Title: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine
Author: Gail Honeyman
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication date: 18 May 2017
Genre: General fiction
Pages: 400

Eleanor Oliphant is firmly settled into her routine. She starts work at 8.30am, buys a newspaper and completes the crossword in her lunch break, heads home at 5.30pm on the dot and listens to The Archers over a simple one pot, one plate dinner each night. On Fridays, she breaks the daily routine with a visit to Tesco on her way home to buy a ready-made pizza and two bottles of vodka to see her through the weekend.

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine is a contender for my book of the year. A stunning debut, it explores loneliness, addiction and abuse. When Eleanor and Raymond, who works in the IT department, witness an elderly gentleman fall in the street, an unlikely friendship blossoms and the three rescue each other from the different kinds of loneliness, solitude and isolation they are experiencing.

Eleanor is an excellent character. Her voice is unique and memorable, quite unlike any other I’ve read in fiction, and she made me laugh out loud on several occasions. I love how she assumes that everyone else (especially the people in her office, who are more interested in gossip than accounts) is terrible at communication, despite the reality being that she comes across in a manner that puts others on edge.

It is really Raymond’s quiet empathy that I fell for though. I have so much respect for him.

Tender and touching, Eleanor’s story has been compared to Don Tillman’s in The Rosie Project. This is presumably because Eleanor appears to be on the autism spectrum (although this is never stated), but the tone is quite different.

A perfect blend of humour, heart and a touch of mystery surrounding her past, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine is a compelling read. I have already pushed it onto my work book club and I will be recommending it to everyone I know!

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not sure what to say about this book? It's simply unique? We all need an Eleanor in our lives at some point- cold calling responses are hilarious and I'm going to use them to repeat offenders. It's an incredibly well written book that has stayed with me and perhaps will for really long time! This being a debut novel makes me sick- this author has so much talent I can't wait for the next! A funny, interesting, warm, unique and emotional book you'll remember for a long time! And if you don't 'I know where you live' hahaha

I’ve been taken by Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine from the moment I first came across it’s synopsis. It's a novel that has captured my complete and utter attention from it’s first page to it’s very last, and I can honestly say, I will miss Eleanor sorely now it’s over.

When we’re first introduced to Eleanor, it would be a fair statement to make in saying her life is nothing short of mundane. In a world of isolation, regimented routine and structure are a comfort to her. She is a very unique individual and it quickly transpires her behaviours reach far beyond the realm of being labelled “quirks”

A day that begins like any other is interrupted by an incident that would become an coming of age story for our Eleanor. I became her protector and her champion, and felt everyone of her emotions along her. Peeling back the layers revealed an astute woman with a devilish sense of humour, who like all of us wants to find her place in the world.

Gail Honeyman’s story telling and characterisation are at the very least sublime. Her ability to convey Eleanor and her experiences were at times simply breath taking. She quite literally brings to life the character of Eleanor Oliphant and I’m filled with absolute elation to have been lucky enough to have met her.

I really loved this book and its main character Eleanor Oliphant, who lives a very simple life with very few people and interactions in it.

Eleanor does not have any friends or family and does not appear to have the social skills to integrate happily with society. It is clear from the beginning that there has been some sort of major trauma in Eleanor’s life that has caused her to be this way. I almost suspected that Eleanor was on the autism spectrum such was her behavior.

As the story develops the reader becomes aware of how disturbed the thirty-year-old young woman is following a traumatic fire during her childhood and her steps towards uncovering and accepting what happened.

Eleanor finds an unlikely friend in a fellow work colleague Raymond who is kind and understanding of her. He helps her in her time of need and brings her out of herself helping her find her confidence in life. By the end of the book I found myself really rooting for the heroine to find happiness and to have people she can rely on.

An excellent read and great first novel by Gail Honeyman, I am looking forward to further novels from her in the future.

Eleanor is a creature of habit - she goes to work every day, does the same job that she has done all of her working life, eats the same meals all the time and every weekend buys herself two bottles of vodka to drink while she is not at work

When she wins a couple of tickets for a gig she gets someone from work to go with her, but the night changes her life - she is sure that the lead singer of the support band is her destiny! She realises that she has to change and sets about sorting out her appearance and tries to learn how to interact with other people - suddenly she is becoming a different person

I loved this story - Eleanor is obviously on the asbergers/autism scale and does not realise how she appears (or when not to say what she thinks!) but gradually she starts to learn and she blossoms and suddenly her life is changing....even though she has always thought there was nothing wrong with it......and people then respond to her

This is an outstanding first novel. It is funny, warm, sad and yet full of hope. I literally could not put this book down. Rarely does a character captivate as Eleanor Oliphant does. Hers is a story of heartbreak and neglect, a life spent trying to fit in. I laughed out loud throughout at misplaced timings and words, identifying with the awkward social situations and ridiculous demands society can place upon us. This will be an undoubted hit. It is raw and emotional and at the same time joyous, a rare find of a book.

I really enjoyed this book. It is different from any book I have read. Eleanor has so many problems. Her story is told in a sympathetic and sometimes humorous way. at the start of the book her behaviour is very similar to Aspergers. She has no friends and leads a very lonely life. Her life is totally different by the next of the book and that is wonderful to read.

