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Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine: Debut Sunday Times Bestseller and Costa First Novel Book Award winner Paperback – 25 Jan. 2018
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Over 2.5 million copies sold
‘Funny, touching and unpredictable’ Jojo Moyes
‘Heartwrenching and wonderful’ Nina Stibbe
Winner of Costa First Novel Award, a No.1 Sunday Times bestseller and the Book of the Year
Eleanor Oliphant has learned how to survive - but not how to live
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 life. Except, sometimes, everything.
One simple act of kindness is about to shatter the walls Eleanor has built around herself. Now she must learn how to navigate the world that everyone else seems to take for granted - while searching for the courage to face the dark corners she's avoided all her life.
Change can be good. Change can be bad. But surely any change is better than.... fine?
‘Moving, funny and devastating’The Herald
‘Unforgettable, brilliant, funny and life-affirming’ Daily Mail
‘I adored it. Skilled, perceptive, Eleanor's world will feel familiar to you from the very first page. An outstanding debut!’ Joanna Cannon
- Print length400 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherHarperCollins
- Publication date25 Jan. 2018
- Dimensions12.9 x 3 x 19.8 cm
- ISBN-100008172145
- ISBN-13978-0008172145
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Review
‘A truly original literary creation: funny, touching and unpredictable. Her journey out of the shadows is expertly woven and absolutely gripping’ Jojo Moyes
‘Original [and] unexpectedly funny’ SUNDAY TIMES
‘As perceptive and wise as it is funny and endearing… Warm, funny and thought-provoking’ OBSERVER
‘A narrative full of quiet warmth and deep and unspoken sadness… Wonderful and joyful’ Jenny Colgan, GUARDIAN
‘Unforgettable, brilliant, funny and life-affirming’ Wendy Holden, DAILY MAIL
‘I adored it. Skilled, perceptive, Eleanor's world will feel familiar to you from the very first page. An outstanding debut!’ Joanna Cannon
‘Hugely original, a funny and sad tale of a survivor who tackles the challenges of emotional reconnection with grave courage. Unmissable.’ SUNDAY EXPRESS
‘A truly original voice and so good on loneliness: I sobbed and sobbed’ Cathy Rentzenbrink
‘An outstanding debut about loneliness and the power of a little kindness’ MAIL ON SUNDAY
‘So powerful – I completely loved Eleanor Oliphant’ Fiona Barton
‘An absolute joy, laugh-out-loud funny but deeply moving’ DAILY EXPRESS
‘Heartbreaking’ Bryony Gordon
‘Deft, compassionate and moving’ Paula McLain
‘Heartwrenching and wonderful’ Nina Stibbe
‘Heartbreaking and heartwarming’ STYLIST
‘Brave, smart and funny… the most refreshing and heartwarming debut I’ve read in some time’ YORKSHIRE POST
‘Moving, funny and devastating’ THE HERALD
‘Quirky, witty and absorbing’ HEAT
‘Warm and funny, moving and deeply original, Eleanor Oliphant is completely marvellous’ Gavin Extence
‘A beautiful and delicate balance between funny and heartbreaking… restores your faith in humanity’ RED
‘You’ll laugh and cry reading this fine debut’ PRIMA
‘Impeccable’ Dawn O’Porter
‘Delightful, dark and moving’ Sarah Pinborough
‘Warm, quirky and fun, with a real poignancy underneath’ Julie Cohen
‘A stunning debut! I laughed, wept and reflected’ Lucy Clarke
‘Satisfyingly quirky’ NEW YORK TIMES
Book Description
Debut Sunday Times Bestseller and Costa First Novel Book Award winner
From the Back Cover
Eleanor Oliphant is happy. Nothing is missing from her carefully timetabled life. Except, sometimes, everything.
One simple act of kindness is about to shatter the walls Eleanor has built around herself. Now she must learn how to navigate the world that everyone else seems to take for granted - while searching for the courage to face the dark corners she's avoided all her life.
