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Features
ISBN13: 9780812971835
Condition: NEW
Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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.
Praise for Olive Kitteridge:
“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
“Funny, wicked and remorseful, Mrs. Kitteridge is a compelling life force, a red-blooded original. When she’s not onstage, we look forward to her return. The book is a page-turner because of her.” –San Francisco Chronicle
“Olive Kitteridge still lingers in memory like a treasured photograph.” –Seattle Post-Intelligencer
“Rarely does a story collection pack such a gutsy emotional punch.” –Entertainment Weekly
“Strout animates the ordinary with astonishing force. . . . [She] makes us experience not only the terrors of change but also the terrifying hope that change can bring: she plunges us into these churning waters and we come up gasping for air.” –The New Yorker
Product Details
Author:
Elizabeth Strout
Paperback:
304 pages
Publisher:
Random House Trade Paperbacks
Publication Date:
September 30, 2008
Language:
English
ISBN:
0812971833
Package Length:
8.0 inches
Package Width:
5.3 inches
Package Height:
1.0 inches
Package Weight:
0.55 pounds
Average Customer Rating:
based on 367 reviews
Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review: Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.
Short stories can make a novel Mar 10, 2010 This was an interesting style of writing that caught my attention throughout the book. The characters were unique and Olive was a fascinating woman with quirky habits and ways of thinking that were intrigueing. A great read.
Thoroughly enjoyable Mar 09, 2010 Beautifully written, poignant and powerful, this loosely connected collection of vignettes illuminates life's inexorable changes as experienced by retired schoolteacher Olive Kitteridge. As Olive's daily life quietly orbits her fellow townsfolk, the transient conjunctions formed between them reveal lives of "quiet desperation" and provide profound insights into the human condition. Pierces straight to the heart.
Quality Service Mar 08, 2010 I ordered this book on a Friday morning, and received it Monday afternoon. I can't expect better service than that!!
Well-written, but still hated it Mar 07, 2010 This book appeared as a suggestion based on other contemporary literature I really enjoyed (like The Help, Guernsey Literary, The Book Thief...which by the way, are excellent).
I hated this book, and am surprised by its overall 4-star rating. While well-written technically, I kept thinking the stories would tie in together at the end and make sense. I like to be swept away by a story, and unfortunately, this book didn't take me there.
Good, But Not ... Great Mar 07, 2010 I enjoyed this book, and I think that Strout is an impressive author, but I wasn't blown away. I loved that that the story was told in a series of short stories, and I think Olive's character was wonderfully developed, but I envisioned a very different ending. As complex a woman Olive was, the end seemed to come up short and fall flat. Despite this shortcoming, I would still enthusiastically recommend it.
based on 367 reviews
Short stories can make a novel Mar 10, 2010
Well-written, but still hated it Mar 07, 2010
