Olive Kitteridge
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and an Emmy-Award Winning Mini Series! In a voice more powerful and compassionate than ever before, New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Strout binds together thirteen rich, luminous narratives into a book with the heft of a novel, through the presence of one larger-than-life, unforgettable character: Olive Kitteridge. Olive Kitteridge, a retired schoolteacher, deplores the changes in her little town and in the world at large, but she doesn’t always recognize the changes in those around her. Olive Kitteridge offers profound insights into the human condition–its conflicts, its tragedies and joys, and the endurance it requires.
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Community Reviews
I felt the book was dark and dealt with too many negative instances. The main character seethed with negativity. Many characters to keep up with caused confusion on my part.
Just not the kind of book that I find appealing.
I found this to be a very well written book. At times I found Olive to be judge mental and annoying while at other times she was caring and compassionate making her a somewhat complex character at times. I did also enjoy how the chapters were almost seemly short stories but they all tied together somehow
I don't really get why this won the Pulitzer. It was ok, but I didn't enjoy it. I don't really get how all the pieces fit together. I don't know...maybe I'm too shallow or this book's too deep.
This isn’t a novel. This is a short story collection. While many of the stories revolve around Olive, some of them have no real link to her or the important people in Olive’s life.
There are beautiful sentences, and a little bit of light humor, but there’s a lot of desperation threaded through the stories that make this collection difficult to enjoy. Maybe I would have enjoyed it more when I was sadder myself, but now it feels like an undertow trying to drag me back.
There are beautiful sentences, and a little bit of light humor, but there’s a lot of desperation threaded through the stories that make this collection difficult to enjoy. Maybe I would have enjoyed it more when I was sadder myself, but now it feels like an undertow trying to drag me back.
If I could it would be a 3.5. It was a well written and fairly unique novel depicting stories of a small town with the common character being one Olive Kitteridge. The whole book was about her either as a main, minor or passing character but that approach enabled you to glimpse olive from so many various angles. Superficial, deep, loving, funny, sharp, cruel and everywhere in between. As such you got a real 360 view of the character as well as an intro to most of the community all very flawed, very human and real. I wouldn’t say Olive herself was likeable but she sure is interesting. I know there is another book and I’d love to know her more so will read it.
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