My wife's reading group rated this only the second 10/10 across the boards in 6 years. As a lover of Audio Books, but not generally the sort of books my wife reads, I thought I would give this one a try. Wow - I can see why she would spend evenings intermittently laughing and crying - At the start of the book Eleanor is far from fine, in fact, I almost instantly took a disliking to her - but so skillfully written and narrated is this book that you had to persevere. What I loved most about this was that Eleanor and her world is slowly laid open to the reader, her journey to date has not been great, but in the short timeframe described by this book, a new Eleanore emerges, although enough of the old is kept in place to make you realise that what were previously annoying flaws become amusing and sympathetic nuances and character traits. As a massive fan of audio books, aside from a good story, I need a good voice, in this case, Cathleen McCarron is sensational. Her voice acting is top rate as is her storytelling and general diction. With the geographical setting of this book plus the variety of ages and genders of the main characters she manages to add to Eleanor's story. I will certainly look for more books narrated by her. In short - Eleanor's story is probably the best all-around book I have read/listened to for many years. As a debut novel, it is astonishing and I will join the queue waiting for the next one. Gail Honeyman is a name to look out for. and you really will want to find out for yourself whether the title of the book is simply ironic, or is a statement of the truth. I think I know!!

Wonderful! A great story, I lost a whole weekend listening to this but it was worth it. The narration was perfect.

An absolutely brilliant listen. The story is simply absorbing with interesting topics dealt with sympathetically through humour. The narration which is wonderful, brought the story and the characters to life.

I found the story a bit too far-fetched to be enjoyable. The narration was fine.

A depressing listen.

I have to say that this book did not knock my socks off. I found it hard to get into the matter

Narrative was a bit slow, too depricating and cynical at times for my liking. Mental illness is a very difficult theme to focus a piece of fiction on and still manage to entertain.

This was very different to the book that I expected but it was a great read. The narrator is wonderful. It was a very compulsive listen and I had trouble concentrating all weekend because I wanted to get back to Eleanor's world. The main character has a very twisted way of viewing the world which is funny at times and heartbreaking at others. I would definitely recommend this book.

A slowish start which is necessary for how the story unfolds - cleverly written with insight into childhood trauma and the long term effects of not addressed but a good ending and worth a read - recommend

Absolutely brilliant, both book and the narrator. The amount of times I snorted laughing in public is frankly embarrassing. Such a heart warming story!

I loved this. I was so absorbed in the characters that this book was on my mind even when i wasn’t reading it. I was sad to finish, but happy to have had the joy of listening to such a great story

Thought provoking and touching story that was well narrated.

A heartwarming story and so cleverly and beautifully told.

Absolutely lovely, couldn't stop listening, even went back to listen over, when I was interrupted for some reason, Loved it

I loved the book. Great storytelling. Relatable. The subject - Eleanor, will have you laughing, crying and outright shocked at some of the things she does!

great book

Excellent writing A bit predictable Little dragging Overall enjoyable

I nearly gave up on this because of the beginning, which I found annoyingly slow and poorly paced, and the protagonist narration, which was irritating. That is until elements of the story started to click into place and I realised whose condescending thoughts she was actually voicing. once elinor starts to venture outside the walls she lives within it does improve, although I do find the motivation for that does not chime well with the carefully controlled routine and pragmatism in every other area of her narrow life. The second half of the book is however much better as she slowly starts to deal with issues from her childhood.

This book crept up on me and gave my heart a hug

 This was another book on the ‘recommended’ list on the Audiobooks app. I had absolutely no idea what to expect. Not being completely sold after listening to the sample, I noticed all the awards and recognitions and decided to download it anyway. I’ve become so fond of all the characters (except the mother). It’s one of those books that you want to finish, but also don’t want to finish. Cathleen McCarron, who read the book was great with her beautiful Scottish accents. The premise is about Eleanor who is an accountant at a design firm, everything seems pretty normal; she has her routine and way of doing things. Very set in her ways and opinionated about how things should be, we start seeing that things may not be as ‘fine’ as it all first appears. We get to see glimpses into her past and the puzzle pieces slowly fall into place. It’s a marvellous book and highly recommendable. 