I can't tell you enough how much I loved this book , I wasn't sure at first if I was going to enjoy it purely because of the first description of Eleanor but I was was very impressed as I progressed into the book I really felt for her deprived of all the things we take for granted in childhood and in adulthood and the terrible things that she had gone through and the mentality that she has , I loved all the characters in this book especially Raymond I loved his colourful language and humour and he is just the sort of friend I would love to have .
This book will have you in tears with laughter and sobs of tears with sadness.
Big fat 5 star read x

I absolutely loved this book. I loved the main character she was so sweet and quirky but very strange as well. She certainly made me laugh. This was entirely different from my normal kind of book but I'm so glad I read it.

Eleanor Oliphant is completely brilliant! This is far and away the best book I've read this year. I had assumed from the title that the story was going to be something along the lines of Bridget Jones, but the book cover with the burned out matches (on the UK version) intrigued me and I thought perhaps there was more to it - maybe a psychological suspense?

It turned out I was completely wrong about that too! There is no big 'twist you'll never see coming'; there are no big twists at all, just a very clever story, about an unusual and very interesting character, whose past history is revealed a tiny bit at a time. (Pay particular attention about halfway through). I'm not quite sure what genre to classify this as. It did remind me of We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson, but I think that is more the style of writing; it's not really a psychological suspense.

The story is about Eleanor Oliphant who is nearly thirty years old. She's been in the same job since leaving university, has no ambition, and is happy to just keep doing the same things every day for the rest of her life. However, she has no friends - she has no social skills at all - and the kind of things the rest of us take for granted - smart phones, social media, etc - completely flummox her. The other clue that things are not quite right in her life, is that she drinks two bottles of vodka every weekend, and has developed a crush on a musician who she is convinced will fall madly in love with her once he realises she exists. And every Wednesday she speaks with her horrible mother, who completely tears her any self-confidence she has built up over the previous week to shreds. To me, she felt like a 1930s debutante who had suddenly been plonked into the 21st century and was completely clueless.

Of course, things can't carry on like this and one simple act of kindness will turn Eleanor's ordered life upside down.

The story is told from Eleanor's point of view and, as well as being absolutely hilarious (this is one of those books that actually does have lots of those 'laugh out loud' moments), is by turns sweet, funny, sad, quirky, poignant, touching, incredible lovely and completely wonderful. I loved it!

Eleanor Oliphant is a creature of habit. Aged thirty she is still working as an Accounts Assistant at the firm that she joined straight after her degree. She has the same meal deal for lunch every day and passes the time doing the Daily Telegraph crossword. She wears the same white blouse every day (she has five identical ones) and the same black velcro shoes. Every weekend she buys two litre bottles of vodka and drinks them to pass the time till she goes to work again.

Eleanor exists. She doesn't live. A figure of fun for all her work colleagues she tends to keep to herself. She isn't unhappy, it is just the life that she has carved out for herself. She knows that she is different. And its not just the scar tissue that covers one side of her face that marks her out. From when she buys the vodka on a Friday night she doesn't speak to anyone until she gets the bus to work on Monday morning.

Coaxed into an act of kindness by Raymond, the IT guy at work, Eleanor is suddenly thrust into a world of new people and new experiences. All of the carefully constructed walls that she has built around herself are under threat and she has to learn how to survive in this new world.

It is hard to believe that Eleanor Oliphant is the first book from Scottish author Gail Honeyman. Beautifully written, this book will tug at your heartstrings and force you to think about mental illness and how badly we judge people who suffer from it. It also has an element of a thriller about it as we discover why Eleanor isn't fine.

Eleanor is very well read, impeccably spoken and with very sophisticated food tastes. Despite her quirks she is a wonderfully human character and you just want to be her friend.

“A philosophical question: if a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? And if a woman who's wholly alone occasionally talks to a pot plant, is she certifiable? I think that it is perfectly normal to talk to oneself occasionally. It's not as though I'm expecting a reply. I'm fully aware that Polly is a houseplant.”

I can't recommend this book highly enough. It really is one of the best stories that I've read all year. Moving and suspenseful, all in one white polyester and black velcro clad package.

Supplied by Net Galley and Harper Collins in exchange for an honest review.

UK Publication date: May 18 2017. 299 pages.

I loved Eleanor Oliphant. Just loved her. The best character in fiction that I've read in a very long time.
This is Gail Honeyman's debut novel and what a find Ms Honeyman is for creating such realistic people who the reader can cheer on throughout her journey.

Eleanor is a single woman who lives alone, has a specific routine which she daily follows to the letter and the only people outside of work she communicates with is the owner of her local corner shop and a weekly telephone conversation with her mother. Each weekend is spent alone, eating pizza and drinking vodka. And then she falls for a rock star.

I am not going to reveal anything of the plot but urge everyone I know to read this sometimes sad but also laugh aloud and uplifting novel. My book of 2017 without a doubt. I did wonder if the choice of the name Eleanor had anything to do with the Beatles' Eleanor Rigby and all those 'lonely people'. Thanks so much to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read and review Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine.

