Happy Endings Are Cool Again
Whether by conscious intent or not, this novel contains a narrative and theme which has allowed it to be situated within what at the time of its publication was hot new burgeoning genre in mainstream fiction popularly known as “up lit.” Along with such other representatives of the genre as Professor Chandra Follows His Bliss, this category of fiction is characterized not necessarily by a happy story—which Eleanor Oliphant most certainly does have—but by an ending which holds out well-earned hope that the future of these protagonists may be termed a happy story.
What’s So Funny About Non-Understanding?
Anyone who has known Eleanor Oliphant since she was a teenager and has led any sort of life of normal social interaction would be able to look at Eleanor and know immediately that, in the parlance of the times, “ain’t right.” Looks can be deceiving, but usually they aren’t. Eleanor both physically looks and behaviorally acts like a person in serious mental and emotional trouble. That her path to becoming a figure of optimistic inspiration treks mostly upon a narrative leading straight to a suicide attempt should come as no surprise. What should be surprising—but probably isn’t—is how long it takes her to cross paths with someone like Raymond who is there to make sure it is only an attempt. The check on this being an example of “up lit” is the lingering question: would Raymond have been there if Eleanor still looked the way she does at the beginning?
“Eleanor Rigby”
It is almost impossible to believe that is purely coincidental the titular protagonist of this novel shares the same first name as the titular character of one of the Beatles most enduring songs which just so happens to include the refrain “All the lonely people / Where do they all come from?” Eleanor Oliphant is the definitive portrait of a modern-day Eleanor Rigby who, in the lyrics, is described as a lonely old woman looking out the window and living in a dream. The primary difference between the two Eleanors lies not in the details of their loneliness, but their ages. Oliphant represents the new face of loneliness in the world of 21st century in the world of internet disconnectedness and social media virtual friends.
