Book review #8 Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine
- Gail Honeyman
Happy June! It’s the month of rain in Japan which calls for more days sitting at home with a nice book in hand :D This book is a bittersweet and touching novel that follows the life of Eleanor, a 30 year old woman with a deeply hidden past that she hasn’t opened up about to anybody, not even to herself. She lives a mundane life; she goes to work in a graphic design company where she doesn’t work as a creative but as a finance clerk. She spends her nights alone in her apartment listening to the radio or reading a book. She talks to her mother every Wednesday night and buys some vodka on her way home on Fridays. Despite the little to no social interactions in her life, she’s completely comfortable with her life this way.
Nevertheless, her life takes a turn when she meets the new tech guy in her company, Raymond, and they develop a sweet friendship extending to his family, a friendship she’s never had in her life. As she runs after a different guy who she thinks is the love of her life, she goes through a promotion at work, mental struggles, and recovery in the most extraordinary way. I finished this book on the train ride home a few days back and felt nothing but love for this character :D I loved how I was able to see how humans feel and go through mental struggles, specifically for Eleanor who grew up not knowing her father and living in foster care up until college. Because she didn’t grow up in a family and didn’t experience things most kids would go through, she’s doesn’t understand little things like how Bobbi Brown is a cosmetic brand and not an actual employee at the store or why they need to write her name on coffee cups in cafes. Ordinary things like this are foreign to Eleanor and it was refreshing to read her critiques on the world she sees through her lens. The way she speaks may seem ignorant at times, but it’s only her innocent voice with no means to harm anyone, and I think Raymond sees that too from the first day the two met.
A story about a woman that is seen as a “misfit” by others, I think this is a pure and original book of life struggles and human development that you should all read :D It touches really well on how one faces depression and the path in which one takes to heal and recover. The cover art made me think it would be a light read, but the content is heavier than I expected but only in a good way. I wish there were a sequel because I’d love to keep following Eleanor’s life journey.. ! I hope you take the time to read this book too :)