Excellent. Funny and witty at times, the audio book had also profound moments. it just ends somewhat abruptly.

This was so lovely. I have been meaning to read this one for a while now but I'm so glad I opted for the audio book - the narrator was absolutely perfect.

Wonderfully narrated

a good story, well told

Loved this book, quite addictive and easy to read

I really enjoyed this book. It wasn’t quiet what I expected, I really liked the evolution of the characterss. But I was a little disappointed with the ending, it was good but I found myself left with questions. Still, I really enjoyed it.

Amusing , engaging and touching . Simply loved it!!

Really enjoyable book. Excellent narration.

What a lovely book! I thoroughly enjoyed it. This book often came up on recommendations and I am very pleased I downloaded it. I binged-listened and feel sad that it’s over. I highly recommend this one! It was so well narrated as well, her voice was pleasant and easy to listen to.

I really liked the story of Eleanor, and how she slowly discovers things about herself and the world around us. How loneliness can envelop a person so much that she doesn't know anything else. And how little kindness acts can do so much and have so much impact in someone's life. I really felt compassion for Eleanor and I loved how she was willing to build a new, better life for herself. The narrator of this audiobook was great! I really liked to hear the Scottish accent in this since the action occurs and the characters do live in Scotland. She imprinted emotions when it was needed to, and the characters felt like they had their own voice. Thoroughly enjoyed it!

Superb. Laugh out loud and sprinkled throughout with underlying sadness in a non emotional matter of fact way. Warming, humbling.

A very interesting read with twists and turns. A story of how the mind can recall the horrors of an early life experance that have had have been shut down because of the mental pain caused. Events of latter life demand history be confronted and worked through to bring peace of mind.

Excellent storyline, very well read.

absolutely loved this book! good listen

Both the book and narrator were perfect. The book was like unwrapping a present, something surprising under every layer. The depth of feeling that shone through gave the books main character an opportunity to shine. Gentle, yet shocking, this book is one that you will remember.

Thank you for a brilliant story! There are so many Eleanor’s out there. One can only admire their courage and strength. Having lived a very difficult life and yet with hard work and pain turned out normal and strong. With the book finished I am going to miss Eleanor and Raymond... The narrator has done the book justice. Thank you for a brilliant narration,

Absolutely fantastic! One of my new favourite books do all time. The main character is so complex and I was captivated, amused and moved in equal measure by her unique view of the world. I loved the way you learn her backstory gradually as the book goes on. A brilliant, moving, funny and thought provoking read that really touched my heart!

It was not my decision to read this book (book club) but so glad I did. Eleanor’s journey from trauma to therapy is as authentic as it gets. Won’t say too much - read it. You won’t regret it.

If you like thriller and true crime/psychological fiction - you’ll probably love this. I was excited to have a highly rated, comedic and clever book. I found this story dark and couldn’t lighten up after hints of the traumatic backstory that I found to be a constant tug of my heart strings. It got worse as Eleanors character is revealed and the in-depth details of her very lonely and isolated life unravel. I didn’t find it funny or endearing. I don’t know how others did... did I miss something or did I focus too much on the poor heroine who is damaged both mentally and physically from no fault of her own. I just felt like I was seeing her as a lost and lonely wounded child... made me feel very bad. Narrator was great! Even the warm Scottish accent didn’t soften it for me. Her upbringing was nothing but a constant reminder of how she related to people: her mindset, her complete social awkwardness and the cruelty of those around her even in present day. Poor poor darling! It just made me cringe. A big no for me.

Really enjoyed this book and narrator.

A brilliant read, beautifully written and narrated. Didn’t want the story to end, missing her and Raymond now I have finished the book

An enthralling book, beautiful crafted to intersperse the minutiae of everyday life with the darkest and the most uplifting elements of the human soul. A funny, endearing and gripping page turner.

Excellent.

