Despite this book being raved about by so many, and making an appearance on tons of “My Favourite Books” lists, I had no idea what it was about. I picked it up on a whim during a long road trip when I just wasn’t feeling the books that I had packed (THIS is why you always overpack books, people!). From the description on the back cover, I was expecting an easy-breezy, chick lit style book about a quirky-but-loveable character – and initially that’s what it […]
Her Bluntness Made Me Laugh and Cringe in Equal Measure
This novel marked the beginning of the latest review slump/fall behind. Between this being the type of novel that is always harder for me to review and having read it a time when things got busier for me (more work and in an office with friends which means dinner and lunch plans that don’t involve reviewing), it was a bit too easy to fall behind even as I kept reading. Within the first two pages of the novel, Eleanor describes her normal weekend routine. She […]
Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine is… fine.
Eleanor Oliphant lives alone, and she is completely fine thank you very much. She works during the week, but Friday she buys two bottles of vodka and spends her entire weekend drunk. This all changes when the new IT-guy Raymond walks her home one day and an old man collapses on the ground. Eleanor is forced out of her shell and thrust into a new family, but there are shadows from the past lurking and Mummy still calls every Wednesday… “If someone asks you how […]
“If someone asks you how you are, you are meant to say FINE. You are not meant to say that you cried yourself to sleep last night because you hadn’t spoken to another person for two consecutive days. FINE is what you say.”
My new book club has a bit of a fascination with books that Reese Witherspoon likes. And that’s fine. Reese’s picks are usually quick and entertaining reads, and lead to interesting discussions that pair well with wine. Without Reese Witherspoon, I’m not sure I would have had Eleanor Oliphant on my radar — I know its been positively reviewed here many times, but something about it just didn’t call out to me. Until Reese announced it would be a movie, which inspired my book club…and […]