Beautiful and thorny collection of stories set on the Maine coast. The characters are not always likeable, not always 100% sympathetic, but always human. ( )

I was not a big fan of this book and am surprised that it won the Pulitzer.

"Olive Kitteridge" consists of a series of short pieces written about the personal and internal lives of folks in a town on the coast of Maine. These glimpses show us so clearly, in language unerring and deceptively simple, folk that aspire against all hope for love, fulfillment, even survival. Sometimes the piece illuminates an episode from Olive's life, sometimes Olive plays only a cameo in this or that person's current crisis.

And the crises abound in this collection. Lives and marriages and families tread the razor's edge, hoping for the day when that blade can become something a little more stable, a little less threatening. Mostly, though, we get a character's forced accommodation; he or she must give up the grand hope or design for the lesser but more realistic outcome. Disappointment, even desperation, inevitably follow, and Olive is no exception. People struggle with inner demons here, some more severe than others. Olive's own demons put her at odds with others, often for no overt reason. Olive has little patience for anything or anyone, especially after her affable husband Henry becomes ill. Her son, from whom she feels estranged, and with reason, invites her at length to New York to meet his second wife - he didn't tell her he'd married again - and after Olive loses her composure and her patience, he confronts her calmly with the fact of how difficult she is. To Olive, it's an outrage, and she feels cast adrift again.

Olive Kitteridge the character is one exceptionally fine fictive creation. We come to know her, loudmouthed and irascible, through a series of encounters, and we know how she will react in any situation. This very slowly and very subtly changes over the course of the stories, and in this under-the-surface mutability Strout performs her ineffable and exraordinary trick: Olive the obdurate, Olive the obstreperous, begins to discover, very, very late in life, what it might mean to acknowledge her own and someone else's need.

Ms Strout takes us along at a careful pace, but doesn't spare the emotions. These oblique peeks into these tortured internal lives and dialogues capture us and capture our sympathy. And Ms Strout has certainly captured an avid fan. ( )

A series of stories that are connected by their locale and the presence of the character, Olive. They are mainly slice of life stories - well written though not always terribly compelling. ( )

A beautiful collection of stories ( )

An interesting portrait of Olive Kitteridge, a unique and fairly appalling middle school math teacher in a small Maine town. Each chapter is a different story of someone in the town, and Olive morphs a little bit in her connection to each character. Though I normally wouldn't be drawn to "a novel in stories," Olive was a strong enough character with enough facets to keep me intrigued. Each chapter was thought-provoking and I think I got much more from Olive than I would have expected. Recommended. ( )

As I'm sure some of you already know, I'm not too fond of short stories - although I did purchase this with the hopes of enjoying it since they seem to be loosely related stories with one particular character, the ubiquitous Olive Kitteridge. And as expected Olive does appear in every story in the book - sometimes just merely by name, other times it's a cameo appearance, but her presence is definitely felt throughout these vignettes into the lives of some of the residents of Crosby, Maine.

Now let me shed some light on the infamous Olive Kitteridge. Olive Kitteridge = a bit nasty, a little on the heavy side and definitely older. That description alone should give you a feel for exactly what we're dealing with here.

As you go from story to story you read about Olive, her friends, relatives and acquaintances scattered throughout Crosby, Maine. And I will confess that the stories in this book will have you thinking not just about the fictional characters Ms. Strout has created, but about your own life and that of your friends and family. These are very real life characters that you can easily associate with yourself.

With that said, sadly, I just never got around to "really" liking any of the characters. Don't take me wrong, Olive was a force like no other. When she came into a room (or a story) her presence was definitely made known. But I think it made me feel preoccupied... in the sense that I was looking forward to Olive. When was she going to enter the story? How did this person know Olive? Was she their teacher? Was she a neighbor that lived down the road? Olive, Olive, Olive. In the end, I found it to be distracting.

