Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine
This book was bracing.
Eleanor Oliphant is isolated. She works in the same office she's worked at ever since she finished college, managing accounts. It's not particularly exciting, nor does it pay all that well. But Eleanor is suited to it and doesn't seem to want for much. She's not looking for more, at any rate. Every day at lunch she eats the same thing while doing a crossword puzzle. After work she goes home and eats the same dinner. On Friday she treats herself to a pizza. Then she starts drinking vodka and doesn't stop until the weekend is over. She claims that she's fine.
This is exactly how my depression manifests, and seeing it in print was both comforting and hard to read. Especially since I was somewhat recently in danger of falling back under. But I have something Eleanor doesn't have at the beginning of the book: a support system. I have people who notice when I'm starting to slip, people I listen to. And I now have a wealth of healthy coping methods to help me get myself back on track.
But man, when you're in the middle of it, it's so hard to recognize those signs yourself.
At the beginning of the book, Eleanor wins tickets to a concert, which she attends out of a sense of obligation. She develops a crush on one of the musicians and this provides the impetus for her to start making changes in her life, in the hopes that she'll meet the musician and they'll live happily ever after. At the same time, and almost against her will, she tentatively strikes up a friendship with a new coworker.
I really liked reading about Eleanor's fumbling towards a better life. One in which she's actually happy, not just fine. There were some cringe-worthy moments, especially when it came to the musician she was infatuated with. And as she starts to come out of her shell she also has to confront a whole lot of trauma that she's buried. But the book is ultimately cathartic.
I wasn't quite as optimistic about the ending as the women in my book club were. Probably because I know that depression isn't something you cure. You get better at dealing with it, and you can go years without even thinking about it. And then suddenly you're in the middle of it again wondering how you got there. But Eleanor is developing tools and relationships and she'll keep getting better at coping. It's a happy ending that leaves room for the ups and downs of life in the future.
Eleanor Oliphant is isolated. She works in the same office she's worked at ever since she finished college, managing accounts. It's not particularly exciting, nor does it pay all that well. But Eleanor is suited to it and doesn't seem to want for much. She's not looking for more, at any rate. Every day at lunch she eats the same thing while doing a crossword puzzle. After work she goes home and eats the same dinner. On Friday she treats herself to a pizza. Then she starts drinking vodka and doesn't stop until the weekend is over. She claims that she's fine.
This is exactly how my depression manifests, and seeing it in print was both comforting and hard to read. Especially since I was somewhat recently in danger of falling back under. But I have something Eleanor doesn't have at the beginning of the book: a support system. I have people who notice when I'm starting to slip, people I listen to. And I now have a wealth of healthy coping methods to help me get myself back on track.
But man, when you're in the middle of it, it's so hard to recognize those signs yourself.
At the beginning of the book, Eleanor wins tickets to a concert, which she attends out of a sense of obligation. She develops a crush on one of the musicians and this provides the impetus for her to start making changes in her life, in the hopes that she'll meet the musician and they'll live happily ever after. At the same time, and almost against her will, she tentatively strikes up a friendship with a new coworker.
I really liked reading about Eleanor's fumbling towards a better life. One in which she's actually happy, not just fine. There were some cringe-worthy moments, especially when it came to the musician she was infatuated with. And as she starts to come out of her shell she also has to confront a whole lot of trauma that she's buried. But the book is ultimately cathartic.
I wasn't quite as optimistic about the ending as the women in my book club were. Probably because I know that depression isn't something you cure. You get better at dealing with it, and you can go years without even thinking about it. And then suddenly you're in the middle of it again wondering how you got there. But Eleanor is developing tools and relationships and she'll keep getting better at coping. It's a happy ending that leaves room for the ups and downs of life in the future.
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