A review by angelica_jardinerica
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

5.0

There's something exquisite about how Elizabeth Strout portrays the human condition, with all its flaws, virtues, joys and tragedies. While it's true there doesn't initially appear to be much joy in any of the stories presented in the book, I found myself wanting to go back and join the world of these complex characters as they just try to get through life and all it throws at them. There's so much to identify with and so much that resonates in the different relationships, some which overlap in the various chapters. Strict, disciplined, ex-teacher Olive comes across as extremely judgemental, but we are at risk of falling into the trap of judging her as she simply struggles to navigate a world she often doesn't understand. One of the issues the novel raises is: how far are we victims of circumstance, or victims of our own decisions? We are all products of our past, and no life is free of trauma; and, at the end of the day we all want to be loved.