I honestly thought the premise was unique and clever. And, needless to say, Ms. Strout's writing is superb... but in the end it just never clicked for me. I'm not sure if that was because the stories were too short or I just had "too" high expectations for this, but sadly it just fell flat for me. ( )

This was a good book. Each chapter is told by a different character so the reader is able to get all angles of the story. Olive, the main character, often times is not a likable character, but I found her to be realistic. You can't like everyone in life. :-) ( )

Full disclosure: I didn't read the whole thing. It was like spending a winter in Fargo. Nothing really changed, I was miserable and couldn't wait to get out. I think I'm perhaps not smart enough to have gotten the whole gist of the book. That's probably true. ( )

Olive Kitteridge is a novel rendered through the combination of thirteen linked short stories. The stories introduce the eponymous and unforgettable Olive Kitteridge and cover the gamut of the human condition. Throughout her life, Olive plays many roles--wife of Henry, mother of Christopher, math teacher, and resident of Crosby, Maine. While she interacts with many others in these roles, she tends to maintain an emotional distance and a gruff exterior that makes her seem cold and difficult to understand.

The stories told revolve around Olive's relationships with other denizens of the town and with her husband and son as she ages and attempts to make sense of life and the changing world. The stories show people struggling to make meaningful connections. Some of Olive's final revelations remind me of the same conclusions drawn in Thornton Wilder's Our Town about the value of the ordinary and appreciating the small moments that make up our lives.

Towards the end, Strout writes of Olive, "And if her platter had been full with the goodness of Henry and she had found it burdensome, had flicked it off crumbs at a time, it was because she had not known what one should know: that day after day was unconsciously squandered." Olive Kitteridge contains much sadness but also many salient reminders for us about seizing the day and not taking the moments or the people in our lives for granted. ( )

I did not really like this book. There was really a lively discussion in my book club about it, so that in itself was interesting, and we had differing views about what happened to some of the people. But I found it kind of depressing. No one ever felt better, or moved on with their lives. I got about 3/4 of the way through it and wondered why I was reading it. ( )

I have mixed feelings about this book. Olive is one of those people you can't ignore, and I'm sure she would be difficult to live with, yet the more I read about her, the more I liked her. She doesn't sit around and wait for life to happen -- she lives it, one day at a time, with all of its ups and downs. The stories about Olive were what kept me going through the book. I quickly grew tired of the stories about the other people. They didn't have much in common other than that they all live in the same community, they all know Olive to some degree, and they all are at a turning point in their lives. Their stories were just long enough to showcase their miseries, but not long enough to make me care about their pasts or futures. I'm glad I read it once, but Crosby, Maine, isn't a place I'll want to revisit. ( )

I put the book off because I was a bit intimidated by it being a Pulitzer Prize winner. I was afraid the book was one that I would struggle through, and I am happy to say these fears were completely unfounded. Olive Kitteridge was very readable, very enjoyable and one book I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to others.

Olive is a fascinating character. I love how you get to know her through stories that feature her, as well as those where she plays a very small part. Olive isn't the most likeable character, but she is one that I got. I understood her motivations and her reactions, and I think most people can find a little of themselves in her. I was a little surprised at how small a role Olive played in some of the stories, but each glimpse and mention of her added a little more to her character.

I loved the format of Olive Kitteridge. The novel told in stories worked wonderfully. Olive was the force holding all the pieces together, but the stories of Olive's neighbors were beautiful too. I loved the small town feel, where everyone knew each other and their paths often overlapped. I have Strout's other books and can't wait to dig them out now. ( )

http://straycarrierpigeon.com/2009/09... ( )

Reviewed by Leigh Spence (Guidance Counselor)
This book by Elizabeth Strout won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2009. Many people loved another book by the author entitled "Amy and Isabelle." "Olive Kitteridge" is a novel in stories about the title character as viewed through the eyes of community members who know her. Some stories are only about Olive in the most vague way and sometimes the chapter is written in Olive's voice. It is really beautifully done. Not super plot driven, it is more a slow revelation about the nature of Olive Kitteridge. ( )

Apparently I'm the only one who didn't care for this book, as I can't seem to find any other less-than-stellar reviews. I'm going to blame it on the fact that this was the abridged audio version, & perhaps something just got lost in the abridgement, or the audio, or something. It just didn't come together for me. I found it slow-moving & depressing, and....well....dull. Reminded me a little bit of Ian McEwan's writing, who I also have a lot of trouble appreciating, so maybe it's just me. ( )