Change can be good. Change can be bad. But surely any change is better than.... fine?
About the Author
Gail Honeyman’s debut novel, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, won the Costa First Novel Award 2017, and has been longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction and the Desmond Elliott Prize.
As a work in progress, it was shortlisted for the Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize. Since publication, translation rights have sold to over thirty territories worldwide and Reese Witherspoon has optioned it for film.
Gail lives in Glasgow.
Product details
- Publisher : HarperCollins; 1st edition (25 Jan. 2018)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 400 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0008172145
- ISBN-13 : 978-0008172145
- Dimensions : 12.9 x 3 x 19.8 cm
- Best Sellers Rank: 3,050 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 110 in Love, Sex & Marriage Humour
- 229 in Women's Literary Fiction (Books)
- 391 in Psychological Fiction (Books)
- Customer reviews:
About the author
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Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read book recommendations and more.
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book an engaging read with a humorous and witty tone. They enjoy the original story with its effective plot and powerful storytelling. Readers describe the book as heartbreaking and thought-provoking, with well-described characters and depth. The writing style is described as easy to understand and accessible.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the book engaging and well-crafted. They describe it as a classic and joy to read. The characters are vividly described and their interactions are well-done.
"...Great read." Read more
"...Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine is a wonderful novel which, through its strong characterisation and powerful storytelling drew me in to Eleanor..." Read more
"...Her specialness and otherness is endearing and engaging, her lack of off filter absolutely hysterical at times...." Read more
"...Overall, I absolutely loved reading EOICF. It’s so different from anything I’ve ever read before and I think that’s why I enjoyed it so much...." Read more
Customers enjoy the humor in the book. They find it witty and whimsical, with dark topics being made hilarious. The story is entertaining, making readers smile, cry, and laugh out loud at times. Readers describe the author as engaging and lyrical in her descriptions of nature.
"...because it is funny, sincere, thought-provoking and utterly, utterly devastating...." Read more
"...Funny and sad, it painfully peels back the layers that Eleanor has carefully encased herself in, stuck down as firmly as her sensible, Velcro-..." Read more
"...I felt the book was like the two sides of a coin: on one side was a witty, enjoyable, humorous story, and on the other side, a very sad, poignant..." Read more
"...A great book that focuses on mental health, yet also captures humour; however, at times it felt like it really dragged on...." Read more
Customers enjoy the story and characters. They find the plot effective, amusing, and believable. The powerful storytelling draws them into Eleanor's world. While the overall theme is uplifting, some readers find the ending unexpected.
"...Ultimately, this is a feel-good story, but you have to work a little for it...." Read more
"...wonderful novel which, through its strong characterisation and powerful storytelling drew me in to Eleanor’s world...." Read more
"...I thought the use of plot was also very effective. I liked how the book is split into sections labelled ‘Good Days’, ‘Bad Days’ and ‘Better Days’...." Read more
"This book has a good pace, it keeps you hanging at just the right times and it makes you want to come back for more...." Read more
Customers find the story charming and heartbreaking in equal measure. They describe it as a great book that makes them laugh, cry, and think. Readers mention it has a real-life touch and pulls at their heartstrings.
"...because it is funny, sincere, thought-provoking and utterly, utterly devastating...." Read more
"...Funny and sad, it painfully peels back the layers that Eleanor has carefully encased herself in, stuck down as firmly as her sensible, Velcro-..." Read more
"...She made me laugh and she made me tear up, I feel as though I got to know Eleanor so well throughout the book and was genuinely sad to let her go as..." Read more
"...side was a witty, enjoyable, humorous story, and on the other side, a very sad, poignant and powerful story that could reduce many people to tears...." Read more
Customers find the book well-written and easy to read. They appreciate the first-person narration and wide vocabulary. The story has a light touch that makes it believable.
