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bibi003's review against another edition
4.0
Olive Kitteridge is a salty old lady and she has very little patience for all the stupid people in her life. She has been living with the trauma of her father's suicide and not quite succeeding at managing her mental health for YEARS, and now, in her retirement, she is coming to terms with being in the twilight years of her life.
I loved how Strout didn't simply tell us Olive's story. She showed us who Olive IS through her relationships and interactions with her family and the people in her community. Her strained relationship with her son, the confusion of why her husband sticks around (he must love her), her past students and neighbours all give us a glimpse into Olive's life and her motivations.
This novel unfolds in a series of chapters that are more like short stories, told from the perspective of numerous characters. Each piece reveals a little bit more about Olive to the reader, and deepens our understanding of this grumpy and impatient person, the "mean old math teacher." Eventually, I found myself having a lot of compassion for her. And I will probably read the sequel, because I'm invested enough now that I want to know how things work out for her.
The writing was beautiful and immersive. At times, I found myself being swept away in Olive's thoughts and jarred back to reality along with her when she was forced to interact with the people around her. Reading this book was a beautiful experience and I see why this nivel won the Pulitzer.
I loved how Strout didn't simply tell us Olive's story. She showed us who Olive IS through her relationships and interactions with her family and the people in her community. Her strained relationship with her son, the confusion of why her husband sticks around (he must love her), her past students and neighbours all give us a glimpse into Olive's life and her motivations.
This novel unfolds in a series of chapters that are more like short stories, told from the perspective of numerous characters. Each piece reveals a little bit more about Olive to the reader, and deepens our understanding of this grumpy and impatient person, the "mean old math teacher." Eventually, I found myself having a lot of compassion for her. And I will probably read the sequel, because I'm invested enough now that I want to know how things work out for her.
The writing was beautiful and immersive. At times, I found myself being swept away in Olive's thoughts and jarred back to reality along with her when she was forced to interact with the people around her. Reading this book was a beautiful experience and I see why this nivel won the Pulitzer.
threegoodrats's review against another edition
5.0
Review is here: http://blog.threegoodrats.com/2009/09/olive-kitteridge-review.html
jorydotcom's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
blackkbh's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
anomys_'s review against another edition
5.0
Mi è piaciuto molto questo libro, ancor più perché ho cominciato a leggerlo senza aspettarmi niente, senza stare troppo a guardare trama e recensioni.
Mi sono piaciuti molto sia la struttura che la scrittura: il libro è un romanzo composto da racconti, che si svolgono in una cittadina del Maine, dove tutti si conoscono e tutti hanno i loro segreti. Ogni racconto ha un suo protagonista ma costante è la figura di Olive Kitteridge, una scorbutica e burbera maestra, dotata di una grande sensibilità che non riesce a manifestare però nei confronti della sua famiglia. O la si ama o la si odia.
Ho adorato il modo in cui la Strout descrive i suoi personaggi e gli eventi che li circondano, una scrittura evocativa che non ci dice troppo ma che ci lascia intendere tutto. Consigliato!
Mi sono piaciuti molto sia la struttura che la scrittura: il libro è un romanzo composto da racconti, che si svolgono in una cittadina del Maine, dove tutti si conoscono e tutti hanno i loro segreti. Ogni racconto ha un suo protagonista ma costante è la figura di Olive Kitteridge, una scorbutica e burbera maestra, dotata di una grande sensibilità che non riesce a manifestare però nei confronti della sua famiglia. O la si ama o la si odia.
Ho adorato il modo in cui la Strout descrive i suoi personaggi e gli eventi che li circondano, una scrittura evocativa che non ci dice troppo ma che ci lascia intendere tutto. Consigliato!
stephaniesteen73's review against another edition
4.0
Humans are complex emotional creatures and this novel portays this beautifully. Olive Kitteridge is not a character I will soon forget!
karoliinatuomivaara's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.0
lynnylooloo's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
laurenmichellebrock's review against another edition
5.0
Olive Kitteridge is a kind of novel-short story collection hybrid. Told through the tales of the townspeople of Colby, Maine, Olive finds herself on the minds of more people than she may have realized or even liked. She’s terrifying in her emotional abrasiveness, which causes more than enough grief for those close to her, but still she has vulnerabilities that make her relatable, if not frustrating. The writing brings nuance and beauty to a series of stories fraught with the exhaustion and complexities of the mundane.
genorgana's review against another edition
5.0
Both book and miniseries are excellent and unique storytelling experiences.