My literary FOMO is growing with each novel I pick up! So, while I review works from the list I mentioned last week; I can’t help but devour the words on the page from new authors I knew nothing about to favourites from another time alike. I’ll start with one of my favourites on the list for today as it was the first story that rekindled the bibliophile within me. Forget about how the novel has won a basket full of awards from being the book of the year to have attained the #1 spot on the New York Times Best Seller list; Honeyman’s debut novel is a gem beyond its accolades. It may be in part due to Cathleen McCarron’s brilliant narration. I was struggling with my vision at the time so I listened to the novel, and while the beginning was a bit slow to get going Cathleen McCarron’s talented narration keeps the story moving along.
The Guardian refers to Gail Honeyman’s Eleanor
Oliphant Is Completely Fine as having “characters [that] aren’t goodies,
baddies or plot devices, they just feel like people” which is why this novel
resonated with me. Her characters are rich and spot-on which made it was
so easy to connect with the protagonist; we all know someone like Eleanor. Perhaps
it’s a colleague, an acquaintance or a family member but how Honeyman has
created Eleanor in the novel; an unequivocally straight-forward, introverted character who is socially maladroit and carries no pretence captivates
the reader’s fascination. The story is steeped in an attention to detail
and understanding of the nuance of human idiosyncrasies which Honeyman has infused each of
her characters with; that brings the novel to life. Eleanor isn't just a quirky
oddball character intriguing the reader, she is well-rounded, and she speaks to the depths of loneliness and will trigger an
empathetic response from any reader.
I won’t
give a synopsis of the work as this is a title with a thousand write-ups about it online (One of my favourites). But, I have to agree with most of the reviews which crown it
as an insightful novel dealing with loneliness in a very relatable way.
There are parts where I laughed out loud and other passages which made me
cringe for Eleanor. The story is true to life in how simple gestures and
moments can change our trajectory. But, while I enjoyed the story, and I don’t
like to give anything away, the ending disappointed me.
*SPOILER
ALERT*
I
won’t give anything away in detail, but the end of the novel, for me,
was like a pedantic tidying-up of minor perceived loose ends. The explanations
that come to light were formulaic and predictable. I kept waiting for a
great twist but while reading the actual great twist I was thinking, this can’t
be it… I think the story got caught up in dysfunction and rather than to allow a
natural progression of events and explanations, Honeyman wanted to create
something more involved and complicated than she could deliver.
*SAFE
FROM SPOILERS*
With all
that said and done, the novel was a wonderful read. If you want a thought-provoking
story that will make you laugh, cringe and connect with its characters than
you’ll find it with Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine.
Happy reading and see you next Monday!