Very well written and conceived, this book is a series of 13 seemingly unrelated stories set in the small town of Crosby, Maine, and all contain the character of Olive Kitteridge, a retired 7th grade math teacher. As the book progresses, you get a more enlightened portrait of both Olive and the complex lives of others in the town. You think you know Olive, but as the stories continue, you realize that she is far more complex than you thought. The beauty of this, of course, is that we are all like Olive in that we are all multi-dimensional people who can be viewed in a variety of ways, depending on who's doing the viewing. ( )

Every story in this collection is a work of art. ( )

A life examined IS worth living.

Last night, or early this morning ... I finished reading Olive Kitteridge. I have had one of Elizabeth Strout's books in my TBR cyber stack for quite some time. I read so many positive comments about Olive that I leap-frogged over to this one, which won the Pulitzer Prize.

This book has an unusual presentation style or template, if you will. Each chapter is almost able to present itself as a free standing short story and at the same time also serves as a larger part of the theme of the entire book, which is the redemption of the main character, Olive Kitteridge.

This novel has some of the most wonderful moments of self-realization that I have ever read and they left me slightly stunned with admiration for both the character and the author, Ms. Strout.

I give this book four stars and recommend it very highly. I will give those of you who don't go in for quirky/strange characters a heads-up ... you WILL find/meet them in this fictional town in Maine. (That is the reason for four not five stars). I would love to live there myself for a long, long time.

This book is well worth owning and reading and re-reading in whole or in part.

Connecting with one's humanity is redemptive and humbling as well as a rewarding process for the one redeemed.

Enjoy, or ??? Worth the time and slight effort to stick it out. I found the ending to be very satisfying. ( )

Superb writing and yet not Pulitzer caliber, imho. It really seemed more like a series of short stories rather than "a novel in short stories" as it is billed. Yet, I love Olive as the character. An irascible, overweight, aging, small-town woman is not usually given so much depth and attention in literature. If Olive's "story" hadn't been interrupted by other vignettes of townsfolk who were only barely touched by her, I'm sure I would have enjoyed the book more. ( )

rom Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Thirteen linked tales from Strout (Abide with Me, etc.) present a heart-wrenching, penetrating portrait of ordinary coastal Mainers living lives of quiet grief intermingled with flashes of human connection. The opening Pharmacy focuses on terse, dry junior high-school teacher Olive Kitteridge and her gregarious pharmacist husband, Henry, both of whom have survived the loss of a psychologically damaged parent, and both of whom suffer painful attractions to co-workers. Their son, Christopher, takes center stage in A Little Burst, which describes his wedding in humorous, somewhat disturbing detail, and in Security, where Olive, in her 70s, visits Christopher and his family in New York. Strout's fiction showcases her ability to reveal through familiar details—the mother-of-the-groom's wedding dress, a grandmother's disapproving observations of how her grandchildren are raised—the seeds of tragedy. Themes of suicide, depression, bad communication, aging and love, run through these stories, none more vivid or touching than Incoming Tide, where Olive chats with former student Kevin Coulson as they watch waitress Patty Howe by the seashore, all three struggling with their own misgivings about life. Like this story, the collection is easy to read and impossible to forget. Its literary craft and emotional power will surprise readers unfamiliar with Strout. (Apr.) ( )

“Olive Kitteridge” is also the name of the main character in this book, which is really a collection of short stories. In some stories, Olive is the focus of the story; and in others, she may be more of a “supporting character” or an “extra”. People who know Olive mostly don’t like her very much. These reactions range from strong dislike to regarding her at a respectful distance (she is a retired school teacher). Olive is someone who has strong opinions and isn’t afraid to express them.

I think most of us do have strong opinions, but keep them to ourselves. Olive does not, for the most part. She also makes interesting observations, such as this:

“She knows that loneliness can kill people — in different ways can actually make you die. Olive’s private view is that life depends on what she thinks of as ‘big bursts’ and ‘little bursts’. Big bursts are things like marriage or children, intimacies that keep you afloat, but these big bursts hold dangerous, unseen currents. Which is why you need the little bursts as well: a friendly clerk at Bradlee’s, let’s say, or the waitress at Dunkin’ Donuts who knows how you like your coffee. Tricky business, really”.