I absolutely loved this. This was one of the best books I read last year. When I loaned it to a friend last week, I read the first few pages and thought I wanted to revisit it. Realising I had a road trip coming up I chose the audio and was so pleased I did. Loved the narration - Cathleen McCarron's Scottish and French was brilliant. Definitely for a book club - so many points to discuss. All the characters are flawed, but mostly kind. Gail Honeyman did a great work developing all the characters. So many words she wrote, I have thought. Oh, if only I could express myself as succinctly. I do not write reviews as I feel my words are inadequate. This is a first because Elineaor Oliphant is too good to just put back on the shelf without saying to someone else "you have to read (listen to) this".

Loved this book. Great story, albeit sad. The narrator was wonderful too.

An interesting character, developed through friendship with revelations throughout. Quite slow in pace but you definitely become fond of these characters.

Loved this book, it really snuck up on me how much I enjoyed listening to it. I just had to keep listening to find out what happened

Loved, loved, loved it! Such a poignant story, funny at times and extremely sad at others. For her first novel, Gail Honeyman told an amazing story with great insight into both the life of a lonely person but the wonderful generosity and friendship which helped her to overcome her tragic life. Can't wait for her next novel!

This is one of the most excellent books I have listened to. The writing is intelligent with many layers to this story. The characters are vulnerable and yet strong. I cannot find the words to quantify how brilliant this book is. It's sad, happy, heart warming and yet upsetting all at the sane time..

What a different, refreshing and disarming read! Honeyman's world building and characterisation is excellent, and o was surprised at how engrossing of a story this is. Worth the hype for sure.

Such a refreshingly different read. Was hooked on the character Eleanor, all her perfect flaws make her a gripping hero. Love it!

Joy and pain is like sunshine and rain. There it is, in a nutshell. The words of the 70s group, Maze, sum up Eleanor Oliphant for me. Narration for this story was superb. As I write her name, I can hear Raymond’s roll of the tongue as he finishes her name. Bit of a late comer to the EO party and so glad I decided to make a visit. What a great gal she is. Loved her frankness and child like literal view of the world. Very refreshing and at times brutally honest. A beautiful story and so well written. Laughter out loud abounds and tears too. She deserves the very best and I hoped she’d get it. A must listen or read.

Slow to start but worth it.

This was my first audio book and a perfect introduction. Loved it!

I couldn’t wait to keep listening. Really interesting characters and well constructed plot development.

A truely great read, highs and lows abound. I loved the language of Eleanor, her description of the world as she saw it delightful.

Loved it! This book made me laugh, cry and at times, cringe... Eleanor is so quirky and I grew to absolutely adore her as the book went on. It certainly made me view life from another perspective and grateful for the life I have. I highly recommend it!

I have bought copies of this book for all my friends. Loved it.

I loved it, but found it very sad and touching. Funny too though and we’ll written. Would definitely recommend it.

I loved this book, some very funny parts and so very well narrated. Highly recommend it.

Great story and loveable characters. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Wonderful story - I wasn't sure if it was the kind of story I would want to listen to on the poolside of a seaside resort, but I really enjoyed it and looked forward to listening to more. The narration with the different accents was brilliant as well! Would love to listen to it again.

Loved it after I'd got into it a bit. Eleanor is such a strange person and I really struggled with her initially- however she grew on me until I was very fond of her in the end. That's the whole point of the book I think. We make judgements about people all the time without knowing where their peculiarities come from. We miss out on so much because of our judgements. I ended up loving this book and chuckling along the way at her thoughts and discoveries as she enters relationships for the first time. Well narrated and a delightful, positive ending. Highly recommended

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Some of the plot I could pick early on but still enjoyed the journey to get there and some I did not se coming! The narrator was fabulous and I will definitely look for other books by the author and narrator. Definitely worth the use of a credit

A fantastic book and the narrator really helped to bring the characters to life.

I absolutely loved this book, and Cathleen did a fantastic narration! The characters were lovely, and the story was excellent!

Great book. Was recommended to me by my sister-in-law through her book club. Really enjoyed it.

Loved listening to this book. It has some really emotional yet funny moments.

Really enjoyed this book.

Loved it, chose it on a whim and listened to it all within 2 days. Fascinating and vivid descriptions of characters, read beautifully by Cathleen McCarron. Really enjoyed the book, touched on gritty topics without being too graphic and haunting, ideal for me!

Brilliant - moving yet humorous with great narration