The Modeltypeface Book Club: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine
Welcome to my first book review of 2019! Some books make me lose all self-control and this is undoubtedly one of them. Usually I have to limit myself when I read and tell myself: “One more chapter then I sleep,” but with some tomes I just have to accept that sleep will not be a priority until I’ve finished the blighter. This specimen kept me up until 4:30 am, TWICE!
The book is centred around Eleanor Oliphant, an extremely self-contained 31-year-old woman who is hilariously matter-of-fact and detached in her descriptions of life, people and places. She has no truck with social niceties and office politics, as illustrated in her description of a wedding reception:
“The other guests did seem to be enjoying themselves, or at least I assume that to have been the case. They were shuffling on the dance floor, red-faced and drunk. Their shoes looked uncomfortable and they were shouting the words of the songs into each other’s faces. I’ll never go to such an event again. It simply wasn’t worth it, just for a cup of tea and a slice of cake.”
It’s unclear as to why she’s like this, but sprinkled throughout the story are tantalising breadcrumb clues. She has a dreadful scar on her face; there are frequent conversations with her emotionally abusive ‘Mummy’ and she gives oddly objective descriptions about horrifying-sounding events in her past. As the book develops, we learn that social services visit regularly, and we can slowly piece together facts.
Eleanor could quite easily continue living her friendless isolated life, working as a low-level finance clerk and spending her weekends drinking huge quantities of alcohol, but for two key events. Alongside her new colleague, the bumbling Raymond, she helps a man who has an accident on the street and slowly, irresistibly becomes connected to his family and network of people. Secondly, she develops a crush on the singer of a band, which leads her on a mission to be an ‘acceptable-looking woman’: make up, clothes and – eek – waxing.
You’ll laugh at her observations, which remain hilarious throughout (I often had to put the book down until a giggle fit subsided) and also get that delicious teary-eyed feeling as she discovers the physical and emotional fulfilment you can only get with sharing empathy and vulnerability with others.
It really got me thinking about loneliness and the effect we can have on one another. I wanted to cry every time someone was unwittingly kind to Eleanor despite her cold, alienating manner. Eleanor knew when people were side-eying her and laughing, which she noted without hurt, and when she was treated in a decent, loving way I wanted to hug that person! Neither they nor Eleanor knew how important their actions were in guiding her into the warmth of human connection.
It’s just a completely perfect mix of clever humour, painfully raw emotions and a deep intrigue into Eleanor’s past. These all come together to give you enormous sympatico with the protagonist as you can’t help but want to know what made her like this and what will come of Eleanor in the end.
I also really appreciated that this isn’t a romantic story, and while you sort of think that Eleanor and Raymond are going to end up together and her life would become normal marriage and kids, it simply isn’t the focus: her development as a person is. It’s so well-written and never runs out of steam, which can happen with such strong characters. I pray that there’ll be a sequel although it’s unlikely, but fortunately Reece Witherspoon has bought the film rights so I’ll get another dose!
I seriously cannot wait to re-read this baby. Check it out!
Rebecca x
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