Eleanor Rigby (novel)
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| Author | Douglas Coupland |
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| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Novel |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury USA |
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Publication date
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December 23, 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 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 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.
Two distinct plot movements are 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 re-emergence into her life of her child, Jeremy, who is dying of multiple sclerosis.
As a teenager, Liz goes on a trip to Europe, her one big expressive moment. On this trip, while drunk, she loses her virginity in Italy to a man she cannot remember. From this experience, she becomes pregnant with Jeremy, who is put up for adoption, and goes in and out of foster families for much of his young life.
Jeremy arrives back into Liz’s life when she is at a low point of loneliness. His illness is terminal, and because of drug abuse, he has only a short time 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 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, a trip which again leads her to a world of excitement, police and army incidents, and a reunion with Jeremy’s father.
Liz Dunn is the protagonist of this novel. She is an overweight, lonely woman, who lives a removed solitary existence. Her apartment, for instance, can only accommodate one person.
Coupland has spoken extensively about the character of Liz Dunn, claiming that she was his most realistic character.
“…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."
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