Best Books about Mental Health: Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

Jess Stubbs
Sep 1, 2018 · 5 min read

Read one of the year’s best books about mental health- you’ll laugh, and you’ll cry, as the cliché goes!

I read this novel in one day. It’s not the kind of book you can put down, even for sensible things like having dinner or going to bed. It’s too absorbing.

It’s also a very interesting take on mental health. I feel like someone who doesn’t have a mental illness might find that element of the story subtle or confusing at first- until it hits them like a ton of bricks halfway through. For me, I saw this as a book about mental illness right from the start.

Entertaining & Engaging

As the plot goes, there’s plenty going on, and it’s all entertaining and engaging. Some of it is surprisingly funny, and much of it is devastating. There’s plenty of twists and turns: some you’ll see coming and will find very satisfying, and some I know will surprise you!

Reading this book was deeply emotional. You’ll feel your stomach twisting up with how wretchedly Eleanor’s colleagues treat her- so callous and un-empathetic. And if you’re like me, you’ll feel worse when they treat her better once she puts effort into her appearance and tries to “fit in” (i.e. conform).

Many readers will also emphasize with parts of Eleanor’s daily life. Particularly, her reliance on routine & predictability, and how things start to unravel when her routine is disrupted. There’s safety in the status quo. There’s comfort in boredom. And when you’ve got a mental illness, safety and comfort are worth sacrificing excitement for.

We meet Eleanor on the verge of a transformation. At first, I was NOT thrilled that it was two men that kick-started this transformation, and it definitely turned me off. But, I was actually very pleased with how both encounters played out. Kudos to the author for pulling that one off- it’s not easy to make me change my mind on that sort of thing!

What really kicked me in the guts (in a good way), was Eleanor’s “crush” on the hunky singer. Picture it: she sees him perform one night and just knows he’s the right man. She idealizes him and the life she imagines they’ll have together, once they meet officially. She loves him, he’ll definitely love her, and it’ll completely transform her life.

No spoilers, but really, do you think this is going to work out? That they’ll start a life together, and all her past trauma will be erased? Do we believe that a new Eleanor will emerge- confident, outgoing, happy, and- most importantly- loved?

…mm.

The thing is, Eleanor might seem silly for this, but we’ve all done it. I certainly have, and that’s why it was so hard (yet satisfying) to read.

The idea of a new relationship, a new job, new house or city, even a holiday or fresh set of clothes, is intoxicating. We allow ourselves to imagine what it’ll be like- we indulge in an image of how transformative and positive it will be. We’ll be new people- happier people. Well adjusted, stress-free, social.

It doesn’t happen, because we will always take our past experiences and mental illnesses with us into everything. None of that is going to suddenly disappear, and for many of us, mental illness will, realistically, influence every part of our lives and future.

Sounds depressing, doesn’t it?

And that’s why letting ourselves fantasize- the way Eleanor does- is not silly. Having a mental illness is exhausting. It’s often hard to feel optimistic about the future. Who can blame us for wanting to take a break from that?

No, I don’t think Eleanor was being ridiculous or stupid and deluded. I understand, and I was heartbroken for her through the whole book.

Well, don’t take my word for it! Read it for yourself, and see what you think of Eleanor’s transformation, and the choices she made.

Despite my reservations about this book, I was deeply satisfied with the ending and the messages it contains. Eleanor’s story is about being kinder to our fellow humans, about accepting that we can never know what they’ve been through. Even Eleanor learns this lesson. We could all stand to be reminded of it!

(On a side note, apparently, this book is being made into a movie by Reese Witherspoon. What are people’s thoughts about that? I honestly don’t know how I feel. A major motion picture about as complex and, um, odd, as Eleanor? I guess we’ll see!)

Check it out now: Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, by Gail Honeyman

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I’m Jess; I’ve fought depression and anxiety for more than a decade. Now, I’m sharing what I’ve learned.

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Thanks for reading- check out these posts next!

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Originally published at thebraveandstrong.com on September 1, 2018.

Jess Stubbs

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Join me at theBraveAndStrong.com for stronger, braver, BETTER mental health EVERY DAY. Get your FREE eBook Twice the Battle here: https://bit.ly/2Ok6b3d

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