Olive Kitteridge
Book #29
Olive Kitteridge
Elizabeth Strout
Fiction
270 pages
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 of Crosby, Maine, 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 her husband, 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.
This book was not what I expected it to be. The short stories in the first half of the book were great! I really loved the following stories: "Pharmacy", "The Piano Player", "A Little Burst", "Starving", and "Basket of Trips". Those are the stories that really captivated me and kept me wanting to read more. The second half of the book, was hugely disappointing. I think that I just got tired of all of the dysfunctional families and people cheating on their spouses. Also, Olive Kitteridge is probably the most annoying old lady I have ever read about. I was really hooked into this book and the first half of it really did keep me intrigued, and that is why I have given this book 3 out of 5 stars. If you like books about small towns, old whiny anti-Republican women, death, divorce and unfaithful spouses, then this book is for you.
Books read this year: 29/50.
Pages read this year: 10538/15000