A lovely moving story with some sad and some laugh out loud moments. Well worth five stars

Eleanor Oliphant is so ordinary, her life is so organised and almost boring. She has some sort of facial disfigurement , regular phone calls from "mummy" in prison. She hurts no one, though is very opinionated and says what she thinks, goes to work, doesn't have friends and is sometimes quietly made fun of. She wants so much to be different and accepted. Until an act of kindness changes her life in more ways than one.

This is such a lovely book, beautifully written, funny, sad, something is lurking throughout that insists you read on. Totally gripping in fact.


She has major issues which she appears to deal with, but does she really?. Her horizons open up, she's brave and tries new things, . I wanted her to be happy but nothing prepared me for the ending.

I am so glad that the publisher and NetGalley allowed me to read and review this book and I hope other readers will love it too.

This is a surprisingly quick read once you get into it – which admittedly took me several days, as I really wasn’t feeling this at the beginning. The story covers Eleanor, who has a strict routine, and what happens when she finds herself outside of that routine.

I wasn’t sure about Eleanor at first – I really couldn’t connect to her character, but as I read further into it, she really grew on me. Eleanor has a really distinct voice, as do the supporting characters – even if we don’t see very much of most of them.

This is a strong first novel from a strong author. I can’t wait to see what she does next.

A very quirky debut novel about a young women who does not fit into the norms of society.
Eleanor leads a very quiet and boring life living the same routine day in and day out that is until she comes to the aid of a little old man who collapsed on the street. Then her life changes gradually and as this happens we learn about Eleanor,s life and the factors that have moulded her I to the person that she is today.
It is a very cleverly written book that deals sensitivity with some very difficult subjects.

Oh what a book......
Eleanor Oliphant is lonely person, who survives the week days embroiled in her full time job and the weekend soaked in vodka. Eleanor is self contained, tragic, logical, warm, and endearing: a character - so well written she breathes.

With a child hood spent in trauma, and an accident leaving her scarred, Eleanor never stops to consider her value: she has been so unloved that she doesn't even recognise the need for it. Weekly calls to her mother are the social event of her life, until a chance encounter with a colleague, and an old man lead to an abrupt change of routine, and a thirst for new experiences. Change isn't always easy and we watch Eleanor unpick her dark childhood and work through experiences and emotions that she should have had at a much earlier age. The other characters in the book are equally brilliant. This isn't a depressing read, it's heartwarming and magical.

I was transfixed by this book, it really is an exceptional debut novel.

If you enjoyed a man called Ove then this is one for you.

Thank you to Netgalley, publisher and author for providing me with an advance copy to review.

I started this book thinking I wasn't going to like it, I don't know why as by the end of the first chapter I loved it.
Eleanor oliphant is the main character in this book she is a social outcast due to her upbringing that has been harsh and heart breaking for her. We start off with Eleanor following a strict regime of work, eat, sleep and at weekend just vodka and sleep not realising this is how she has made her life like this in order to cope with her social inadequacy and her mothers weekly phone call that belittles and hurts Eleanor.
Eleanor's life takes a turn for the change when she helps Raymond (the computer geek where she works) save an elderly man after a fall. Here Eleanor is almost forced to attend functions she wouldn't normally and starts to find out what it's like to have friends. Raymond and Eleanor become good friends and he helps her find out about her past, which isn't a good one.
I would like to thank netgalley and Harper Collins publishers for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine isn't she?
She gets up every morning diligently carries out her duties at the advertising firm where she works, comes home eats pasta and pesto every night, does the crossword and goes to bed. Every weekend she stays at home, drinks vodka and slips into oblivion until Monday morning appears once again.
You see Eleanor is lonely, she talks to her absentee mother every Wednesday and has no other family or indeed any friends.
Her plain speaking, saying it as it is, the scar down one side of her face, the ill fitting lacklustre clothes, mark her as different, a bit 'mental'
Then, she encounters, Raymond, the company IT man and develops a crush on a handsome singer she sees at a gig she wins tickets to and all of a sudden Eleanor's live begins to change.
I'm not going to say any more because I want everyone to read this truly wonderful debut novel.
It will make you laugh and cry. It will make you question what it means to be lonely, to not know what life can really be like if you just take those first few steps to open up and reach out to someone
Honeyman's characterisation of Eleanor is so good, really plunging the depths of her angst and emotions, pulling the reader in , making the reader turn those pages faster to find out what happens to Eleanor next. Will she drown in her loneliness or will she emerge like a beautiful butterfly from the confines of a chrysalis that has for so long protected her from people and modern life?
The writing is such that I became totally immersed in the story, empathising with Eleanor, laughing at her odd take on life and shedding the odd tear at the sad moments.
I particularly loved the relationship between Raymond and Eleanor, her first real friend, the first person to accept her for who she was and didn't think her mad, the one to pick up the pieces and encourage her to believe.
If from this review you are thinking this is a tragic sad novel, then yes it is, but it is also funny and more importantly full of hope.
Already, optioned to be made into a film by Reese Witherspoon, this novel is destined for great things, so make sure you buy it and read it!
Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read and review.