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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
This is not a novel: it is a collection of short stories. This is an important distinction to make, because this would not be a particularly successful novel, but it is an excellent collection of short stories. The stories do interlink, but each can also stand on its own, and they are uniformly very good. If this was a novel, the reader might be troubled by the incoherence between chapters or how themes can be picked up and rapidly dropped, but as each story stands alone, each flows and works on its own terms.
Olive Kitteridge appears in all of these stories, sometimes as a peripheral figure, and sometimes as a central character. The stories focus on a small town in Maine, on the edge of the bay, and the changing ocean and temperamental climate is central to all them. They frequently focus on elderly people, and people who have been disappointed, and demonstrate the fragility of our lives and our relationships, and the importance of treating others with respect and compassion. Above all they show the threads of love that weave through our lives, and how we all crave understanding and compassion. Characters are well-drawn, but Olive most of all: she is a blunt, difficult woman, but has her own brand of kindness. With her quick temper and strong opinions, she can alienate those around her, in particular her son, but she is just as lonely and vulnerable as everyone else. The stories pose questions about how we view others, and how we want to live our lives: they demonstrate the power of good writing and the scope of storytelling. The world of Olive Kitteridge is a small town in a specific area, but this microcosm gives us a broad picture of ourselves and our lives.
Olive Kitteridge appears in all of these stories, sometimes as a peripheral figure, and sometimes as a central character. The stories focus on a small town in Maine, on the edge of the bay, and the changing ocean and temperamental climate is central to all them. They frequently focus on elderly people, and people who have been disappointed, and demonstrate the fragility of our lives and our relationships, and the importance of treating others with respect and compassion. Above all they show the threads of love that weave through our lives, and how we all crave understanding and compassion. Characters are well-drawn, but Olive most of all: she is a blunt, difficult woman, but has her own brand of kindness. With her quick temper and strong opinions, she can alienate those around her, in particular her son, but she is just as lonely and vulnerable as everyone else. The stories pose questions about how we view others, and how we want to live our lives: they demonstrate the power of good writing and the scope of storytelling. The world of Olive Kitteridge is a small town in a specific area, but this microcosm gives us a broad picture of ourselves and our lives.
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
This book is not going to be for everyone but if you don't mind reading about curmudgeonly and even, perhaps, extremely unlikeable characters (depending on who you ask) a la [b:A Man Called Ove|18774964|A Man Called Ove|Fredrik Backman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1405259930l/18774964._SY75_.jpg|21619954], this book might be the one for you.
This book is a series of loosely connected vignettes revolving around the main character, Olive's, life. While some people might condescendingly pass this off as "women's fiction," this is not a light and fluffy read. There are particularly poignant themes of potential and actual betrayal, loneliness, loss, and rifts between parents and children. While the characters in this book were mostly empty nesters, there were younger characters as well, each of them going through different stages in their lives.
Even though Olive, set in her ways, could tend to be off putting to the townsfolk, I found myself siding with her, even when she took her revenge to the extreme. I wasn't sure how I would feel about this book but I ended up enjoying it much more than I thought I would and I'll definitely be reading [b:Olive, Again|43984883|Olive, Again (Olive Kitteridge, #2)|Elizabeth Strout|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1576676858l/43984883._SY75_.jpg|66502791].
This book is a series of loosely connected vignettes revolving around the main character, Olive's, life. While some people might condescendingly pass this off as "women's fiction," this is not a light and fluffy read. There are particularly poignant themes of potential and actual betrayal, loneliness, loss, and rifts between parents and children. While the characters in this book were mostly empty nesters, there were younger characters as well, each of them going through different stages in their lives.
Even though Olive, set in her ways, could tend to be off putting to the townsfolk, I found myself siding with her, even when she took her revenge to the extreme. I wasn't sure how I would feel about this book but I ended up enjoying it much more than I thought I would and I'll definitely be reading [b:Olive, Again|43984883|Olive, Again (Olive Kitteridge, #2)|Elizabeth Strout|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1576676858l/43984883._SY75_.jpg|66502791].
emotional
reflective
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
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Elizabeth Strout manages to pack a surprising amount of depth and vulnerability into all of these characters. Olive Kitteridge easily could have been a cantankerous New England stereotype, but the way she interacts with those around her has a certain kind of tenderness and even melancholy. I loved getting to know all of the folks in these stories; I'll have to read the sequel.
I should have reviewed this book right when I finished it...now some of the nuances that I loved have retreated. I will say this, though: as I was reading the book, I liked it. I enjoyed it. I picked it up with gusto each night to immerse myself in the world of this town and these characters. But it wasn't until I finished it--that last beautiful story-chapter--that I pressed it to my chest and thought, "I LOVE this book!" Which makes me think I should definitely read it again.
Generally, I enjoy character-driven narratives and I like Strout's technique of intertwining stories and allowing us to understand Olive (and other characters) from a variety of perspectives. The subtly rendered tragedies of many of the stories were just heart-wrenching and the characters absolutely, lovably flawed.
Generally, I enjoy character-driven narratives and I like Strout's technique of intertwining stories and allowing us to understand Olive (and other characters) from a variety of perspectives. The subtly rendered tragedies of many of the stories were just heart-wrenching and the characters absolutely, lovably flawed.
A bit confusing in the beginning, until you get used to and get to know the characters but it is a wonderful and emotional book, to be read with patience. Even the sadness at the end was beautiful.
Reading Olive Kitteridge was like looking into a mirror that points to the future. I so identified with this retired middle school teacher who has hardened herself to handle the pain of the world and who has an unwavering sense of what's right, but who is ultimately deeply empathetic. Some people will have to warm up to Olive, but for me, I instantly found a connection with her.
This book is composed of 13 short stories that are a part of a larger novel structure bound together by this one character, Olive. I'm not typically a fan of short story structures, but I think this structure worked really well for this book. Of course I would love a book that was so focused on character development. I love a good story with complex characters I love and hate. Some favorite quotes:
"Don't be scared of your hunger. If you're scared of your hunger, you'll just be one more ninny like everyone else."
"Sometimes, like now, Olive had a sense of just how desperately hard every person in the world was working to get what they needed. For most, it was a sense of safety, in the sea of terror that life increasingly became."
This book is composed of 13 short stories that are a part of a larger novel structure bound together by this one character, Olive. I'm not typically a fan of short story structures, but I think this structure worked really well for this book. Of course I would love a book that was so focused on character development. I love a good story with complex characters I love and hate. Some favorite quotes:
"Don't be scared of your hunger. If you're scared of your hunger, you'll just be one more ninny like everyone else."
"Sometimes, like now, Olive had a sense of just how desperately hard every person in the world was working to get what they needed. For most, it was a sense of safety, in the sea of terror that life increasingly became."
I love how Elizabeth Strout leaves many things unsaid, yet is able to create three-dimensional characters. Indeed, as a collection of short stories, Olive Kitteridge surpasses others because every protagonist is fully realized. Incredibly, the stories seem to build the character of Olive Kitteridge. I would have to read the book again in order to fully appreciate this process, but it would be worthwhile to do so.
Dates: 20-28 April 2015
*****
2019 reread
I took notes on the chapters, and I was right: Olive's character definitely develops as the book progresses. And the story is still amazing. I look forward to the sequel.
Dates: 20-28 April 2015
*****
2019 reread
I took notes on the chapters, and I was right: Olive's character definitely develops as the book progresses. And the story is still amazing. I look forward to the sequel.