Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Olive Kitteridge

I read this book last month and barely remember it. Naughty book blogger. What I can say is that I was impressed and disappointed by this book.

The novel follows a variety of people in the same small town, all of which are touched in one way or another - some in larger ways than others - by retired school teacher Olive Kitteridge. Each chapter introduces you to a new person and while some stories connect, most chapters can almost stand alone.

The way the author captures a voice is uncanny - I would start to get sucked in to a character, but then that particular plot line would end and another would pick up. Which was the disappointment part. The story telling was so real, and the depictions of relationships (especially marriages) so uplifting and heart breaking at the same time. But you never get any real resolution because of the book's format and for that reason, I'm not sure I can fully recommend it.

2 comments:

cranky rae said...

I was pretty luke-warm on this one. Sometimes I'd be really into a story and would deem the book awesome, and then other stories kind of bored me.

Care said...

I get what you are saying but I am one of those who loved it - I was blown away by the author's ability to create such realism and make me care even if I didn't like the characters much. I grew to like Olive but sure didn't at the beginning. One of my fave reads from last year. I also read this while I was in Maine so maybe that helped a lot, too!