Breathe To Read

Breathe To Read

Tuesday, March 6, 2018

2018 Challenge - Book #38 - Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine

Today's review is for:

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine
Author: Gail Honeyman
Pages: 336



This is the story of Eleanor - a woman in her early 30's who lives a quiet, private life.  Her coworkers find her strange and quirky.  She doesn't have friends, or a boyfriend.  Not even a pet.  She hides behind a large scar on her face and scars on her hands from a childhood accident that she refuses to talk about.

One day while at work, her computer stops working and a man named Raymond from IT comes to fix it.  He immediately likes Eleanor, even though Eleanor can't see it.  One day while they are walking out from work, they find a man lying on the sidewalk in need of medical assistance.  Thus begins the change in Eleanor's life.  She has other people to care about and people who care about her.  Even though she talks weekly with her mother on the phone (who we learn was a terrible person and an abuser) and listens to her mother talk down to her, Eleanor starts to change.  She cuts her hair.  She goes to concerts.  She and Raymond start going to lunch every day.  She has found a true friend and she starts to open up about her childhood.

As the story progresses, we find out more and more about what Eleanor went through as a child and why she feels like she doesn't deserve what she has.  But Raymond, and many others start to show her how much she is worth.

This was a great book.  Eleanor is a quirky character that has been repeated in other books that I have liked (a few of Fredrik Backman's characters come to mind).  She doesn't vary from routine.  She is not a typical 30 year old - doesn't own a computer or smart phone.  Doesn't have stylish clothes or is up on the latest trends.  She finds people around her silly and frivolous.  It is hard for her to be forgiving of herself and others.

But she does learn to change, and in the end she has all the things she ever wished for.  All the main characters in the book are likable and well developed.  The story evolves at a good pace.  I highly recommend the book.

Stars: 4 1/2

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