Customer Reviews

Olive Kitteridge

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I had no idea the book had won a Pulitzer when I put it on my wish list two years ago. I didn't read it until early 2011 and was delighted from the beginning. I found every story captivated me. Olive's presence in each is the glue that makes the novel whole. Often, she shows up surreptitiously, like Alfred Hitchcock in his films. Sometimes, she is the star. Always she makes a profound impact. Throughout, Olive is totally herself, imperfections on display. However, she's not just an irascible retired school teacher. Even though she's crotchety and difficult, she's also compassionate and wise. She's displayed in full colour. I don't always like her. But I care about her. Olive is real--complex. Then there's the stories themselves. The characters of Crosby, Maine are not extraordinary. Their stories aren't thrilling, Hollywood happy, or even complete, but they are exceedingly engaging. I read one story per day, drawing out the pleasure. I commend Ms. Strout for an inspired, subtle study of humanity. It matters not a whit to me where the stories were first published. The collection is suitably arranged and presented. This is not just good literature, it's good storytelling.

This is a collection of thirteen short stories, all taking place in Crosby, Maine with the main character, Olive Kitteridge. She is the link that makes these stories read like a novel.

Olive Kitteridge is a retired math teacher in her 70s, married to Henry, a likeable retired pharmacist. Henry himself finds his loyalty to his marriage both a blessing and a curse. They have an adult son named Christopher, a podiatrist. Olive loves her son to the point of being overly protective and possessive. This makes Christopher absolutely miserable, so miserable that he is seeing a therapist. Olive is a grouchy, bossy and pessimistic woman, who has a hard time adapting to change. She wonders why bad things only happen to her.

To some people in town, Olive is likeable, to others, she is controlling. People may say she doesn't care what people think about her, but the truth is she really does care. With time, she does eventually see more and more of herself, but it may be too late.

The many characters that we meet is Kevin Coulson, a former pupil of Olive, now a med student, who has returned to his home town. He is sitting in his car, watching the incoming tide and contemplating suicide. There is also Julia, who was jilted on her wedding day. Angie, the pretty alcoholic piano player, who is now in her 50s, single and in love with a married man. We also meet a grieving widow and a mentally ill woman, who never leaves her home and on it goes.

This book is beautifully written and straightforward. It explores the topics of loneliness, the lack of understanding between people, how behaviour can damage relationships and chase people away, aging and life and death.

I enjoyed this book immensely, particularly the colourful character of Olive Kitteridge, who made this book a winner. This book gets my highest recommendation of FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS. Elizabeth Strout's book, Olive Kitteridge, is the winner of the 2009 Pulitzer Prize.

Olive Kitteridge, a retired teacher, is not a likeable woman by average standards. She is strong, obstinate, resolute, set in her views. Married to an infinitely patient husband, they love each other in an almost contradictory way, unyielding and at the same time sort of shattered. They have a son who is oppressed by her solicitude and, when she used to teach, all of her pupils were scared of her.

Yet Olive is capable of a gentleness that is surprising in a woman who is always-right. She can touch lives with a heart that proves to be extremely kind, and although she is always, always brutally honest with herself and others, the advancing old age is making her see things under a different perspective.

This is a well written novel, moving at times, funny too in certain parts. It is mainly, in my opinion, an exploration of the human condition when getting older. I would not say this has become one of my favourite books (for no particular reason actually, it just did not "blow me away") but it is definitely a book that deserves a try.
3.5 Amazon stars.

I admit that I did pick up this book because it won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. I've never read any of Elizabeth Strout's work before but "Olive Kitteridge" is certainly an example of what great writing is. Not a novel, but really a collection of short stories, "Olive Kitteridge" is about the trials and tribulations of an elderly woman and the people around her -- it grapples with the big questions surrounding the human condition like tragedy, sorrow, and suffering, but also triumph, success, and love.

I think each story works extremely well on its own, but I do question whether as a collection it presents as well. Because each story was written for a different audience (Oprah Magazine to the New Yorker to Seventeen), the sum of the stories does not provide a cohesive narrative. Though one could argue that is the point of the book, I still think the holes in between leave quite a bit to be desired. Still, I think each story has a concrete message which is profound and far-reaching.

Overall, I would say I'm a little surprised this collection of short stories could win the Pulitzer Prize. But I do like Strout's writing, the stories are solid and there is definitely something in the book for everyone. Definitely a recommend read.

The Pulitzer prize awarded to this book is truly an engima. If this is the best of English language fiction for 2008, someone should start writing the obituary of the English language novel.
The prose is in no way potent enough to penetrate the characters in the book, that remain stereotypical sketches. All in all, the novel leaves me with the idea of a literary exercize, an assignment for a creative writing course, but it never comes alive.

I had no expectations for this book that a friend had dropped onto my table. I was engaged from the first chapter. It has the qualities that I love in a book- characters that fascinate and an insite to "average" lives. I couldn't put it down. The chapters all stand as short stories, although they take place in the same town and some characters reappear.

The first thing I did upon finishing the book was to look up and nab the other two books ( Abide with Me, Amy and Isabelle) by Elizabeth Strout. The second thing I did was to buy Olive Kitteridge for a couple of my book loving buddies.

I must say that I loved the interwoven tales of life in and around Olive Kitteridge. Olive herself was everything from boorishly unlikeable to curiously empathic. The stories, as they unfolded the connections to Olive, drew me in. I wanted to know about these characters and could hardly put the book down. I liked them all, although at times I did not like Olive! Great ending - everyone deserves another chance!

On the positive side,the character of Olive Kitteridge, a retired school teacher, was intriguing and captivating, if not down-right unusual by times. She made me chuckle and definitely believed in calling "a spade, a spade." However, she was truly the only charasmatic element throughout the entire book. Her husband, Henry, and son, Christopher, were rather boring, predictable and hum-drum. Other secondary characters, and there were several, were not well developed and left the reader feeling disinterested because there was not the opportunity to truly get to know them.

The stories of the various individuals who flowed through Olive's life, and this was the centre core of the book, had the potential to make for an inpsiring plot, but it just did not happen. It was as if the author was trying to cram too many characters and their into too few pages. Would I recommend the book - not on less it was from a library or could be found in a second-hand reading store. I did enjoy Olive though; she was the only element that breathed fresh air into the book.

This was a great first of the season book for our new book club, since, being a collection of short stories, even those who didn't have time to finish could participate in the discussion. I wish I'd have written a brief summary of each chapter, because there are many characters and scenarios and by the end, I forgot much that I wanted to remember to talk about.

I'm afraid this is one of those books that I forced myself to finish because I feel a sense of obligation to finish a book so if you're like me, don't even start. I didn't find anything interesting in this story. It's as dull as they come. Thank goodness it's over!!