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Olive Kitteridge: Fiction | 
| Author: Elizabeth Strout
Publisher: Random House
Category: Book
List Price: $25.00
Buy New: $14.07
You Save: $10.93 (44%)
New (37) Used (10) Collectible (1) from $14.07
Avg. Customer Rating:  27 reviews
Sales Rank: 5515
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 288
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 9.5 x 6.3 x 1.2
ISBN: 140006208X
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9781400062089
ASIN: 140006208X
Publication Date: March 25, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
In a voice more powerful and compassionate than ever before, New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Strout binds together thirteen rich, luminous narratives into a book with the heft of a novel, through the presence of one larger-than-life, unforgettable character: Olive Kitteridge.
At the edge of the continent, Crosby, Maine, may seem like nowhere, but seen through this brilliant writer’s eyes, it’s in essence the whole world, and the lives that are lived there are filled with all of the grand human drama–desire, despair, jealousy, hope, and love.
At times stern, at other times patient, at times perceptive, at other times in sad denial, Olive Kitteridge, a retired schoolteacher, deplores the changes in her little town and in the world at large, but she doesn’t always recognize the changes in those around her: a lounge musician haunted by a past romance: a former student who has lost the will to live: Olive’s own adult child, who feels tyrannized by her irrational sensitivities; and Henry, who finds his loyalty to his marriage both a blessing and a curse.
As the townspeople grapple with their problems, mild and dire, Olive is brought to a deeper understanding of herself and her life–sometimes painfully, but always with ruthless honesty. Olive Kitteridge offers profound insights into the human condition–its conflicts, its tragedies and joys, and the endurance it requires.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 22 more reviews...
 Leave Out The Politics July 6, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is a wonderful novel. All the good things have been written about it in previous reviews. But, then this author waits till the end of the book to foster on her readers her political views. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I feel as if I've been mugged. Regardless of which side the writer plugs, such heavy hatred doesn't belong in a book that people spend their money on unless they've been forewarned.
 Absolutely Terrific Read! July 5, 2008
I cannot say more than what the other reviewers have already said, (but I LOVE this book!) so I will only add that my favorite "vignette" in the entire book is Olive, at her son's house just after the wedding, lying on the bed in his room, and what she does just before she leaves the room. I know, I know, I know, I should think it petty, but I found it hilarious, and understandable. Which probably does not say much about me!
Resonant regardless of one's affinity July 5, 2008
How is it possible for the lives of those in a small town in Maine to resonate with a reader in an urban area? That is one of the amazements of this book: each story, each emotion, each heartbreak reminds the reader of their own personal experiences. Many writers can dazzle with deft use of language and momentum of story, but rare is a writer like Strout who can elicit an intense look inside one's own life.
Olive Kitteridge is every person who questions what in the world they are doing here. June 23, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I closed this book with a feeling of "oh my gosh, what a story!" Presented in a series of short stories within the ongoing story of a woman's later years in life, this was one of the most unique books I have read in a long time. The main character is somone we have all been at one time or another whether we want to admit it or not. We have all felt put-upon, self-rightous, lonely, hateful, superior, and tired. I also think, at one time or another, we have all felt that all the other people around us are slow-witted jerks who are only trying to make our lives miserable. This is Olive Kitteridge. She, like all of us, is ego-centric and wonders why all these things keep happening to HER. At times you want to despise her while at the same time completely understanding what she is thinking. The author does a wonderful job at describing the insecurities, obsessions, insanities and sadnesses of small town denizens and their interconnected lives.
 Olive Kitteridge June 21, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is a book about a small Maine community filled with "normal" people who have a preponderance of problems often complicated by their stereotypical prejudices. We learn about it all and get carried along by an unusually blunt woman's life experiences. The format for this book is a collection of vignettes linked together by their connection to the middle-aged Olive Kitteridge. Lovely scenes along the Maine coast sparkle throughout the book as we get to know this character who is transitioning from working to retirement and old age.
Joining chapters loosely in stories instead of using a traditional novel form may be an interesting artistic device in some circumstances, but sadly, it did not work for me here. Frequently repetitions occurred from chapter to chapter. I also believe this format caused the severity of the problems her characters faced to be rushed through. I believe a deep story was constrained by the autonomous chapter structure the author used. Ms. Strout had something of value to impart, and I think it got overwhelmed.
Victimhood and complacency among Olive's acquaintances and neighbors cast a net of hopelessness, so I wouldn't recommend this book if you are feeling depressed. Fiction that focuses us on difficult circumstances seems obliged to offer some alternatives. That way, readers can finish the book with strength, not emotionally exhausted. Remarkably, the author succeeds in winning the reader's sympathy for Olive despite her outright crankiness and lack of a socially acceptable filter.
For me, the book ended with a scenario that did not seem consistent with the Olive I came to know. People mellow as they age, but do not change that much.
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