Sometime back in 2017 (I think) I decided I had neglected my fiction life long enough and started my GoodReads list and made a commitment to read authors I would not normally pick up in an effort to expand my horizons. Elizabeth Strout was one such author.
This was my first Strout novel and I am conflicted about it. First it is written in a short story format. To call it a novel is a bit of a misnomer because it really is a collection of short stories about the people living in a small town called Crosby in Maine. The main character, Olive Kitteridge is a complex character who is opinionated, prickly, averse to change, and wholly self-centered. I found her both really annoying and totally compelling.
The short stories weave through Olive’s life but don’t always feature her in particular, although her presence is always felt. The stories are presented from various viewpoints so we get to see Olive through the eyes of the people she encounters and through their reactions to her personality. It’s an interesting way to plot a novel and Strout’s writing is excellent. The characters are well drawn and interesting with real emotional depth.
When I finished the book Olive kind of hung with me for a while. She got under my skin and I found myself thinking about the book for a while after I finished which is a compliment to the author. That being said I was mostly annoyed about her. Olive is the kind off person you want to shake by the shoulders and say, “get a grip” to.
I was interested enough to pick up the sequel, Olive, Again, and I have to say Olive does mellow out a bit and annoyed me less in that one but she’s still in need of a good shake.
After I finished with Olive I did read the Lucy Barton novels written by Strout and enjoyed them. She has a gift for making annoying people realistic and interesting and we all know annoying people. We talk about them, avoid them, relish in their annoying habits because it proves that we are much closer to perfection (we are not, everyone is annoying to someone) and Elizabeth Strout shows that all up.
All in all a recommendation for me, if you are up for a read about someone more annoying than most people you know.
“....relish in their annoying habits because it proves that we are much closer to perfection (we are not, everyone is annoying to someone)...”
I like that! I used to be (maybe still am) one of those who thinks that he is better than others. Getting closer to God allows one to see that is not the case...