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Olive Kitteridge

by Elizabeth Strout Publisher: RANDOM HOUSE

Pulitzer Prize Winner Critically Recognized

A Maine town seen through Olive Kitteridge

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Regular price $30.22 USD Sale price $18.13 USD
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Paperback New English

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Awards & Recognition

  • Award recognition

    Pulitzer Prize winner

    The metadata identifies Olive Kitteridge as a Pulitzer Prize winner.

  • Editorial selection

    Kirkus Reviews Best Fiction Book of the Century

    Named a Best Fiction Book of the Century by Kirkus Reviews.

  • Critical praise

    Praised by USA Today

    USA Today is quoted praising the book and its title character.

AlbakiReads Editorial

A Maine town seen through Olive Kitteridge

Set in Crosby, Maine, the novel connects Olive Kitteridge’s life as a retired schoolteacher with the difficulties unfolding around her: strains within her family, a former student’s despair, and a lounge musician’s lingering attachment to the past. As the townspeople face troubles both ordinary and severe, the book traces Olive’s changing understanding of herself and those closest to her. Its linked concerns include marriage, family loyalty, loss, change, and the effort to endure everyday conflicts. The town’s shifting fortunes and the private lives of its residents give the novel a broad view of human experience through one central figure.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • For readers interested in character-centered literary fiction.
  • For readers drawn to stories about family relationships and marriage.
  • For readers interested in a small-town community and the lives of its residents.

Themes

Self-understandingMarriage and family loyaltyChange and lossCommunity lifeEndurance

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE - The beloved first novel featuring Olive Kitteridge, from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of My Name is Lucy Barton and the Oprah's Book Club pick Olive, Again

"Fiction lovers, remember this name: Olive Kitteridge. . . . You'll never forget her."--USA Today

"Strout animates the ordinary with astonishing force."--The New Yorker

One of the New York Times's 100 Best Books of the 21st Century - A Kirkus Reviews Best Fiction Book of the Century

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: 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
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Customer reviews

M
AlbakiReads
Malaika Taylor

I highly recommend to for anyone looking for inner clarity

T
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Thomas DiMassa

Great service and fast service

Great shopping experience! The book arrived quickly, was well packaged, and matched the description perfectly. I would definitely shop with you again

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Olivia

Smooth.