading also means the opportunity to read more books.)

But back to this one.

By the nature of its title, Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, it professes to reassure its reader that its main character of whom the title refers: Eleanor, that she is also completely fine. But, by doing so,  it does in effect hint at the opposite being true because who in any way, including characters in books, can be wholly and completely fine? Not anyone I certainly know. And certainly, not the character in this particular novel, of which its named.

As any reader will quickly realize progressing through the novel, its protagonist: the character whose first-person narrative the book belongs to, is indeed not fine, but, instead, quite the opposite, if not traumatized. (Don’t worry, I’m not one to divulge unecessary spoilers.)

She’s an intriguing and complex character whose ability to randomly recall facts and academia, her fierce intelligence and humour, and formal, wordy eloquence—while these are gifts in of themselves—they are also set against her narrow and literal interpretation of what people say and do around her, only to further add to her personal oddities and ultimately her social exclusion, but also keenly reveal her lack of ability to intuitively understand and interpret accepted social cues and values.

These symptoms are similar to those associated with Asperger’s Syndrome and other mental health conditions, while the author does not literally assign, associate, or mention this condition in relation to the main character.

Instead, Eleanor’s ritualistic behaviour, strong opinions, literal, rigid personality, and lack of awareness and understanding of social cues and practices often leave her self-deprecating, socially isolated, and inevitably lonely to the point of dysfunction.

To read the novel in first-person narrative throughout the book and hear Eleanor’s voice, gives the reader direct and intimate access to her thoughts, nuances, and desires (and sometimes her lack of desire), as well as the way she identifies herself, interprets those around her, and the way she measures the success and failure of her own life as she understands it.

Ultimately, readers get a full, intimate view of Eleanor in the way she sees and understands things—or rather, how she often misunderstands them.

The book’s character is somewhat of a paradox: while her high-functioning IQ, formal eloquence, and superior organizational skills reveal a highly intelligent and mature individual, she is also, by her lack of intuition and understanding of social, acceptable behaviour, and knowledge of the world at large due to her having been ostracized and isolated for most of her life, make her also seem like a woman with a stunted perspective of a young child. This ignorance, which is by no means a fault of her own, gives her both an odd quality, as well as an innocent, almost endearing one.

It’s hard not to empathize with such a character, to feel perplexed about her thought process and actions, curious about the condition she’s afflicted with, and what specific circumstances drove her to internalize such low self-worth, pain, and hardship.

Yet, even though Eleanor’s personal and social life lacks the gusto of her more well-adjusted peers, her thoughts, though often self-deprecating, and perhaps somewhat judgemental, are, in reading them, also wonderfully intelligent, hilarious, and brutally honest.

While there’s a suffering to who Eleanor is and how she must navigate her life in order to cope with it and her past, there is also undeniable truth in the things she thinks and says—which is, for her, often the same thing—since she says exactly what she thinks without filter.

While this behaviour can and is often frowned upon by social standards; to read it in the way the author has intelligently voiced it through Eleanor’s narrative, is both genuine and refreshing.

And the book isn’t written in a melancholy tone though the main character suffers and has suffered physical and emotional trauma. It does, in its endearing way, shift its plot and narrative to one of hope and change as Eleanor slowly learns how to ease herself into the nuances of the social stratosphere she faces with the anxious, unexpected, yet eventual welcome of new friends in the form of a co-worker in the IT department named Raymond, and the serendipitous chance of helping a stranger named Sammy, in his time of need.
The plot moves into Eleanor’s crisis with the deft understanding of how someone who suffers from a traumatic past and must battle mental health issues because of it, must also endure and somehow end or resolve personal crisis.

The narrative and the characters’ dialogue is wonderfully convincing from: Raymond’s thoughtful patience, and Sammy’s charismatic wit, to Mummy’s condescending narcissism.

Together, the novel triumphs in its narrative intimacy, its horrific backstory of abuse and violence, and its authentic story of a struggle for a young woman to come to terms with her past and her own limitations in order to grow and navigate much deserved self-love and acceptance into her hopeful and evolving future.
Though the character, Eleanor Oliphant, may never be completely fine—because, really, who ever is?—Her journey towards healthy autonomy, emotional and social growth, and contentment on her own terms, is a fine enough cause for readers to witness and applaud.

