Literary Award Winners Fiction Book Club discussion

This is a place to discuss the entire novel of Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout. Please place spoilers under a spoiler tag like so... (< spoiler> < / spoiler> with the spaces removed.

I found the writing in this book outstanding. Strout has a way of stating things in an indirect way that is so much nicer than when everything is explained for you. It lets you come to your own conclusions, and adds a mood that I find very appealing. For example, in the very last story (this isn't a spoiler) when she's sitting in the doctor's office waiting to find out if Jack Kenniston is okay, she sees someone she knows and suddenly, and untypically, compliments her on her skirt. This shows us a lot about how Olive is feeling at that moment.

Olive is very hard to like, and I found myself being aggravated with her over and over again because she is so bitter and petty and mean, but then we keep finding out things about her life that make it more understandable why she is the way she is.

I enjoyed the stories about other people a lot as well. Not just because they often cast light on Olive Kitteridge, but because they helped to build the sense of community and small-town atmosphere that are necessary to this book.

Thanks for suggesting this book. I hadn't heard of it and would probably never have read it if it hadn't been for this group!

Mary wrote: "I found the writing in this book outstanding. Strout has a way of stating things in an indirect way that is so much nicer than when everything is explained for you. It lets you come to your own con..."

I'm so glad you read along and enjoyed it! I also enjoyed it quite a lot.

I agree, the writing was superb. Strout has a gift with words. I actually liked Olive. She seemed so human, and I always prefer to read realistic characters. I like your perspective on the stories not centered on Olive as creating a community. What a great way to put it, and I think your saying that made me like those stories better in the collection.

I'll be posting my thoughts and some discussion questions in a few days.

I just finished this book and thought it was very well written. The characters were realistic and interesting.

I didn't really like Olive as she came off so petty, mean and bitter. I really felt for her son and husband. She seemed like she would be a very draining person to be around.

I just joined this group. I am so sorry that I missed this discussion. I loved this book and read it twice, getting more out of each story the second time through. I even liked Olive. Although she had a hard exterior, I thought there was such compassion under it. I loved the story with her in the car with the young man contemplating suicide or with the young girl who won't eat or with her husband after his stroke. It was so clear early on that her gruff ways were her poor attempt at self protection.

Welcome, Irene!

Irene, late comments are always appreciated! Glad you enjoyed this book!