"Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine" tells the story of Eleanor Oliphant, a thirty-year-old woman who seems pretty odd from the start of the novel. She's very articulate with her words (something that is rare in this day and age), and she is extremely punctual. Eleanor has lived alone for many years and does the same things every day. She doesn't interact with anyone outside of work and goes whole weekends without speaking to another human being.

While I was reading this novel, I found that I could relate to Eleanor in a variety of ways: She lives alone, is very punctual, and isn't immersed in society all too much. Like Eleanor, I find myself correcting people's grammar and wondering (in my head) why some people are so rude or unmannerly on a daily basis. This book made me laugh so many times because reading Eleanor's thoughts was so interesting to me. She's funny, weird, and charming in her own way.

The book puts the reader inside Eleanor's mind as she goes about her daily routine. In the morning, she heads to work in her office where she has never taken a sick leave day in the nine years she's worked there. She performs her job duties and has the same type of lunch every day. One day, though, she meets the computer repairman, Raymond, when her computer at work malfunctions. Immediately, she's put off by his cigarette stench and disorderly way of dressing himself. Then, Raymond and Eleanor help a man who's fallen on the street and soon, they all become friends.

Over time, Eleanor opens up more to her new friends and finds herself spending less time alone at home than before. She learns so much about relationships throughout the novel, and it's fascinating as the reader to be taken on that journey with her. It's also really interesting to note how not being lonely changed her whole life. She had lived alone for so many years. Facing her demons alone, feeling like she is "completely fine", as the title of the book states. She deals with her loneliness by drinking and blacking out, and she saw this as a normal part of her life.

The reader sees the natural progression of her sentence use throughout the novel get more casual as she starts spending more time with Raymond. At the beginning of the novel, she can't stand when people don't spell out full words when writing emails or talk in an orderly fashion. Over time, though, she softens up and becomes less stingy. The impact of having someone else to talk to really shaped her into a totally different person.

I was reading mixed reviews about this novel, particularly the ending. I thought it was very clever and a very good read, though. I don't want to spoil anything, but the ending literally made my jaw drop. I rated the book five stars on Goodreads, which is something I don't normally do. All in all, the book taught me a lot about relationships, loneliness, and finding comfort in others. It's soon to be produced into a movie by Reese Witherspoon, and I really, really hope she does the book justice on the big screen. Is that too much to ask?