This week’s Staff Pick is Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. When we first meet Eleanor, she is a reclusive creature of habit. She has no social life or skills to speak of, choosing instead to stay home and drink large quantities of vodka alone on the weekends. Her only source of regular human contact outside of work is her ‘Mummy,’ with whom she has extremely unpleasant and abusive phone conversations with on a weekly basis. Despite all of this, Eleanor habitually insists that her life is “fine;” she claims that, since all of her material needs are met (food, clothing, shelter, etc.), there is nothing to complain about. Worse, she is convinced that there is nothing more to aspire to in life than mere subsistence. A chance encounter with her coworker Raymond (himself an outcast of sorts), begins a series of events that, while finally filling up her social calendar, begin to make Eleanor aware that not all is as it should be. The book deals expertly with the subjects of mental health and happiness, and prompts the reader to ask important questions about their own well-being with the use of beautiful prose and memorable characters. Full of wit, humor, and effortless charm, this book is highly recommended.
Thanks for reading!
-George, FTPL
