This book really disappointed me. Despite having loved short stories in my teens (I would devour the excess short story compilations my mom would bring home from the high school she taught at), I have not found too many authors I enjoy in this format as an adult, with the exception of Alice Munro. That said, Olive Kitteridge was so highly acclaimed that I decided to give it a try.
Yuck. Not yuck for the format, because I could see what Strout was doing - she wrote several stories all related to the same characters spanning fifty years or so. However, the title character was completely unsympathetic and unlikable that it marred my desire to read more about the town and its citizens. Perhaps I thought someone with such a unique name would be quirky and likable - which may have been my own problem.
But while I liked some of the other characters in the town, and I respected the scope of what the author attempted, the book just didn't hold my attention. I didn't enjoy being a voyeur into the town's secrets enough to want to find out what happened next. If I hadn't been on vacation I'm not sure I would have even finished reading it.
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1 comment:
I totally agree -- Jon's mom gave it to me because she loved it so much, and I just couldn't get that into it, mostly because I found Olive so unlikeable. Anyway, I was eager to read your thoughts, and, as usual, we agree!
Lisa
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