Eleanor Rigby

I read most of Elenor Rigby at work. It was a slow Saturday and I'd started on the book a couple of days ago. It was fairly intriguing - about a woman in her 30s who was unmarried and as she admits, fat. She works in a normal job, nothing too interesting. Her family treats her the way she's described that weird spinster no
one can really put a finger on. The one who has nothing in her fridge except chocolate pudding.

So one day, she takes time off work to get wisdom tooth surgery, and while resting at home, gets a call from the hospital. Someone called Jeremy, who listed her as the person to call in case of emergency, is in the hospital.

She doesn't recognise the name. But later she realises who he is - her son, the one she gave up for adoption just after he was born, and whom she has not seen
since then. He is now 20.

So she goes to see him. And takes care of him. At first uncomfortable with sharing her space with someone, she grows to love him. Unfortunately he has multiple sclerosis and his condition's deteriorating. So it's a bit of a sad one.

Unfortunately while the storyline was interesting enough, and both Liz and Jeremy great characters, Coupland has this way of pulling the narrative in so many different directions that my eyes glaze over in certain parts (especially these visions
that Jeremy gets, which I'm sure have a bigger philosophical meaning but really just bore me to bits). And I find myself skipping over bits and pieces, until an interesting piece of dialogue snaps me back to attention again.

I loved the cover of the book.

And yesterday while watching part of X2 on Star Movies, realised it's quite a bit like the part where Professor X operates Cerebro, trying to find all the mutants, all of them!

Also interestingly, the title of the book is a little misleading. I thought that would be the main character's name. But Eleanor Rigby is the title of a Beatles song, and well, here are the lyrics. Fitting.

Ah, look at all the lonely people
Ah, look at all the lonely people

Eleanor Rigby, picks up the rice
in the church where a wedding has been
Lives in a dream
Waits at the window, wearing the face
that she keeps in a jar by the door
Who is it for

All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?

Father McKenzie, writing the words
of a sermon that no one will hear
No one comes near
Look at him working, darning his socks
in the night when there's nobody there
What does he care

All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?

Ah, look at all the lonely people
Ah, look at all the lonely people

Eleanor Rigby, died in the church
and was buried along with her name
Nobody came
Father McKenzie, wiping the dirt
from his hands as he walks from the grave
No one was saved

All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?

Tags: eleanor rigby, douglas coupland, books