Olive Kitteridge
Fiction
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE • THE EMMY AWARD–WINNING HBO MINISERIES STARRING FRANCES MCDORMAND, RICHARD JENKINS, AND BILL MURRAY
In 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: 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.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Olive Kitteridge is a book that sneaks up on you. One minute you’re reading a lyrical, contemplative novel about the inhabitants of a fictional town in coastal Maine, and the next minute you’ve walked in on a character airing intimate, explosive secrets. Elizabeth Strout’s 2008 Pulitzer Prize winner—the basis for an award-winning miniseries starring Frances McDormand—is flat-out magnificent. The novel makes you care profoundly about its perfectly flawed characters and their beautiful, emotionally treacherous world.
Customer Reviews
True to life
It’s sad what life does to us but the author nailed it here. A little difficult to follow all the characters
Olive Kitteridge
This was the most depressing book I’ve ever read. It made me wonder at times if the author was writing about her own depressing thoughts, not a story written to entertain others. I thought several times about tossing it aside but decided there must be an ending coming that would draw the reader in and provide a reason for all the anger and messed up people that lived in this town. I was wrong. I hoped that I would find a silver lining at the end. I didn’t. It was a painful read for me.
Amazing book. Beautiful stories
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.