The book is also incredibly funny.
Eleanor has no social skills and no sense of humor whatsoever and is clumsy, at best, in her communication with others. She finds it imperative to tell people what she thinks but is totally closed off about herself. She has a job but no friends and has "completely fine" weekends in her apartment drinking vodka until she passes out.
One of my favorite lines is when she finds herself in an old lady's apartment. She describes the kitchen this way. ...and there was a large calendar with a lurid photograph of two kittens in a basket.
(This reminded me of myself getting after David for sending checks to so many causes because of the photos of sad children and puppies on the appeal.)
Eleanor does not care for show tunes. How do we know this? Here is her description:
There is no such thing as hell, of course, but if there was, then the sound track to the screaming, the pitchfork action and the infernal wailing of damned souls would be a looped medley of "show tunes" drawn from the annals of musical theater. The complete oeuvre of Lloyd Webber and Rice would be performed, without breaks, on a stage inside the fiery pit, and an audience of sinners would be forced to watch-and listen-for eternity.
In the beginning we don't see how she can possibly be fixed, but eventually Eleanor is befriended by an awkward but kind man named Raymond who opens the door to Eleanor's new life. It's hard and she almost dies before choosing to be healed.
This is a fantastic book for folks who've suffered childhood traumas that most normal people cannot imagine. Eleanor finally faces the reality of an evil mother who is still controlling her. And, in turn, finally is strong enough to put a stop to it.
Did I say that this is an incredibly funny book?
Reese Witherspoon thinks so and is teaming up with MGM to produce the film about our Eleanor.
***
