Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

I must be rather lucky with my reading for the time being. I have read so many really good books. The best books ever, A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles, seems to have been just the beginning. Just read Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman, and ended up with another really, really, good book. 

"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 existence, Except, sometimes, everything..."

As the summary tells us, Elanor Oliphant is a down to earth, simple woman who has planned her life accordingly. She is happy and satisfied and does not seem to lack anything. Maybe we laugh a little bit about her in the beginning or wondering why she lives such a plain life, without very much excitement. Well, we are about to learn a great deal about Eleanor Oliphant.

Her perfectly planned life is changing due to two men; Raymond, the new computer technician at her work, and Johnnie Rocks, a musician, and singer. The first one becomes a friend and the second one is her chosen boyfriend to be. The only thing is; Johnnie does not know it and they have not yet met.

This is in a way both a hilarious and a sad book. However, Honeyman manages to be so honest about Eleanor, that very soon we just love her. We realise that she suffers from a trauma in her childhood, maybe have some kind of syndrome, that makes it difficult for her to show and feel emotions. We are eagerly following her own kind of logic, realises when it will go wrong, and are happy when things are going well. It is a fantastic book about life, circumstances and our possibilities to change our lives. Sometimes with a little bit of help. I will not add more than this in order not to spoil the story. We are surprised about Eleanor and her life as we follow her path to another, hopefully, happier life.

In an interview in The Guardian, Gail Honeyman said: "I didn't want Eleanor Oliphant to be portrayed as a victim." Indeed, she has not. It is a wonderfully written account over a difficult life, but where Eleanor has found her a place where she can live. It is only when outside forces enter into her life, that she is at first, terrified, and then hoping for something else. The end is quite surprising. It is a must-read.

I hope the quotes I have chosen here, give you an idea of the character of Eleanor Oliphant.  You just can't help loving her, and when you have reached this point, you do realise she is completely fine.