Book Review | Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

I had an elementary school teacher who liked to positively praise a job well done by training us all to stand up simultaneously,  form the letter “O” above our heads with our arms, and then say, “Let’s give them a Standing O-VATION” (so basically training us to be some sort of choreographed nerd-herd with dad humor). I flashed back to that phrase when I finished this book. It would most definitely get a STANDING O-VATION.  

The story revolves around Eleanor Oliphant, a 30-year-old woman who has a traumatic upbringing that she has repressed. Eleanor’s life consists of a strict routine that keeps her physical needs met, and not much else. As the story progresses, Eleanor steps outside of her comfort zone, develops relationships with other people, and starts the process of healing and combating loneliness. Despite dealing with the subject of trauma, the book is heartwarming, witty, comical and uplifting (with the occasional sad part woven in). 

Eleanor Oliphant is such an interesting and three-dimensional character. She’s fairly unlikable at the start of the book, but as the reader gets to know her thought process and history, she becomes endearing and lovable. I think that her inner monologue was the funniest part of the book. I also liked the quirky cast of characters that made up her little world, and I think that it’s important that it wasn’t a romance driven novel. It was truly about Eleanor and her own personal growth. 

In terms of trauma, I think that Eleanor is a pretty accurate representation of someone who experienced childhood adversity. She has many limits, judgments and rules set in an attempt to keep some kind of control and avoid pain. When the book delved deeper into her history, it didn’t magically resolve every issue that Eleanor’s ever had, which I found to be so refreshing. 

I highly recommend this one! It was a very memorable and inspirational read.