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)