"...Excellent concise writing with clear and insightful characterisation. Well observed and poignant without stooping to sentimentality...." Read more
"...The writing is stunning, I loved every bit...." Read more
"...And as you continue to read the story, the reasoning becomes clearer, and, before you know it, the sour attitude you may have had from the beginning..." Read more
"...in someone else’s head and listening to the “no filter” yet perfectly logical questions that the main character Eleanor asks herself, stuff we often..." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's character development. They find the characters believable and well-developed. The author skillfully reveals their distinctive traits through subtle scenes. Readers describe the main character as eccentric and oddball. Overall, they find it a good introduction to Eleanor and her life, with a surprising twist at the end.
"...Excellent concise writing with clear and insightful characterisation. Well observed and poignant without stooping to sentimentality...." Read more
"...Gail Honeyman has created a wonderful character in Eleanor, I fell head over heels in love with her, I loved her quirks, I loved her thought..." Read more
"Eleanor Oliphant has good days, bad days and better days...." Read more
"...I liked the build up from the beginning, I thought it was a good introduction to Eleanor and her life but at the same time her past is always a..." Read more
Customers find the book uplifting and inspiring. They describe it as a refreshing insight into the mind, emotions, and tribulations. The book holds their interest throughout, following the author's journey of healing. Readers learn about the true meaning of friendship and trust from the sensitively written and carefully researched story.
"...Well observed and poignant without stooping to sentimentality. Great read." Read more
"...because it is funny, sincere, thought-provoking and utterly, utterly devastating...." Read more
"...Acts of kindness, an ill-conceived infatuation and an unexpected friendship cause Eleanor to realise that she isn’t the guilty, hopeless and..." Read more
"...I found it deeply thought-provoking and I loved the experience of wanting to cry one second and then suddenly wanting to laugh by the next sentence...." Read more
Customers appreciate the book's pacing and character development. They say it's engaging, with a real sense of setting and distinct characters. The mystery unfolds slowly, with a shift in tone that they enjoy. Overall, the book is described as gentle, funny, and heartwarming.
"...story is very much told through these sections and I really liked this shift in tone and how it structured the novel as a whole...." Read more
"...She is bright but unassuming, critical yet generous, kind yet unforgiving in many other ways, especially toward herself...." Read more
"...It's so understated, not what you'll find on the flaps of most IT books. If the verbiage had been over-the-top nonsense, I wouldn't have bothered...." Read more
"This book has a good pace, it keeps you hanging at just the right times and it makes you want to come back for more...." Read more
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Mighty fine!
Top reviews from United Kingdom
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- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 January 2025I needed to read this book. There was so much wisdom and good thinking in it. Mental illness, alcoholism, depression and loneliness are still heavily stigmatised in this society, and Eleanor Oliphant shines a light for those who lack experience and make poor judgements. We should all know how to love each other.
Ultimately, this is a feel-good story, but you have to work a little for it.
Excellent concise writing with clear and insightful characterisation. Well observed and poignant without stooping to sentimentality.
Great read.
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 November 2017Do you want to read a book that will make you fall in love with a character, stay up late to read ‘just one more chapter’, laugh hysterically one moment and cry the next? You do? Then the sublime Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman is for you. This book has had lots of great press this year, it is shortlisted in the Costa First Novel Award for 2017, WHSmith have recently named it their Fiction Book of the Year for 2017 and more importantly it is November’s read for the book club I attend and we have really high standards! Whilst I can’t comment on what the general consensus will be as I’m writing this a few days before we meet I can give you my thoughts.
There is always a worry with a much-hyped book that it won’t quite live up to expectations (so disappointing when this happens) and I did start reading with some slight trepidation. I needn’t have worried though as I absolutely adored Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine from the very first page.
