Sep 13

Sep 13 Olive Kitteridge

Author: Elizabeth Strout
Publisher: Random House
Goodreads | The StoryGraph

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Note: Content and trigger warnings are provided for those who need them at the bottom of this page. If you don’t need them and don’t want to risk spoilers, don’t scroll past the full review.

Cover Description

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.

TL;DR Review

I’m late to the game with both Elizabeth Strout and Olive Kitteridge, but I’m so glad I finally arrived! What beautifully rendered characters. I loved it.

For you if: You like linked short stories.

Full Review

“Had they known at these moments to be quietly joyful? Most likely not. People mostly did not know enough when they were living life that they were living it.”

I’d been meaning to read Olive Kitteridge for a good long time, because I love linked short stories and of course it’s a modern classic. Finally, my friend Bernie forced it to the top of my TBR, and I’m so glad! This book is full of really beautifully rendered characters, tender moments, hope and heartbreak.

The stories could almost be chapters, as they move more or less linearly in time and give us a progressive amount of information about Olive (a strong-willed, brusque, no-holds-barred kind of woman) and her life. But they’re not quite chapters, because they hop and bop between main characters; they’re not all about Olive herself.

Elizabeth Strout’s magic is in creating her characters very quickly and efficiently; the dialogue, details — everything — come together into sharp, lifelike relief and BOOM there goes your poor little heart, fallen for another one of them. Olive isn’t really even a nice person, and you still love her, quickly and fiercely.

Strangely as I read, this book reminded me of The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo. They don’t have a ton in common at first glance — linked stories vs a 500-page family saga — but they both look closely (and heartbreakingly) at what happens to marriage in old age and navigating tricky adult child/parent relationships. (Also the patriarch is named Henry in both books, lol.)