Alright, so you wanna know about this Olive Kitteridge, huh? Well, lemme tell ya, it ain’t no fancy-pants story, that’s for sure. It’s about this woman, Olive, and she lives in this small town, Crosby, I think it’s called. Yeah, Crosby, Maine. She’s a retired schoolteacher, you know, the kind that probably smacked kids with rulers back in the day. Just kiddin’, maybe.
This Olive, she’s a tough old bird. Not like me, of course, I’m sweet as pie. But Olive, she’s got a sharp tongue and a way of lookin’ at things that ain’t always pretty. Her husband, Henry, he’s a pharmacist. Poor fella, gotta deal with her day in and day out. They got a son too, Christopher, but he hightailed it outta there to California with his wife, that Suzanne. Can’t say I blame him, sometimes family’s just too much to handle.
The book, it ain’t got one big story, ya know? It’s like a bunch of little stories all tangled up together, and Olive’s in all of ’em somehow. They say it’s got thirteen chapters, but who’s countin’, right? It’s all about folks in that town, their lives, their problems. Lots of loneliness, that’s what I hear. People livin’ right next door to each other but feelin’ like they’re a million miles apart.
Henry, that husband of hers, he’s got his own problems. There’s this story about him and some woman he works with, Denise. He daydreams about takin’ care of her after her husband dies. See? Even the quiet ones got secrets. And Olive, she’s got her own stuff goin’ on too. She’s got a hard time with seein’ how things are changin’, in the town and in the people around her. Guess that happens when you get old, everything starts lookin’ different.
- So, what’s it all about? Well, it’s about life, I guess.
- It’s about marriage, and kids, and gettin’ old.
- It’s about bein’ lonely even when you’re surrounded by people.
- It’s about how hard it is to understand folks, even the ones you love.
There’s all sorts of summaries and stuff out there, if you wanna get into the nitty-gritty. Some folks call ’em study guides, some call ’em reviews. They talk about the characters, like Olive and Henry and Christopher and even that Denise woman. They talk about the themes, like loneliness and how things change. They even got quotes from the book, if you’re into that kinda thing.
But honestly, I think it’s just about regular folks tryin’ to make their way in the world. They ain’t perfect, not by a long shot. They make mistakes, they hurt each other, they get scared and lonely. Sounds familiar, don’t it? That’s why I reckon people like this Olive Kitteridge story. It ain’t some fairytale, it’s real life, even if it’s a little bit sad sometimes.
Now, don’t go expectin’ a happy-go-lucky tale, ya hear? This ain’t no romance novel. It’s gonna make you think, and it might even make you a little sad. But that’s life, ain’t it? Ups and downs, good times and bad. And this Olive, she’s right smack in the middle of it all, just like the rest of us. So, if you’re lookin’ for a story that’s gonna stick with ya, somethin’ that feels real, then maybe you oughta give this Olive Kitteridge a try. Just don’t say I didn’t warn ya, it ain’t always pretty.
And that’s pretty much all I gotta say about it. If you want more, go read the book yourself. I ain’t got all day to sit here and gab. Got chores to do, ya know. Life ain’t all sittin’ around readin’ books, even if they are about folks like us.
Tags: Olive Kitteridge, Elizabeth Strout, novel summary, Crosby Maine, character analysis, book review, themes, loneliness, family relationships, small town life