This is a fine novel and even more so impressive, a debut. I look forward to reading more of Gail Honeyman’s work as it arises and encourage others to add Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine to their bookshelves.
The book will hopefully render a mirror to its readers’ chance misjudgement of those who suffer from mental illness and those whom we can sometimes carelessly isolate and ostracize.

***
Characters: 4 stars
Plot: 4 stars
Language/Narrative: 4 stars
Dialogue: 4 stars
Pacing: 4 stars
Cover Design: 3.5 stars
***
Zara’s Rating: 4 stars overall

A special thanks to Penguin Random House on behalf of Viking for providing me with an e-copy of the book, Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman through NetGalley in exchange for an honest and timely review.

Note: I've also included a short bio of the author and links to connect with her.

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, the debut novel by Gail Honeyman, was something I had decided to read as a break from my regular reading rotation. I wanted something a little lighter and uplifting. Although this novel was not what I was expecting (I didn’t find it to be a “feel good” story at all), I really ended up enjoying the quirky Eleanor Oliphant and was connected to her story. Coming of age elements, some deeply complex characters and humorous chick lit, were blended to create a story that both entertaining and made me think.

The novel opens with the introduction of Eleanor Oliphant (she would probably be annoyed as I write this review, as she prefers Miss. Oliphant. I am not her friend. Things would need to be formal), who is about as quirky as they come. She struggles with social skills, follows a strict routine (same clothing, same activities, same two bottles of vodka every Friday night) and says exactly what is on her mind. One day, after a chance run in with Raymond, an IT guy from her office, they save an elderly gentleman who has fallen on the sidewalk and the three become a mismatched trio. As Raymond forces Eleanor to look into her past, her deeply ingrained routines could be changed forever and Eleanor starts to realize, maybe she does deserve friendship-and love- after all.

The novel is broken down into three sections: Good Days, Bad Days and Better Days. In a way, the plot comes full circle and so does Eleanor.

I loved Eleanor; she reminded me a little bit of one of my aunts who is on the Autism spectrum. In fact, I almost stopped reading this one at one point because I felt so sad with the way people were treating her! However, I got a little bit of solace from the fact that Eleanor truly didn’t mind! Her banter throughout the novel had me cracking up; I found her narrative voice to be extremely endearing.

If you want a realistic novel that will make you think and get into your heart, than look no further, Eleanor Oliphant was a breath of fresh air into my reading rotation.

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine is one of those books that will change the way you look at mental illness. Honeyman has created a realistic character in Eleanor, and although her circumstances might not match up with those of her readers, they will absolutely relate to her eccentric personality and determination. This novel is beautifully written and will evoke every single emotion that you can think of.

One of the most wonderful aspects of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, is Eleanor herself. At first, the reader will notice that she is a bit quirky, but as the story progresses and more of Eleanor’s circumstances are learned, the fact that there is more than meets the eye about her becomes apparent. I really love how Honeyman slowly introduces Eleanor and her mental illness and takes the reader into her mindset. Her psychosis is only one part of her personality, and it is the determined nature of Eleanor along with her different way of seeing the world that makes her relatable.

The writing in this novel is so eloquent and Honeyman has not only perfected a mentally ill character, she has also depicted the beautiful scenery of Glasgow. Having never visited Scotland, Honeyman’s writing has at least whisked me away for a short while and has made me long for a trip to see some of the city for myself. I am sure that those familiar with some of the neighbourhoods and shops will feel right at home as they read this story.

While reading this novel, the reader will go through so many different emotions. There are some funny moments that will have you in stitches, even though there are some tragic and terribly sad parts of Eleanor’s life that will leave you sobbing uncontrollably. Honeyman takes her readers on a roller coaster of feelings that will give them a sense of just how her character, Eleanor is feeling. It is a perfect mix of sentiments that sets Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine apart from other stories with a mentally ill character.