This book reminded me in some ways to A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman and The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion as these books also feature a protagonist who is socially awkward but I really think that Gail Honeyman’s novel has so much more depth and compassion. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine is a wonderful novel which, through its strong characterisation and powerful storytelling drew me in to Eleanor’s world. We meet her when she is working for a design agency filled with cool, hip people and is the butt of their jokes and subject of their gossip. She works in accounts and whilst she says she is fine, she really, really isn’t. Her life is empty, she drinks two bottles of vodka every weekend, has a weekly phone call with her mummy, eats the same meals every day and her only friend is a plant in her living room.
Eleanor has met a man and having decided that he is The One, she sets about making him fall in love with her – the only problem is he has never met her before and has no idea she even exists. Whilst this makes it sound like this book is some kind of rom-com it isn’t – this is an example of Eleanor’s lack of social awareness and I found it totally endearing. Gail Honeyman has created a wonderful character in Eleanor, I fell head over heels in love with her, I loved her quirks, I loved her thought processes and there were moments of complete overwhelming sadness where I wanted to climb into the pages and comfort her.
This book is filled with moments of beautiful sweetness, particularly her friendship with Raymond which I thought was honest and believable. It would be easy for these moments to be saccharine and cloying but they’re not at all – his genuine regard for her and compassion was realistic and heart-warming. Gail Honeyman has a deft touch and avoids veering into mawkish territory. Eleanor’s past is hinted at – there are dark shadows lurking at the edge of the page and when the truth unravels it is heart-rending and brutal.
This book absolutely destroyed me – I think the last book that affected me so much was A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara (if you haven’t read this, please do, it is a masterpiece). I keep thinking about it and I really want to talk about it (I can’t wait to get to book club!) because it is funny, sincere, thought-provoking and utterly, utterly devastating. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine deserves all the plaudits it is getting and I am stunned that this is Gail Honeyman’s debut novel. Accomplished and assured I can’t wait to see what the future holds for her. I’ll be giving this book a 10 at book club – something which doesn’t happen very often.
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 March 2024Eleanor Oliphant has good days, bad days and better days. Her life is a strictly timetabled routine – work with a Meal Deal and cryptic crossword at lunchtime, home for pesto, pasta and The Archers, weekends starting with a margherita pizza washed down with wine and litres of vodka. A routine to combat loneliness and being alone. A routine that is begging to be broken.
Narrated in the first person, Eleanor’s life story slowly unfolds with hints to the mystery and darkness shrouding her past present from the start.
Funny and sad, it painfully peels back the layers that Eleanor has carefully encased herself in, stuck down as firmly as her sensible, Velcro-fastening shoes.
Acts of kindness, an ill-conceived infatuation and an unexpected friendship cause Eleanor to realise that she isn’t the guilty, hopeless and unworthy social outcast she believed herself to be but somebody people genuinely admire, respect and care about.
I loved seeing the world through Eleanor’s eyes, her spin on nail bars, clothes shopping, death metal gigs and a Hollywood bikini wax. Her specialness and otherness is endearing and engaging, her lack of off filter absolutely hysterical at times.
Above all be kind - to yourself and others.
Eleanor Oliphant has good days, bad days and better days. Her life is a strictly timetabled routine – work with a Meal Deal and cryptic crossword at lunchtime, home for pesto, pasta and The Archers, weekends starting with a margherita pizza washed down with wine and litres of vodka. A routine to combat loneliness and being alone. A routine that is begging to be broken.
Narrated in the first person, Eleanor’s life story slowly unfolds with hints to the mystery and darkness shrouding her past present from the start.
Funny and sad, it painfully peels back the layers that Eleanor has carefully encased herself in, stuck down as firmly as her sensible, Velcro-fastening shoes.
Acts of kindness, an ill-conceived infatuation and an unexpected friendship cause Eleanor to realise that she isn’t the guilty, hopeless and unworthy social outcast she believed herself to be but somebody people genuinely admire, respect and care about.
I loved seeing the world through Eleanor’s eyes, her spin on nail bars, clothes shopping, death metal gigs and a Hollywood bikini wax. Her specialness and otherness is endearing and engaging, her lack of off filter absolutely hysterical at times.
