WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE • THE EMMY AWARD–WINNING HBO MINISERIES STARRING FRANCES MCDORMAND, RICHARD JENKINS, AND BILL MURRAYIn 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: … 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.
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY
People • USA Today • The Atlantic • The Washington Post Book World • Seattle Post-Intelligencer • Entertainment Weekly • The Christian Science Monitor • San Francisco Chronicle • Salon • San Antonio Express-News • Chicago Tribune • The Wall Street Journal
“Perceptive, deeply empathetic . . . Olive is the axis around which these thirteen complex, relentlessly human narratives spin themselves into Elizabeth Strout’s unforgettable novel in stories.”—O: The Oprah Magazine
“Fiction lovers, remember this name: Olive Kitteridge. . . . You’ll never forget her. . . . [Elizabeth Strout] constructs her stories with rich irony and moments of genuine surprise and intense emotion. . . . Glorious, powerful stuff.”—USA Today
BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from Elizabeth Strout’s The Burgess Boys.
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I found this book depressing. She seemed like a bully to me.
A friend recommended this but it just didn’t do much for me
Great story continued in Olive, Again.
Brilliant
Of course it was well-written, but I just didn’t enjoy it all that much.
I love all of her books!
I really enjoyed the book, and just finished the sequel. It’s quirky, and very well written. I like how outspoken Olive is.
Depressing. What a gloomy world view.
I didn’t want to put it down. The quirky characters reminded me of people that I know, crazy as they seem.
I found this book so refreshing! A heroine who is unlikeable–at first. Little by little, as we uncover more about Olive Kitteridge through these 13 linked stories about a coastal town in Maine, we begin to develop an understanding of Olive’s blunt personality, followed by a feeling of sympathy, and finally, protectiveness and tenderness (yup, I …
Elizabeth Strout is one of my favorite writers. A wonderful character study. Strout manages to make the curmudgeonly Olive sympathetic.
I found this to be a fascinating character study.
The concept was interesting. It did not hold my interest because the pace was glacial.
An interesting, but not particularly nice, woman.
Ingenious way of presenting various aspects of this complex character.
A readable book with characters who might be your neighbors with their flaws and good points, just like you.
Collection of inter-related short stories revolving around the title character.
One of the best fiction books I have ever read.
I didn’t enjoy it. I had to struggle to finiit
Very depressing……