I listened to Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine on audio and the narrator, Cathleen McCarron, was a perfect match for Eleanor and her escapades. She does beautiful things with the words and I could listen to her accent all day. If you’re an audio fan snap this one up!

Eleanor is a quirky lady. She lives a solitary life and follows the same routine day after day, week after week, and year after year. She goes to work, she comes home. She is blunt and says whatever comes to mind. Maybe because of this, she has no friends. She does not socialize. On Wednesday she receives her toxic phone call from “Mummy” which always leaves her feeling worse for it. And on Friday she gets takeout and 3 bottles of booze to help her get through the long, lonely stretch of the weekend.

Then one day she has to call IT because her computer isn’t working properly and she meets Raymond. Now don’t worry it’s not what you’re thinking. This is not a romance and he is not there to sweep her off her feet and make everything all better with his dashing looks and wit. He’s disheveled, he’s average in looks but he’s friendly and, after they save an old man in the street, they become the most unlikeliest of friends and Eleanor’s social world expands just a little. Raymond doesn’t care that Eleanor is strange and blunt. He enjoys her company and she, much to her surprise, allows herself to enjoy his. But Eleanor has some deep dark painful things she must deal with before she is able to fully engage in the world.

I’m not going to spoil another thing. Just go read this if you haven’t already. It’s ugly, it’s wickedly funny but never frivolous, it’s painful and sensitive and it’s such a lovely way to spend a few hours. It’ll leave you feeling a little better about the world when you’ve finished and who doesn’t want that?!