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine is a story that deals with the psyche of a mentally ill woman who is on her way to a happier life. It is a book with a well-developed main character and gorgeous writing that will evoke all sorts of feels for its readers. This novel will absolutely give a new perspective to how you perceive mental illness.

A heart warming book about finding a huge part of yourself that was destroyed by neurotic insane mother . Eleanor was able to exist for many years in her dysfunctional world . When she meet Raymond her humdrum life started to change slowly but surely. She began to see that other people are generally kind and wish her no harm. With Raymond's subtle guidance and Eleanor 's own strong character and willingness to escape her past ... a new Eleanor begins to emerge . Eleanor is a likeable and say it like it is character. An enjoyable read.

An enthusiastic four stars! Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine is very much my kind of book. It reminds me of some of my recent favourites focusing on quirky characters trying to find a place for themselves in the world. Eleanor is 30 years old, lives on her own, works as a bookkeeper, has a very single minded view of the world, tells it like it is, doesn't always understand why other people don't see things the same way, regularly drinks too much vodka to dull the ache, is beyond lonely, and has some deep traumatic secret past that had scarred her physically and emotionally. We meet Eleanor as she reaches a turning point in her life. A few happenstance encounters take her out of her small world, and give her a glimpse into what it feels like to connect with other people. Slowly, Eleanor reimagines herself and makes a few friends. This is not a single tone novel -- it played on all my emotions. Eleanor is funny, a tad irritating, heartbreaking and lovely. This book is a great addition to the genre of novels featuring quirky single minded characters -- think [book:The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry|13227454], [book:A Man Called Ove|18774964], [book:Florence Gordon|20256545], [book:The Terrible Privacy of Maxwell Sim|7419758], etc... It didn't quite make it to my very stringent 5 star level, but only because the end was a bit too tidy. But that's a minor flaw. It's hard to believe that this is Honeyman's first novel. I loved it for the depiction of Eleanor. I liked the people around her -- especially Raymond. I would have happily stayed in Eleanor's company much longer. Highly recommended to anyone who has enjoyed the novels I've mentioned above. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine is a debut novel written by Gail Honeyman. It is set in Glasgow but the setting could be anywhere. This is a character driven novel. The layers of the characters, particularly Eleanor, are peeled away as the novel progresses. At first I was not completely enamored with Eleanor but as the novel progressed I found that I liked her and understood her more and more.

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine is a lovely tale about a woman who has had a really tough life and has managed to have zero social skills. When a coworker Raymond befriends her she begins to evolve into a more social person. I laughed and I cried with Eleanor throughout this book.

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine is hard to put down once you get into it. You want to know more and more about Eleanor. I think this book is going to do really well when it is published in May 2017.

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine is a must read book of 2017. Highly recommend.

A special thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Eleanor Oliphant leads a simple, mundane life, and operates on the same routine every day—she wears the same clothes to work, eats the same meal for lunch from the same location, makes the same dinners, and every weekend buys the same kind of pizza with the same kind of wine, and two bottles of vodka to get her through the weekend. She is incredibly isolated and lonely with no benchmark of how life should be. From a random act of kindness Eleanor realizes exactly what she's been missing and how much better life can be.

The description of Honeyman's debut made it sound like a Bridget Jones type novel. Eleanor is a 30 year-old singleton, living in the city, who drinks a lot, but that is where the comparison ends. In fact, I actually thought that Eleanor may be on the Autism spectrum because of her routines, the difficulty she has in social settings, and her formal speech. However, her behaviour stems from suffering a childhood trauma, and also not having any family or friends to help guide her in social situations—she has been alone for so long that she has no point of reference with things like pop culture, and relationships in general. She is also victim of mental abuse every Wednesday when she talks to her 'Mummy' on the phone.

The novel unfolds through Eleanor and at times she is an unreliable narrator that serves the story perfectly. Incredibly sad at times, this exploration of the human spirit was a bright debut and I highly recommend it.

At the beginning, felt like The Rosie Project, with a lot more chatter. Then began to see the protagonist has a touch of a lot of women I know. Even myself. Her thoughts and sayings are blunt and honest without all the niceties that "normally" most people wouldn't dare to blurt out openingly. This is a definite character study for book clubs.