Eleanor Rigby (novel)

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."

— Coupland in The Weekend Australian[1]

Liz’s son Jeremy, who was sent out for adoption, has a terminal case of multiple sclerosis. He has traveled through the foster-care system of British Columbia, residing with many families who abused him. He eventually reconnects with Liz after finding her and registers her as his next of kin for 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. He experiences visions of a post-apocalyptic future, which enthralls Liz. He envisions a future where crops have gone foul and farmers ask a divine voice for guidance.

The inspiration for Eleanor Rigby was loneliness. Coupland suffered through a period in his early twenties he describes as being caused by loneliness.[2]

"If they told us in school that there was this weird thing you were going to experience the moment you turn 20, that would have been a great service. It might be just a North American thing but you always have to smile for the camera and give it your best. Negative emotions, or inevitable emotions, never get discussed."

— Coupland in The Age (Melbourne) [2]

"When you’re lonely, that’s all you can think about. Then the moment you’re not lonely, you run away and avoid lonely people altogether because you don’t want to be reminded of that part of your life. So we don’t talk about it. And when it happens, most people don’t know what it is. They think it must be clinical depression, or an allergy. I think because it is lumped in with depression and other medical conditions, people want to say, ‘Oh, just take your Paxil and come back when you’re feeling better.’ But it’s not like that."

— Coupland in The Globe And Mail[3]

The novel is named after The Beatles' 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."[1] The song itself features in the narrative as it is Liz Dunn's email address.