Olive Kitteridge just didn’t work for me. Yes, I know it won the Pulitzer, but interestingly enough, in looking at the list of Pulitzer winners over the last 20-25 years, a number of those books didn’t quite wow me either.
Like a number of Strout’s books, Olive Kitteridge is a series of interconnected stories taking place in the small town of Crosby, Maine. Olive is a main character in some, a supporting character some, and just passes through others. On the surface, Olive appears to be your garden-variety curmudgeon, the type who makes up phrases like "sicky-wicky" and exasperates her husband and son. But the more you get to see, you realize she’s far more complex—emotional, she has difficulty expressing what she thinks, and she’s uncomfortable with certain social interactions.
I’ve read a few of Strout’s other books so I do like the way she writes, but this one just didn’t quite draw me in. One reason for that is I couldn’t get the image of Frances McDormand, who played Olive in the television adaptation, out of my mind. I love her as an actress but I found her image in my head while reading a little jarring.
Still, I know how many people love Olive and her stories, so don’t let my negativity deter you.
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