Wow! It's hard for me to put into words how TERRIFIC this book was! As soon as I finished reading, there was absolutely no doubt in my mind that this would be 5 stars – in fact, if I could give more stars, I absolutely would (knowing how stingy I am with 5 star ratings, that's definitely saying a lot)!
Judging from the reviews I've read, it seems that for most readers, the character of Eleanor Oliphant was not too likable at first, but then she eventually grew on them as the story progressed. For me – well, I actually LOVED Eleanor from the getgo! Her quirky personality, her social-awkwardness and the "unique" world-view she seemed to have on things that always made her come across as "weird" to others, her obsessive-compulsiveness with things such as hygiene, safeguarding her personal info, proper speech and etiquette, her stubborn persistence and insistence on doing things a certain way, etc. -- all of these things were oh so familiar because I actually knew someone exactly like Eleanor (she was a former co-worker of mine at the company I used to work for). As I was reading about Eleanor's successful and not-so-successful attempts at social interaction (most of which made me smile or laugh, especially with the "spot-on" descriptions of the other parties' reactions), I couldn't help thinking about my former co-worker – whom we all loved dearly -- and shaking my head in wonder at the similarities. The scene at the computer shop, the pizza delivery episode, the name thing at the coffee shop, the initial "meeting" between Eleanor and Raymond and the subsequent "impression" that she has of him – I laughed as I read because so many of those scenes were déjà vu for me, having experienced them (or a variant of those same scenarios) with my co-worker friend at some point. It was fun getting the chance to relive all those hilarious moments with a friend I adored!
Fun and humor and personal connection aside though, there was also a serious element to this book with the story of Eleanor's past – the rough childhood, the many negative experiences she had, and most significantly, the tragic "incident" that had left her physically, mentally, and emotionally scarred. I found tears streaming down my face at certain points and my heart went out to Eleanor during those moments when her overwhelming sense of loneliness and self-loathing would get the best of her. I felt simultaneously angry and sad hearing Eleanor's phone conversations with her "Mummy" and finding out bit by bit the horrible way that she had been treated by her mother – the manipulation, the abuse, the utter hatred that it is unfathomable for any mother to ever have against her own child. Those parts were heartbreaking to read, but they were powerful -- for me especially, it made me reflect on my own relationship with my mother and how the misunderstandings and quarrels we've had over the years seem so petty now. The author Gail Honeyman did an excellent job with the characterization of Eleanor as well as the other significant characters in the story (such as Raymond, Sammy, Eleanor's mother, etc.). These were all characters that I won't easily forget and Eleanor I know will always have a special place in my heart!
I would be amiss not to mention the writing in this book, which was beautiful and perfect. Honeyman has a masterful way with words and I was absolutely drawn in from the first page – when I started reading, I got really into Eleanor's story and found it difficult to break away for even a few minutes. The fact that this book was a roller coaster ride for me emotionally also speaks to Honeyman's immense talent as a writer. Rarely does a book take me through such a wide range of the emotional spectrum, but this one definitely did: I laughed at the many funny moments created by Eleanor's witty observations of the people and things around her, I cried during those heartbreaking moments when Eleanor painstakingly wrestled with the demons from her past, I felt sadness and sympathy for what Eleanor had to go through at such a young age and how that shaped who she became, and anger at how she was treated by her mother and the grip her mother still had on her that affected her ability to feel any emotion and move on with her life.
When I found out that this was Honeyman's debut novel, I just about fell out of my chair – for sure I will be in line for whatever Honeyman decides to write next! Absolutely recommended read!
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