Book Club: "Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine" First Thoughts

We're so excited to start our first book club read-along with Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine! For our first check-in, we read up until chapter 7 (page 58). We chatted a bit about the beginning of the book in episode 4 of our podcast, but here on the blog we've got more in store (aka discussion questions galore)!

So far, we are absolutely loving this book (although it's not quite what we expected)! While Eleanor's pizza and vodka Friday nights and social awkwardness are certainly endearingly relatable, it is already obvious from the first few chapters that this is not just a quirky coming of age tale. The entirety of Eleanor's backstory is still a mystery to us, but we do know she has suffered significant trauma in her life that is affecting her deeply, even if she is not fully aware of it.

The exact moment we fell in love with this book was page 5, where Eleanor says: "It often feels like I'm not here, that I'm a figment of my own imagination. There are days when I feel so lightly connected to the earth that the threads that tether me to the planet are gossamer thin, spun sugar. A strong gust of wind could dislodge me completely, and I'd lift off and blow away, like one of those seeds in a dandelion clock." There's something haunting, and beautiful and incredibly human about this passage. It's amazing when a book can take a complicated emotion and detail it perfectly, and that's exactly what Gail Honeyman does through Eleanor's voice.

While we might have originally set out to read this book in hopes for a fun break from our upper-division English literature course reads, we are loving the existential beauty mixed within the humor of this text and can't wait to find out what the next chapters will bring!

Here are our discussion questions: (comment your answers below)!

1. Eleanor seems to have an aversion (or perhaps just a reluctance?) to using modern technology, such as not owning a smartphone and only purchasing a computer to internet stalk "the musician." Why do you think this is and what could it mean for Eleanor's character or the story as a whole? 
2. Speaking of the musician, why is Eleanor so obsessed with him? Does she really believe that he is the love of her life, despite not really knowing anything about him?
3. What are your thoughts on Raymond? Is he a potential love interest for Eleanor?
4. The book gives us a hint as to the dysfunctional and frightening relationship Eleanor has with her mother, but what do you think really happened in her childhood? 
5. Chapter 6 ends with an old report from Eleanor's social worker that Eleanor has picked up after the social worker has left, but we don't get Eleanor's thoughts or opinions on it. How do you think Eleanor reacted to this report from her childhood and why are we, as readers, left in the dark? 

Our answers:

1. Eleanor has a self-proclaimed distance from the world, which manifests itself in many ways, such as her awkward, forced conversations with her co-workers. Not having regular access to technology and social media could be another example of this. However, when she gets a laptop to dig up info on her musician, she is still only looking in from the outside, acting as a spectator on the web instead of an active participant. This is a direct reflection of how she exists within the physical world, refusing to let anyone into her home and having no close relationships.
2. Carrying over from what we said above, Eleanor's obsession with the musician is another way for her to live in her imagination instead of being an active participant of her own life. She is definitely lonely, but also terrified of letting anyone get close to her (relatable amiright?), so fantasizing about a musician that she sees perform one time is a safe way for her to explore romance without actually putting herself out there. I think on some level, Eleanor knows this, but is yet to admit to herself that this is just a fictional romance (even if she did get a bikini wax for him). By the way, that scene was hilarious and one of our favorite parts thus far. 
3. I LOVE RAYMOND. Obviously it's still early, but we stan. Raymond seems to be the only character so far that has actually treated and talked to Eleanor like a human being. Eleanor doesn't have the best opinion of him, but I also think this is just another way for her to protect herself and put up walls. I hope he is a romantic interest, but time will tell! I mean, they did save a man's life together, and if that's not romantic I don't know what is. 
4. I think it's obvious that Eleanor's mother was/is extremely abusive. We don't know exactly where she calls Eleanor from, but it's likely to be either prison or a mental institution. I don't know about you, but her phone call conversation made my skin crawl (major Mother Gothel from Tangled vibes). I support the author's decision to reveal Eleanor's past slowly, but I just want to know what's going on!!
5.  Ending the end of chapter 6 (and the first part of the novel) with an old social worker report was another really interesting author decision. We learn that Eleanor was in foster care as a child and had behavioral issues that led to her being moved out of her foster home. The details are devastating, with Eleanor crying and screaming in sleep every night as a child. I would have loved to hear what Eleanor thought about the report, but I think it's safe to assume she has many residual memories and traumas associated with this time in her life. 

What are your thoughts on Eleanor Oliphant so far? Let us know in the comments!