One sentence summary
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine is a captivating and humorous novel about the life and journey of Eleanor Oliphant, an eccentric, dysfunctional woman who is forced to confront her traumatic past and discover true love and friendship.
Book genre
Fiction, Contemporary
Main topic of the book
Following the heartbreakingly funny journey of Eleanor Oliphant, an eccentric and deeply flawed individual who has perfected the art of isolation from the world and from herself.
Key ideas
- Grief and Trauma: recovery from long-term repressed trauma and its lingering effects on Eleanor’s physical and mental health.
- Self-love and Forgiveness: discovering the importance of self-love and learning to forgive oneself for past mistakes.
- Friendship and Love: understanding the power of friendship and the importance of relationships.
- Acceptance and Perseverance: accepting the things that one cannot change, and persevering despite the obstacles life throws in their path.
Main parts of the book and a short summary
- Part 1: The Collected Works of Eleanor Oliphant – Eleanor Oliphant is an eccentric loner living an isolated life. Working and living her mundane life in Glasgow, she perfects the art of existing on her own. Struggling with her traumatic past, Eleanor is unaware of the cracks forming in her armor.
- Part 2: The Descendant of a God – Eleanor discovers friendship, understanding, and love when she befriends Raymond, the IT guy from the office, and they save Sammy, an elderly gentleman. She gradually learns to build relationships of trust with the people in her life and piece together the broken parts of her past.
- Part 3: An Invitation to a Different Life – As Eleanor’s life unravels, Raymond and her ever-growing circle of friends and family offer her a way to face her demons, express her feelings, and find real acceptance and love.
Key takeaways
- It is never too late to begin the process of healing.
- Opening yourself up to real human connection is an important part of life.
- The power of love and friendship can help us overcome our internal struggles.
- We should learn to forgive ourselves in order to move forward.
Author’s background and qualifications
Gail Honeyman is an award-winning Scottish novelist and author of the 2017 bestseller ‘Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine: Reese’s Book Club (A Novel)’. Honeyman has received several awards, including the 2017 Costa First Novel Award, and her novel has been translated into more than 30 languages.
Target audience
The novel was aimed at adult readers, mainly women, looking for a funny, heartbreaking, and uplifting story to read.
Publisher and first publication date
Gail Honeyman’s ‘Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine’ was published on May 9, 2017 by HarperCollins Publishers in the United Kingdom.