Olive Kitteridge - Elizabeth Strout

Olive Kitteridge

By Elizabeth Strout

  • Release Date: 2008-03-25
  • Genre: Literary Fiction
4 Score: 4 (From 1,680 Ratings)
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Description

WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE • The beloved first novel featuring Olive Kitteridge, from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of My Name is Lucy Barton and the Oprah’s Book Club pick Olive, Again

“Fiction lovers, remember this name: Olive Kitteridge. . . . You’ll never forget her.”—USA Today

“Strout animates the ordinary with astonishing force.”—The New Yorker

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The Washington Post Book World, USA Today, San Francisco Chronicle, Chicago Tribune, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, People, Entertainment Weekly, The Christian Science Monitor, The Plain Dealer, The Atlantic, Rocky Mountain News, Library Journal
 
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.
 
The inspiration for the Emmy Award–winning HBO miniseries starring Frances McDormand, Richard Jenkins, and Bill Murray

This edition includes an excerpt of Elizabeth Strout’s novel Olive, Again.

Reviews

  • Amazing book. Beautiful stories

    5
    By jbailey214
    The characters feel so real and deep despite the short Story narrative. What a wonderful book with a heartfelt collection of stories woven together by a common thread.

  • True to life

    4
    By justmeca2
    It’s sad what life does to us but the author nailed it here. A little difficult to follow all the characters

  • Boring unhappy women

    1
    By Heelermom
    A few moments of self reflection over a lifetime does not make a good book.

  • Lost the whole time

    1
    By Kingclaireg
    I tried so hard to like this book but I was lost the whole time, like I walked in on the middle of a conversation and could never figure out what was going on and that the conversation was not that good to begin with. Nothing grabbed me with the story, no character kept me thinking, no scene was set to remember. I don’t even really know what the book was trying to get at. There is so much better out there. Give this one a skip

  • Who knows?

    1
    By Zoozyq2
    Maybe if I could read the book I purchased, Olive Kitteridge, I could review it positively. Unfortunately, I bought it this morning from iTunes and after seven or more hours the app still pops up a message to say it’s downloading and will be available in my library when it is downloaded. Meanwhile, it looks like any other downloaded book in my library—puzzling and disappointing. I was ready to switch from another very popular book seller, but perhaps it was a mistake.

  • Beautifully written

    5
    By L_A_mommy
    This book was beautiful. With every single story I was enthralled and couldn’t put it down. Started off a little slow but once I got into it I couldn’t stop. At the end of every one I had almost an epiphany about life. Each story makes you think and re-evaluate how you think. It truly is a book about life. While that makes some moments tough to get through, you realize the meaning of each one by the end. One of my favorite books of all time.

  • Olive Kitteridge

    5
    By Poppie+3
    Could anyone play Olive except Frances Mcdormand? I saw the series first and actually read the sequel first before reading the original. Hope that Olive again makes it to HB.

  • Olive Kitteridge

    5
    By Ristikay
    Love this book! The odd thing is, I tried reading Olive Kitteridge few years ago and had to put it down. The story was depressing. I couldn’t stand Olive. She was a horrible woman, wife and mother. A few years have passed and recently I gave the book another try- After all there must be something good about it if it’s a bestseller and a Pulitzer Prize winner, right? Maybe the timing had to be right for me to appreciate/“hear“ Olive’s story because this time I read the whole book and was very moved. Elizabeth Strout is an amazing writer! I immediately went on to read the sequel -Olive, Again. (👍!)

  • Olive Kitteridge

    5
    By avomaria
    Had to put this down once but picked it up again. It HAD to be good reading if it won a Pulitzer Prize, right? This time it grabbed me at the beginning and held me until the end. Strout’s writing was superb. The lives lived by several of the “townies” in Olive’s life reminded me of my friends, neighbors and relations. The author’s ability to describe a landscape or personal interaction with beautiful metaphors and similes had me shaking my head in awe at the skillful use of her craft. Olive is a crusty piece of work. Damaged, flawed and defensive but so like someone I know, I would love to be her friend. She would always tell me the truth I wouldn’t want but needed to hear. And low maintenance! Thank you for Olive, Elizabeth.

  • Olive Ketteridge

    5
    By fmckeagney-dub
    Wonderful book. Beautifully written. Highly recommended. This is the first Elizabeth Strout book I have read - I look forward to reading her others.

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