Olive Kitteridge

Fiction

By: Elizabeth Strout

Narrated by: Kimberly Farr

WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE • The beloved first novel featuring Olive Kitteridge, from the number one New York Times best-selling author of the Oprah’s Book Club pick Olive, Again

“Fiction lovers, remember this name: Olive Kitteridge.... You’ll never forget her.” (USA Today)

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY The Washington Post Book World • USA Today • San Francisco Chronicle • Chicago Tribune • Seattle Post-Intelligencer • People • Entertainment Weekly • The Christian Science Monitor • The Plain Dealer • The Atlantic • Rocky Mountain News • Library Journal

At times stern, at other times patient, at times perceptive, at other times in sad denial, Olive Kitteridge, a retired schoolteacher, deplores the changes in her little town of Crosby, Maine, and in the world at large, but she doesn’t always recognize the changes in those around her: a lounge musician haunted by a past romance; a former student who has lost the will to live; Olive’s own adult child, who feels tyrannized by her irrational sensitivities; and her husband, Henry, who finds his loyalty to his marriage both a blessing and a curse.

As the townspeople grapple with their problems, mild and dire, Olive is brought to a deeper understanding of herself and her life - sometimes painfully, but always with ruthless honesty. Olive Kitteridge offers profound insights into the human condition - its conflicts, its tragedies and joys, and the endurance it requires.

The inspiration for the Emmy Award-winning HBO miniseries starring Frances McDormand, Richard Jenkins, and Bill Murray

©2008 Elizabeth Strout (P)2019 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Olive Kitteridge still lingers in memory like a treasured photograph.” (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

“Rarely does a story collection pack such a gutsy emotional punch.” (Entertainment Weekly)

“Strout animates the ordinary with astonishing force.... [She] makes us experience not only the terrors of change but also the terrifying hope that change can bring: she plunges us into these churning waters and we come up gasping for air.” (The New Yorker)

Great book

Really good book. Thought provoking and worth your time. Loved Olive and hated her at the same time.

Disjointed book

I Struggled to stick with it. I would not recommend it to someone who wants to keep interested.

Reader with vocal fry, or glottalization

The story was good and captivating but I am from Maine and have never met people who talk with such a slow vibrating, vocal fry. All the characters seem to be holding their breath. The reader's voice was fine as it is and she shouldn't have made everyone in town sound like they all had creaky vocal chords. It really put me off.

Interesting story of many people

Worth reading BEFORE reading "Olive, Again". See review of the 2nd book "Olive, again" for more details

Olive Kitteridge may be the best book I’ll read all year!

I cannot imagine liking another book more than I liked this one. It is wonderful written. The stories are perfection. Fantastic!

Emotional Roller Coaster in a good way

This compilation of short stories is so well written. Each word used creates images and stirs strong emotions that reach deep. A heart filled story of relationships and feelings. I strongly recommend reading this book with tissues and a lot of time. You will not want to put it down.

Love Olive!

I can so relate to this character. I enjoy these books so much and the narration is remarkable! I hope to find more from Elizabeth Strout!

Thank You

I think I had a Lady Kitteridge in my family. A spunky gal and a great story.

Amazing book

This is the first book I had read by this author and it was marvelous. I am at that point in my life as we all get there when we examine the choices we make the reactions and responses we have and this book spoke to me

10/10 Would Read Again

Enjoyed it so much I would buy the physical copy so I can revisit Olive in both forms.