Title : Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine
Author : Gail Honeyman
Narrators : Cathleen McCarron
Publisher : Macmillan Audio
Listening Length : 11 hours 2 minutes
Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Narrator Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2
I started reading this book sometime ago, but it just couldn’t hold interest. It had seemed right up my alley, so I decided to give it another chance as an audiobook. As it turns out the book was quite entertaining, especially with the fabulous narration.
Eleanor Oliphant is a single woman who lives a lonely, almost regimental life with a fixed schedule. There is vodka on the weekends and unnerving calls with mommy on weekdays. She does not have any friends and is considered odd and eccentric by her workmates.
“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.”
One day, she meets the IT guy Raymond Gibbons at her workplace when she needs help with her computer. She does not form a high opinion of him, but he is friendly and when by chance, they both get embroiled in a situation outside work, Eleanor gets to know him better.
This book is told in the first person, so we really get to hear from Eleanor! She’s an interesting person if a little quirky. There is a tragic side to her life which we are introduced to a little by little, the reason why Eleanor is the way she is. There are scars on her face and the calls with mommy aren’t the comforting familial chats you would expect with a mother.
I quite liked Eleanor’s character, and felt a lot of sympathy for her. Her normalcy, and ideas of the ordinary are on a different plane. She speaks her mind, but given that her social niceties aren’t quite on par, her actions are sometimes viewed as rude.
“No thank you,” I said. “I don’t want to accept a drink from you, because then I would be obliged to purchase one for you in return, and I’m afraid I’m simply not interested in spending two drinks’ worth of time with you.”
Despite the raw hand that has been dealt her, Eleanor means no harm, and we become quite invested in her story. Her attempts to learn and grow and to try new things are endearing. Sometimes these result in misunderstandings and hilarity like her visit to the waxing salon – so there is humor along with the suspense!
It is heartwarming to see Eleanor’s evolution and growth. It is a long journey, but we hope that Eleanor will be fine. And that is reward enough.
This lovely, feel-good book poignantly highlights the basic goodness of people. I highly recommend it, especially in audio form. Narrator Cathleen McCarran is wonderful, and she manages to bring out Eleanor’s quirky personality.
