My rating: 5 of 5 stars
One of the best books I’ve read in a long time…
First, we had Adrian Mole, then Bridget Jones and now
Eleanor Oliphant. It’s all in the voice. Anyone who watched The Bridge and was
fascinated by the character of Saga will recognise that Eleanor is on the
autistic spectrum. Honeyman manages to capture this authentic and poignant voice
consistently, which is impressive in itself. Eleanor is fully functioning in
many ways, but she doesn’t understand or do social niceties, doesn’t understand
the reason for or tell white lies, she ‘tells it how it is’ and pays the price
for it with sniggers and cold-shouldering on all sides.
Themes of loneliness, alienation and the struggle to fit in
– we’ve all experienced these to some extent – form the humanitarian reach of the
book. Whilst Eleanor’s personal take on life is extreme because of her
condition (and upbringing), we’ve all been there. Take, for example, the title
of the book – we’ve all said we’re ‘fine’ at some point, when we’re not, when
in truth we’re sobbing inside or desperate for someone to listen to our fears
or give us a big hug. But with Eleanor, everything is that much harder. She’s
got no supportive family and grew up in foster homes. She’s disfigured with a
scar (externally and internally). We know there was a fire in her past and through
tiny reveals as the story progresses, we get to know the deeper damage done in
her childhood involving a cold and deviant mother.
Already in her thirties, Eleanor seems to grow up and
blossom in this story: we see her explore kindness, discover joy in simple
things such as the touch of a hand, a haircut, kitten heels instead of
'versatile' Velcro shoes. She starts to become part of things rather than always
observing and being excluded on the side-lines.
The themes are handled with great tenderness, wit and panache, but Eleanor’s real journey is about discovering love, where she
least expects it. She and a work colleague, the unrefined Raymond, are involved
in a simple act of kindness. They help get an elderly man to hospital when he
falls in the street. From this one act follows a string of new connections for
Eleanor – the stranger’s family, parties, makeover appointments and new
routines in her life as Raymond keeps the connection between them going.
It’s Eleanor’s view of the world in this book that is both
refreshing, funny and heart-breaking. Those three words probably sum up the
feel of the book. It will make you cry! Highly recommended.
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AJ Waines is a No 1 International Bestelling Author
AJ Waines is a No 1 International Bestelling Author
 |
All books can be read in any order
(including Inside the Whispers (Bk 1) and Lost in the Lake (Bk 2) which are also in a series) |
- Over 450,000 books sold worldwide
- Girl on a Train #1 Bestseller on Kindle in UK and Australia (2015 & 2016)
- The Evil Beneath #1 in 'Murder' and 'Psychological Thrillers'
- Dark Place to Hide #1 in 'Vigilante Justice'
- No Longer Safe #1 in 'Crime Noir' [30,000 sold in the first month]
- Inside the Whispers #1 in 'Medical Thrillers'
- Lost in the Lake #1 in 'Hot New Releases/Medical Thrillers'
Awarded Kindle KDP Top 10 'most-read Author' in UK 2016 & 2017
