Published Paper Details:

Gail Honeyman's Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine (2017) redefines chick lit's narrative boundaries by cantering trauma recovery through a paradoxical blend of dark humour and affective tension. This study argues that the novel subverts the genre's conventional focus on romantic resolution, instead prioritizing psychological healing through platonic connection, fragmented narration, and the strategic use of comedy as both a coping mechanism and a bridge to empathy. By analysing Eleanor's deadpan humour as a reflection of her dissociation and delayed recall of childhood abuse, the novel challenges scholarly dismissals of chick lit as trivial, demonstrating its capacity to engage with complex trauma theory. Drawing on Caruth's (1996) concept of "unclaimed experience" and Ahmed's (2004) framework of affective economies, this article explores how Honeyman reframes chick lit as a space for politicizing mental health struggles. The rejection of romantic closure in favour of therapeutic progress critiques neoliberal individualism, positioning commercial women's fiction as a vehicle for social advocacy. This analysis contributes to ongoing debates about genre legitimacy, advocating for scholarly recognition of chick lit's evolving emotional and thematic depth.