Eleni S. reviewed on 8/10/2011 + 16 more book reviews

Olive Kitteridge is a very puzzling book to review. From a literary standpoint, this book soars above the rest. Strout's characters are fully formed and I could tell she spent a lot of time developing each character's growth and their plot. Her descriptions are vivid and you can truly picture each scene in your mind. Now from a reader's standpoint, the book was a bit hard to get through. Although admirable, the choice to use different characters viewpoints in each chapter, was somewhat of a hindrance. It becomes a bit overwhelming and I truly couldn't remember each character's individual story, which made later parts of the overall plot confusing as there were references to them. I also found it hard to grasp the true purpose and message of the book because it bounced between so many characters. It almost was more like a compilation of short stories inside a novel. The very last page of this book, though, is so touching and shows such a raw human emotion that I believe every person in the world can relate to. After reading that page, it was easy to look back at each story and see the common thread connecting them all. After saying all that, I would recommend this book for someone who really has the time to sit and read and digest the book; If you do not have that time, I would suggest you choose another book to get lost in.

Back to all reviews by this member
Back to all reviews of this book
Back to Book Reviews
Back to Book Details