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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Complicated
A book that has stayed with me for years after reading it. Haunting and human. One of my favorite go-to recommendations.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Another Strout novel that brings a small town to life with Olive Kitteridge acting as a common thread in each of the 13 stories that make up this novel. She isn't the main character in many of them but she is mentioned in all sometimes merely as a person on the audience (the story about the piano player) or more often as the former maths teacher of the main character (the story about the girl who gets jilted at the altar amongst others) but you get the feeling that she leaves an impression.
Olive herself isn't likeable - she is blunt and doesn't really care what she says and to who. She is frequently described as the scariest teacher in the school she taught at. She finds it difficult to communicate with those closest to her and ends up with a very fractured relationship with her son as a result. Her husband seems to love her and I felt the portrayal of their long marriage was well done - they both have passing fancies for another but don't really take them seriously and stay together.
The story of the hospital siege is realistically done and the things they say to each other cause long term changes. Her devotion to him after his stroke is what I associate with Olive - her actions are what matter not her words. Likewise the way she sits in the car with Kevin in the second story and possibly saves his life.
Strout is not afraid of tackling the not so nice side of small town life and there is a lot of sadness and loss in this book. There are also a lot of redeeming elements and most of the characters finish their chapters in a better place.
Olive won't be everyone's cup of tea but I can see some of her in me so feel more invested than some. I really like the way Strout isn't afraid of making her characters middle aged / old especially as I'm now approaching 60. A good book but not outstanding.
Olive herself isn't likeable - she is blunt and doesn't really care what she says and to who. She is frequently described as the scariest teacher in the school she taught at. She finds it difficult to communicate with those closest to her and ends up with a very fractured relationship with her son as a result. Her husband seems to love her and I felt the portrayal of their long marriage was well done - they both have passing fancies for another but don't really take them seriously and stay together.
The story of the hospital siege is realistically done and the things they say to each other cause long term changes. Her devotion to him after his stroke is what I associate with Olive - her actions are what matter not her words. Likewise the way she sits in the car with Kevin in the second story and possibly saves his life.
Strout is not afraid of tackling the not so nice side of small town life and there is a lot of sadness and loss in this book. There are also a lot of redeeming elements and most of the characters finish their chapters in a better place.
Olive won't be everyone's cup of tea but I can see some of her in me so feel more invested than some. I really like the way Strout isn't afraid of making her characters middle aged / old especially as I'm now approaching 60. A good book but not outstanding.
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Nydelig bok om livet og folka og alt det vanskelige og fine innimellom der
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I did not care for the style of this book. I could follow and mostly enjoyed the chapters to do with Olive, but there were so many chapters that barely even mentioned Olive, they seemed pointless and therefore distracting.
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Master storyteller-short stories with interwoven plot. Made me want to read every word and was sad when the last chapter started.
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes