Gail Honeyman - Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine

Published by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd

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London SE1 9GF

www.harpercollins.co.uk

First published in Great Britain by HarperCollins Publishers 2017

Copyright © Gail Honeyman 2017

Cover design: Holly MacDonald © HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 2017

Jacket photography © Plain Picture / Hanka Steidle

Extract of The Lonely City (2016) by Olivia Laing reproduced by permission from Canongate Books Ltd

Gail Honeyman asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

Source ISBN: 9780008172114

Ebook Edition © May 2017 ISBN: 9780008172138

Version: 2020-01-23

‘Eleanor Oliphant is a truly original literary creation: funny, touching, and unpredictable. Her journey out of dark shadows is expertly woven and absolutely gripping’

Jojo Moyes, Me Before You

‘A highly readable but beautifully written story that’s as perceptive and wise as it is funny and endearing … warm, funny and thought-provoking’

Observer

‘At times dark and poignant, at others bright and blissfully funny … a story about loneliness and friendship, and a careful study of abuse, buried grief and resilience. A debut to treasure’

Gavin Extence, The Universe Versus Alex Woods

‘Gail Honeyman’s Eleanor Oliphant is a woman scarred by profound loneliness, and the shadow of a harrowing childhood she can’t even bear to remember. Deft, compassionate and deeply moving – Honeyman’s debut will have you rooting for Eleanor with every turning page’

Paula McClain, The Paris Wife

‘So powerful – I completely loved Eleanor Oliphant ’

Fiona Barton, The Widow

‘An absolute joy, laugh-out-loud funny but deeply moving’

Daily Express

‘One of the most eagerly anticipated debuts of 2017 … heartbreaking’

Bryony Gordon, Mad Girl

‘Unusual and arresting’

Rosie Thomas, The Kashmir Shawl

‘Warm, quirky and fun with a real poignancy underneath.’

Julie Cohen, Falling

‘Dark, funny and brave. I loved being with Eleanor as she found her voice’

Ali Land, Good Me Bad Me

‘A roaring success. Readers will fall in love with this quirky, yet loveable character and celebrate as life turns out a little differently than she anticipated’

Instyle.co.uk

For my family

‘ … loneliness is hallmarked by an intense desire to bring the experience to a close; something which cannot be achieved by sheer willpower or by simply getting out more, but only by developing intimate connections. This is far easier said than done, especially for people whose loneliness arises from a state of loss or exile or prejudice, who have reason to fear or mistrust as well as long for the society of others.

‘ … the lonelier a person gets, the less adept they become at navigating social currents. Loneliness grows around them, like mould or fur, a prophylactic that inhibits contact, no matter how badly contact is desired. Loneliness is accretive, extending and perpetuating itself. Once it becomes impacted, it is by no means easy to dislodge.’

Olivia Laing, The Lonely City

Contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Praise for Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine

Dedication

Epigraph

Good Days

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14