KAREN & THE CONSTABLES

It’s been a really good month for my reading challenge as I read two great books, one modern and one classic.

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

This book was not at all what I expected! After reading the blurb I thought it was going to be some easy reading Bridget Jones’ Diary type thing about a single girl living a lonely existence until something tips the balance and she falls in love. But it’s so far from the superficial book I expected, it’s actually a dark story about dealing with trauma and mental health interspersed with some real laugh out loud moments.

I absolutely loved it and constantly felt the need to tell Allan what was happening as if these were people I knew, possibly because there’s so much information about Eleanor and the other characters. This could be someone you know, someone you work with, study with, or see regularly at your local corner shop. Everyone has a life and their own struggles and complexities, just like these characters.

I honestly couldn’t put this down. There was so much I wanted to know and couldn’t wait to find out, and the story was constantly changing direction away from where I expected. Most people I know that have read it love it too, although there are definitely holes that can be picked, but I try not to worry too much about that!

Animal Farm by George Orwell

I’m quite surprised that I haven’t read Animal Farm before. I’ve had it on my shelves for quite a long time and picked it because it was short enough that I could read it on a weekend away at the end of the month.

I decided to go straight to the story, skipping the introduction and notes, as I knew it would be something I would want to research later and I wanted to take it at face value first. Even then it’s a timeless story about misuse of power and the lies we tell others and ourselves, and how the best of intentions can easily be corrupted. It says a lot about human nature and I do recognise a few of these creatures!

Fundamentally this is a great, quick read without knowing or understanding the subtext of Orwell’s political views.

Have you read any of these? I’d love to know what you thought! Find me on goodreads and let me know what you’re reading too!