Overall, I really liked "Olive Kitteridge", and I will probably recommend this book frequently. ( )

This novel, a collection of short stories illuminating a character (Olive Kittridge), introduced me to a disagreeable old woman who became an object of sympathy and ultimately one of optimism. Each story stands alone very well in the short story genre, and in some Olive's role is very minor. But reflected through the stories of the members of a small town in Maine, her disaffected son, and the staff of the nursing home where her stroke-enfeebled husband resides, Olive takes on a complex, stoical though flawed persona. Story and story, the reader comes to know the town and the world of Olive with greater clarity, until it is Olive herself who is revealed.

I liked the positive presentation of an old woman who did not lead a perfect life, as a mother or a teacher or a wife. Yet by the end, the reader's experience of Olive is positive. She doesn't allow herself any illusions. She has regrets. But Olive keeps putting her feet one in front of the other, and by staying on the pathway of her life she becomes an authentic and memorable character. I liked the selection of the retired school teacher, the imperfect mother and wife, the fat lady as the protagonist: in our society we turn a blind eye to women like Olive. But the reader can't ignore this Olive, and doesn't want to try. ( )

There was a lot to like about this book. Olive -- a difficult woman who clearly seems to have battled depression all her life -- is ultimately a sympathetic character, despite her flares of temper, as she comes to terms with aging, community tragedies, the loss of her husband and an adult son she can no longer control. Strout's prose is so transparent that it calls no attention to itself at all, allowing the reader to pass directly into the story, an effect that's typical of the mainstream modern short story. Strout's characters are fully realized and largely familiar, and are given to us with humor, compassion and insight. It's a delightful read.

But I wonder if this book really possesses the overarching vision and literary heft worthy of a Pulitzer. Strout's homespun, folksy Mainers suggest a subtle stereotype, a New Yorker's cozy, idealized notion of coastal Maine's failing ruralism and its people, stranded in a dying fishing economy. We are gently reassured that these folks' ready, homey philosophizing will see them through; we needn't be too concerned for them. Strout carefully contains the crises she visits upon her characters; events, we know, will not spill over and overwhelm or destroy lives. Even the book's structure -- a series of linked stories rather than the larger narrative arc of a novel -- somehow diminishes the story, makes it comfortably small and agreeable. The book's muted resolution is only successful as the culmination of a short story; it would fail the demands of a novel.

A worthwhile read, certainly -- and even more valuable, perhaps, as a vehicle for thinking about our national literature, the stories we choose to tell ourselves about ourselves. ( )

The setting of Elizabeth Strout's extraordinary short stories is small town Maine and the people are utterly middle class (and exclusively white or very nearly so). Small town and middle class, yes, but not in a Babbitt (Signet Classics) way.

Retired school teacher Olive Kitteridge holds center stage in most of the stories. I heard her described as `a force of nature', an apt description particularly if one pictures mostly stormy weather. It is a good thing the book consists of shorts because few readers could make it through a full book of Olive. Olive is not easy to take and yet in the stories she is a compelling figure, excruciatingly human but not quite pathetic.

As I read these stories, I kept picturing the `BIF' and `BAM' graphics on the old Batman TV series. People do get battered, seldom physically and only occasionally by Olive. Life hands out a licking. (If you're 50 and haven't figured that out yet, you are may be a Panglossian or just incredibly lucky. In that case, your luck could be about to change.) And yet the people in the stories often seem quite placid, quiet, and calm - normal as normal can be. And they are, but then you find that they are dealing with one or another of our utterly human pains, sometimes physical, nearly always emotional. Children, aging, your children aging, marriages, illnesses, adulteries, suicides, insanities, accidents - they are all in here, not sensationally, but just as part of life if you hang around long enough.

Strout's writing powerfully draws the reader into each story. I found the book to be emotionally exhausting, but very often insightful in direct and uncomplicated ways. Great stuff. ( )