(I received this book as part of LibraryThing's Early Reviewer's program. The book that I received has a different cover, which I like better.)
Let me preface this by saying that I don't read very many short story collections. So, I didn't really know what to expect from this book. However, I knew from the very first story that I was going to enjoy this book. I especially like the way that the author loosely ties all of the stories together using the title character, Olive Kitteridge. This allows the reader the opportunity to see how differently people perceive themselves and others. The stories also progress over time. In the first story, Olive is a working mother, and in the last several stories, she is in her 70s and has lost her husband.
Though Olive is featured in each of the stories, she is featured more prominently in some, and these turn out to be my favorite stories. It would be difficult for me to pick a favorite story, but I think "Security" would have to be one of my favorites. In this story, Olive goes to visit her only son and his pregnant wife in New York. Olive feels very out of place and is devastated to learn that Christopher has issues with her and the way he was raised. The visit ends with Olive and Christopher having an argument and Olive leaving earlier than planned.
It's true that on the surface Olive seems to be an unpleasant person who speaks her mind without regard for the feelings of others. However, I think that the author does a good job of showing the complexities of this character. I feel like much of her brusqueness comes from insecurities. But for all of her rudeness and harshness, she does show kindness in unexpected ways.
Overall, this is a really great book of stories that does indeed read like a novel. I would highly recommend it. Thanks LT for this early reviewers program!
6 comments:
I like stories (and novels) that let me see the character from other points of view and in different situations. This sounds worth a read. Thanks!
Jenclair, well-drawn characters are always important to me. For me, there really doesn't have to be much of anything happening in a book if I get to know the characters and what makes them tick. I hope you like it if you give it a try.
This book got such a favorable reviews from you and others. I think I am getting an ARC of this book from the publisher, so I hope to read it soon! If you liked it, I bet I will too!
Take care!
Jill
http://mrstreme.livejournal.com
Jill, I do think you'll like it. Let me know what you think when you read it.
I certainly like the idea of having one main character who appears throughout the stories. I always feel a little cheated with short stories, especially if I really like the character - I want to read more about him/her!
I'm wondering if this is the author of the novel Amy and Isabel?
If so, I enjoyed her writing in that book.
Thanks for the good review (found you via Litlove).
ravenous reader, thanks so much for stopping by and commenting. Yes, I'm pretty sure that Elizabeth Strout is the author of Amy and Isabel. I haven't read anything else by Strout, so I would like to try something else since I did enjoy Olive Kitteridge so much. Thanks for the tip -- I'll start with Amy and Isabel.
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