Eleanor Oliphant works as an accountant for a design company in Glasgow. She has a routine which makes her feel comfortable, wearing the same clothes, eating the same food, and doing the daily puzzles. She doesn’t have any friends but she is completely fine. Until she falls in love with the lead singer of a local band. Convincing herself that they are meant to be together, Eleanor starts to stalk him on social media (to a point that borders on obsession) and recreates herself, buying new clothes and wearing make-up. But her life completely changes when she meets Raymond, the new IT guy at her company. Raymond is intrigued by Eleanor and doesn’t seem to mind all her quirks. Although Eleanor isn’t too interested in getting to know Raymond, their lives are thrown together after they help Sammy, a man who fell ill on the street. As Eleanor spends more time with Raymond, his mother, and Sammy, she learns to overcome her difficulties and her fears and to stand up for herself.
I enjoyed this engaging and thought-provoking debut novel. I laughed and I cried (just a tiny bit) and I just loved the character of Eleanor. Eleanor seems weird and lacking in social skills, but she is also funny, intelligent and a kind and generous person with a dark and heartbreaking childhood. (NP)
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, the debut novel by Gail Honeyman, is about a woman who struggles with social interaction. The summary says: "Eleanor Oliphant has learned how to survive - but not how to live.
Eleanor Oliphant leads a simple life. She wears the same clothes to work every day, eats the same meal deal for lunch every day and buys the same two bottles of vodka to drink every weekend.
Eleanor Oliphant is happy. Nothing is missing from her carefully timetabled life. Except, sometimes, everything.
One simple act of kindness is about to shatter the walls Eleanor has built around herself. Now she must learn how to navigate the world that everyone else seems to take for granted - while searching for the courage to face the dark corners she's avoided all her life. Change can be good. Change can be bad. But surely any change is better than... fine?" Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine is out in May 2017.