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Eleanor Rigby (novel)
Encyclopedia
Eleanor Rigby is a 2004 novel
by Douglas Coupland
, about a lonely woman at ages 36 and 42. 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 loneliness
, family
, religious visions
and 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 died. 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.
Coupland has spoken extensively about the character of Liz Dunn. Coupland has claimed that Liz was his most realistic character.
. 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 in case 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.
' song of the same name
. 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 song itself features in the narrative as it is Liz Dunn’s email address.
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by Douglas Coupland
Douglas Coupland
Douglas Coupland is a Canadian novelist. His fiction is complemented by recognized works in design and visual art arising from his early formal training. His first novel, the 1991 international bestseller Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture, popularized terms such as McJob and...
, about a lonely woman at ages 36 and 42. The novel is written as a first-person narrative
First-person narrative
First-person point of view is a narrative mode where a story is narrated by one character at a time, speaking for and about themselves. First-person narrative may be singular, plural or multiple as well as being an authoritative, reliable or deceptive "voice" and represents point of view in the...
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 loneliness
Loneliness
Loneliness is an unpleasant feeling in which a person feels a strong sense of emptiness and solitude resulting from inadequate levels of social relationships. However, it is a subjective experience...
, family
Family
In human context, a family is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity, or co-residence. In most societies it is the principal institution for the socialization of children...
, religious visions
Vision (religion)
In spirituality, a vision is something seen in a dream, trance, or ecstasy, especially a supernatural appearance that conveys a revelation.Visions generally have more clarity than dreams, but traditionally fewer psychological connotations...
and multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
.
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 died. 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.
Liz Dunn
Liz Dunn is the protagonist of 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.
Jeremy
Liz’s son who was sent out for adoption, Jeremy has a terminal case of Multiple SclerosisMultiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
. 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 in case 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.
Loneliness
The inspiration for Eleanor Rigby was loneliness. Coupland suffered through a period in his early twenties he describes as being caused by loneliness.The Title
The novel is named after The BeatlesThe Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' song of the same name
Eleanor Rigby
"Eleanor Rigby" is a song by The Beatles, simultaneously released on the 1966 album Revolver and on a 45 rpm single. The song was written primarily by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney...
. 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 song itself features in the narrative as it is Liz Dunn’s email address.
External links
- Book review from The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
- Book review from The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...