'Olive Kitteridge' by Elizabeth Strout

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout is described as "a novel in stories." Each story is moving and well-written on its own. Taken together, it is clear why this book won Elizabeth Strout the Pulitzer Prize.

Most of the thirteen stories in Olive Kitteridge are told in different voices, although Olive shows up as narrator more than once. In some stories, Olive Kitteridge is the main character. In others, she just makes a cameo. By the end of the novel, though, you will have walked through many years of Olive's life, and be intimately acquainted with Olive and the town of Crosby, Maine.

The beautiful thing about Olive Kitteridge is the way it touches on deep truths about life and love through stories about everyday events. The overall tone of the book is melancholy, and Olive is a deeply flawed and not entirely likable character. That Strout got me to feel sympathy for Olive even though I am sure I would not want to meet her shows what a skilled writer she is. Indeed, Strout deals with the disappointments and trade offs people make in life; however, this compilation of sad stories is not without hope.

I recommend Olive Kitteridge for book clubs or individuals looking for a good read. It is literary without being cumbersome. It is also satisfying, as a busy reader, to be able to finish a story in one sitting while knowing I'll get more of the characters next time around.