Eleanor Rigby (novel)

infobox Book |
name = Eleanor Rigby


author = Douglas Coupland
country = Canada
language = English
genre = Novel
release_date = 2004
media_type = Print (Hardcover & Paperback)
preceded_by = Hey Nostradamus!
followed_by = JPod

"Eleanor Rigby" is a 2004 novel by Douglas Coupland, about a lonely 42-year-old woman. The novel is written as a first-person narrative by the main character, Liz Dunn.

The novel centres on the changes to Liz's life when someone from her past unexpectedly re-enters her life. It is written in a light, often comic, tone, but resonates on many deeper issues including, including loneliness, family, religious visions and multiple sclerosis.

Plot Synopsis

The novel has two distinct plot movements, separated by a break in the narrative flow. The first part of the novel involves two retellings: the story of Liz Dunn’s trip to Europe and her pregnancy, and the story of the reemergence into her life of her child, Jeremy, who is dying of Multiple Sclerosis.

As a teenager, Liz went on a trip to Europe, her one big expressive moment. It is on this trip where Liz became very drunk and during a memory blackout, lost her virginity in Italy to a man she cannot remember. From this experience, she became pregnant with her child, Jeremy, who was put up for adoption, and went in and out of foster families for much of his young life.

He arrives back into Liz’s life when Liz is at a low point of loneliness. His illness is terminal, and because of drug abuse, Jeremy does not have much longer to live. Jeremy’s introduction into Liz’s life rattles the lonely world she has constructed, opening up her and her world.

The first part of the novel, narrated by Liz, jumps between these two moments, constantly reminding the reader that these are moments in the past. There is a symbolic page break between the first section, which takes place in the past, and the second section, which takes place in the novel’s present.

In the novel’s present, Jeremy has passed away. Liz finds a meteorite that she takes to be a very precious object. She sleeps with it under her pillow to keep it close. She eventually, through a list of circumstances, decides to travel to Europe to find Jeremy’s father, and her trip to Europe again leads her to a world of excitement, police and army incidents, and a reunion with Jeremy’s father.

Characters

Liz Dunn

Liz Dunn is the protagonist of the this novel. She is an overweight, lonely woman, who lives a removed solitary existence. Her apartment, for instance, only has the space and accommodations for one person.

Coupland has spoken extensively about the character of Liz Dunn. Coupland has claimed that Liz was his most realistic character. quote|“…She's actually one of the first characters I've created who I can talk about like she's real, she comes from an upbringing in a generally democratic society where no one tells you about the currency of lust or the currency of bodies or of family name. Warhol used to say that people get scored out of 40 based on looks, body, money and fame, that you could be rich and good-looking but if you're not famous or don't have a good body, you won't make it. It's a surprisingly shallow yet surprisingly effective measure to learn ... and Liz, well she's just slipped through all the cracks."|Coupland in The Weekend Australian [ “The Hit Man”. ‘’The Weekend Austrailian’’, December 4th, 2004.]

Jeremy

Liz’s son who was sent out for adoption, Jeremy has a terminal case of Multiple Sclerosis. He traveled through the foster care system of British Columbia, visiting many families who abused him. He eventually reconnects with Liz after finding her and putting her number as his contact number incase of any emergencies. When he is hospitalized, Liz reconnects with her son.

Jeremy is cheerful in the face of his condition, happy with the life that he has left to lead. He eventually becomes a successful mattress salesman in the time leading up to his death.

Jeremy also experiences visions of a post apocalyptic future, which Liz becomes enthralled with. He envisions a future where crops have gone foul and farmers ask a divine voice for guidance.

Inspiration

Loneliness

The inspiration for Eleanor Rigby was loneliness. Coupland suffered through a period in his early twenties he describes as being caused by loneliness. [”Dealing with the X factor”. ‘‘The Age’’, July 30, 2005.]

The Title

The novel is named after the song, Eleanor Rigby by The Beatles. The song reference was inspired from a moment in Coupland’s past. Coupland heard the song “on a friend's mother's record player. And the story threw me: 'Oh my God, what happened to her?' The lyrics didn't tell you much but in my head I always saw her as an only child of very old parents who didn't have a clue and she was left in a rectory and died without leaving any mark anywhere ... The book's not like that, of course, but it's the mood and the way Liz describes herself.” [ “The Hit Man”. ‘’The Weekend Austrailian’’, December 4th, 2004.] The song itself features in the narrative as it is Liz Dunn’s email address.

References

External links

* [http://books.guardian.co.uk/reviews/generalfiction/0,,1322844,00.html Book review] from "The Guardian"
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9804E6D91F30F931A35752C0A9639C8B63 Book review] from "The New York Times"