Above all be kind - to yourself and others.
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Top reviews from other countries
- Sara JettaReviewed in Canada on 5 January 2025
5.0 out of 5 stars This book was a great read
I really enjoyed this book. The author did a wonderful job with the amount of detail and really describing how Eleanor felt, her emotions and thoughts as she navigated a simple life. It was funny, sad and kept me wanting to understand Eleanor so much more. In the end this book reminded me that everyone story is different and never to judge people based on how they act or appear, what they say or do etc you just never know what a person has been through. It also reinforces the notion to be kind to everyone especially yourself.
I loved it ..what a great read.
-
Veronica ArellanoReviewed in Mexico on 31 July 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Buena lectura
Un libro muy entretenido
- Daisy DecavelReviewed in Belgium on 11 June 2024
4.0 out of 5 stars Nice entertainment
This boon was really easy to read en very entertaining. I really loves the perspective from which it was written. I realy felt sympathy for the personage that Eleanor is.
Daisy DecavelNice entertainment
Reviewed in Belgium on 11 June 2024
Images in this review
- NinaReviewed in the Netherlands on 20 September 2023
4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful
A beautiful story about trauma, self discovery, and love.
-
Andrea PotzlerReviewed in Germany on 11 July 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Wunderbare Charaktere, spannend erzählt, obwohl gar nicht viel passiert. Perfekt!
Ein geregelter Job seit neun Jahren, eine eigene Wohnung, jeden Tag etwas zu essen, ein Fernseher und ein Leben ohne Höhen und Tiefen- was mehr könnte sich die dreißigjährige Eleanor Oliphant denn vom Leben wünschen?! So sieht sie das jedenfalls selbst zu Beginn eines Romans, den ich auf einer vierstündigen Zugfahrt verschlungen habe. Und doch zeigt sich nach und nach, dass so ziemlich alles fehlt oder zutiefst dysfunktional ist, was ein Leben lebenswert macht: Freunde, eine Beziehung, eine Familie.
Die Rahmenhandlung ist schnell erzählt: eine Frau, die in einem Büro arbeitet, ist einigermaßen einsam und unglücklich. Im Laufe des Romans verbessert sich ihre Situation. Aber halt. Das ist es natürlich nicht, warum mich das Buch Hitze und Chaos einer vierstündigen Bahnfahrt hat vergessen lassen. Eleanor ist mit all ihren besonderen Verhaltensweisen schräg und knurrig wie Ove in "Ein Mann namens Ove". Und genauso wie in diesem Roman auch, zeigt sich langsam, was dazu geführt hat, dass sie ist, wer sie ist. Das habe ich gespannt verfolgt und dabei immer mehr ihre geradlinige, unangepasste Art zu schätzen gelernt.
Insofern bin ich den Menschen ihres Umfelds gefolgt, die ebenfalls immer mehr zu ihr durchdringen, die über ihre Besonderheiten nicht nur hinwegsehen, sondern das Liebenswerte in Eleanor sehen und so dazu beitragen, dass sie sich den Problemen stellen kann, die ihr das Leben vor die Füße geworfen hat.
Im Anhang des Buches beschreibt die Autorin, dass sie diesen Erstling geschrieben hat, um gerade auf die Einsamkeit jüngerer Menschen aufmerksam zu machen. Geglückt!
So zeigt sich wieder: Es ist oft nicht die spektakuläre Handlung, die mich bei der Stange hält, sondern es ist die Entwicklung einer Figur und die Darstellung in guter Sprache. Nach einigen Büchern der letzten Zeit, die mir entweder zu banal oder zu intellektuell abgedreht waren, war Eleanor ideal, um mal wieder ganz in ein anderes, fiktives Leben einzutauchen. Ich kann das Buch allen empfehlen, die besondere Figuren und Lebensbetrachtungen mögen.
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