Olive Kitteridge
By Elizabeth Strout
Publisher: Random House Trade Paperbacks
Rating: 
This book follows the life of Olive Kitteridge, a strong-willed, say-it-like-she-sees-it, junior high school math teacher. Olive is married to kind-hearted pharmacist, Henry. Throughout the book, Strout dips you in and out of the lives of the Kitteridges, their son Christopher, their friends, and their acquaintances, while offering a deeper glimpse into the inner struggles of marriage, parenthood, and aging.
Olive and Henry are glaring opposites in personality, and seemingly, in everything else. One wonders, as we often do in real life, how two people who are so different come together, what keeps them together, and what drives them apart. In addition to marriage, this book also provides a peek at what the aging experience is like from the perspectives of spouse, parent, and child. While there is a lot of focus on character development, there are also wonderful surprises in the plot. The scene at the hospital and the scene where Olive helps a struggling anorexic teenager took me completely by surprise. As Olive’s tender heart and compassion shine through her gruff exterior, you begin to understand how complex Olive is, and really, how complex all people are, despite how they may seem on the surface.
Strout’s choice in structuring the book so that each chapter revolves around Olive, or a different character somehow associated with Olive, allows the reader to see a multifaceted character from different perspectives. Reading the book felt similar to panning around a scene in a movie where you are able to see the subject from different angles. This structuring allows you to get to know the character on a much deeper level—something you don’t often get the chance to do in real life.
As each chapter unfolds, so does your knowledge of Olive, her life, and her family. Chapter by chapter, layer by layer, you are able to see a different side of her character. Often times, I found myself surprised because I had rethink a snap judgment I made about Olive or another character. I think this book can be read on two levels. On the surface, it’s a book about marriage, relationships, and aging. But on a deeper level, it’s really about people being more than they seem. You just have to peel another layer, change perspective, and then wait to be surprised.
I was. Were you?
