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A review by wordsofclover
Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Listened on audiobook, narrated by Kimberly Farr who was fantastic.
I'm going to make a blanket statement that some people may disagree with, but if you do you're wrong, and it's this - Olive Kitteridge is one of the most fantastic, nuanced characters to ever be written and the way Elizabeth Strout writes her in a way that's able to spear into the core of people is just brilliant and genius.
This is the sequel to Olive Kitteridge, and in this one we continue to follow Olive, as well as some of the other residents of her hometown of Crosby, Maine, as Olive gets older, finds love again, and continues to be her honest, crotchety self and all of which that contains.
I just had such a great time reading this via audiobook as the narrator just brought Olive to life in the best way possible, as well as her interactions with her neighbours both young and old and how Olive's honest way of speaking the truth and just being completely herself is able to impress herself on everyone she meets in different ways. She's just Olive and for that she is glorious.
I think Olive contains so much of what makes humans tick and the way the author writes her to bear so many flaws so openly, can make the reader think and examine all the ways they may also be like Olive in different ways whether it be openly like her or secretly ('horrible kids!').
Olive isn't necessarily a 'nice' character - she is a good human being, and a good egg overall but she is big and takes up space with a loud personality, and a fat body - she can be prickly, and rude and tell someone all the things they may not want to hear but also be able to touch someone else with an understanding of a need whether it be company or truth (or in one case, someone to notice that they're having a baby!).
This book is a joyful read but the topics that the story touches on are not light and fluffy by any means. This book focuses on aging and what that entails from leaky bottoms, and diaper-wearing - from dementia, and falling and heart attacks, of loss and widowhood and fear and loneliness. But I appreciated all of this and loved it all even more. 100% recommend this one if you enjoyed Olive Kitteridge.
I'm going to make a blanket statement that some people may disagree with, but if you do you're wrong, and it's this - Olive Kitteridge is one of the most fantastic, nuanced characters to ever be written and the way Elizabeth Strout writes her in a way that's able to spear into the core of people is just brilliant and genius.
This is the sequel to Olive Kitteridge, and in this one we continue to follow Olive, as well as some of the other residents of her hometown of Crosby, Maine, as Olive gets older, finds love again, and continues to be her honest, crotchety self and all of which that contains.
I just had such a great time reading this via audiobook as the narrator just brought Olive to life in the best way possible, as well as her interactions with her neighbours both young and old and how Olive's honest way of speaking the truth and just being completely herself is able to impress herself on everyone she meets in different ways. She's just Olive and for that she is glorious.
I think Olive contains so much of what makes humans tick and the way the author writes her to bear so many flaws so openly, can make the reader think and examine all the ways they may also be like Olive in different ways whether it be openly like her or secretly ('horrible kids!').
Olive isn't necessarily a 'nice' character - she is a good human being, and a good egg overall but she is big and takes up space with a loud personality, and a fat body - she can be prickly, and rude and tell someone all the things they may not want to hear but also be able to touch someone else with an understanding of a need whether it be company or truth (or in one case, someone to notice that they're having a baby!).
This book is a joyful read but the topics that the story touches on are not light and fluffy by any means. This book focuses on aging and what that entails from leaky bottoms, and diaper-wearing - from dementia, and falling and heart attacks, of loss and widowhood and fear and loneliness. But I appreciated all of this and loved it all even more. 100% recommend this one if you enjoyed Olive Kitteridge.