If you haven’t read this book, then please start reading it now! It’s been a while since I’ve read a book all in one go, but I just couldn’t help but get so attached to Eleanor, I loved her character so much and couldn’t let her go…so I ended up naming my pet fish after her.
Eleanor says it as it is. She has no filter during any human interaction and she lacks the social skills to understand why others may find her a tad bit off, I know it’s her wittiness and awkwardness that have made this book such a success. She has had the same job for the last 9 years, shows up at work every day at 8:30 am sharp and is out of there by 5:30 pm sharp (she takes her punctuality very seriously) and this is how she usually spends her weekdays. Weekends on the other hand, they have a slightly different routine. On her way back home from work on a Friday Eleanor customarily buys herself 2 bottles of vodka, simply for the weekend to go by faster. No human contact and no communication over the weekends. Just Eleanor Oliphant in her apartment all weekend long. Alone. 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.”
Loneliness is a central theme throughout the book, but somehow Gail Honeyman; the writer, has managed to add a quirky aspect to the book through the extent that Eleanor is straightforward. Eleanor does not have any family, friends or even any colleagues that she could talk to. Loneliness is such a universal topic yet it is not discussed enough in the news or media, & rarely do we come across books that dive into loneliness and solitude and explore the reasons behind them.
“These days, loneliness is the new cancer–-a shameful, embarrassing thing, brought upon yourself in some obscure way. A fearful, incurable thing, so horrifying that you dare not mention it; other people don’t want to hear the word spoken aloud for fear that they might too be afflicted, or that it might tempt fate into visiting a similar horror upon them.”
For many years, Eleanor Oliphant was lonely and she was completely fine with it. Until…she met him, her dream man, in her expedition of getting him to fall inlove with her, she discovers that her visual of love is far from reality, she gave it her all but unfortunately things did not go as intended, a disappointment that she comes to appreciate later on.
Eleanor did not comprehend the importance of human connection and friendships until she met Raymond from IT and with the start of this impeccable friendship comes a new chapter of Eleanor’s life, a chapter that’s brilliance even she doubted. Seeing that Eleanor has not experienced love in any form prior to this new friendship, she struggled to grasp the concept of caring, compassion and love but after meeting Raymond she realizes that maybe she wasn’t ‘fine’ all along. Her journey in discovering who she can be will make you sad, happy, laugh and cry.
At the start of the book I did not feel like her character was relatable, but the more I read about her and the more I got to know her I came to the realization that we are not all that different. No matter how wide our social circle is, no matter how many friends we surround ourselves with and no matter how large our families are, we all experience loneliness in our own way. As I became aware of my deep connection to Eleanor, I was almost shocked that this was the first book I had come across that delved deep into the world of isolation. For all you bookworms out there, I know a good book is a good book when a character really resonates with my soul long after reading the book and I know for sure that every reader will be able to find themselves in Eleanor and identify with her.
“I took one of my hands in the other, tried to imagine what it would feel like if it was another person's hand holding mine. There have been times where I felt that I might die of loneliness.”
Feeling alone is more common than we think. Eleanor is excruciatingly relatable to many of us, her lack of social skills and heavy dependency on vodka (weekends only) is a reflection of the fear we have of speaking about solitude out loud. This novel is a reminder that even on days when we feel most alone, it is imperative to know that you are not alone, we choose to suffer in silence in fear of shame but the more we build friendships and bonds, the more happiness will gravitate towards us.
“If someone asks you how you are, you are meant to say FINE. You are not meant to say that you cried yourself to sleep last night because you hadn't spoken to another person for two consecutive days. FINE is what you say.”
The ending came as a surprise to me, I kept waiting for the chapter where a love story between Eleanor and Raymond will blossom, but that never happened, what blossomed was their immeasurable bond and friendship & I love that. The ending was the perfect portrayal of the power of friendships and self-worth, and oh I was just so happy to know that my dear Eleanor found love and happiness within.
“Sometimes you simply needed someone kind to sit with you while you dealt with things.”
“Some people, weak people, fear solitude. What they fail to understand is that you don't need anyone, you can take care of yourself.”
Gail Honeyman won the Costa First Novel Award in 2017 for her debut novel, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. She proficiently puts together a storyline with the compelling combination and balance of humor, sadness and love.
- REEM INK
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