I closed this book with a feeling of "oh my gosh, what a story!" Presented in a series of short stories within the ongoing story of a woman's later years in life, this was one of the most unique books I have read in a long time. The main character is somone we have all been at one time or another whether we want to admit it or not. We have all felt put-upon, self-rightous, lonely, hateful, superior, and tired. I also think, at one time or another, we have all felt that all the other people around us are slow-witted jerks who are only trying to make our lives miserable. This is Olive Kitteridge. She, like all of us, is ego-centric and wonders why all these things keep happening to HER. At times you want to despise her while at the same time completely understanding what she is thinking. The author does a wonderful job at describing the insecurities, obsessions, insanities and sadnesses of small town denizens and their interconnected lives.

These stories of small town life in Maine linked through one woman, Olive Kitteridge are so emotionally honest and resonated so deeply, I felt literally fragile after I finished. I bought the book knowing nothing about it besides the fact the stories were linked, based merely on how much I had loved her previous novel, 'Abide With Me'. I liked this even more. I adored the character of Olive so much, and could almost see her in front of me when she opened her mouth to speak. Strout is an exceptionally writer who mines human emotion for literary gold. Highly, highly recommended.

Elizabeth Strout's "Olive Kitteridge" is the Pulitzer Prize Winner Fiction for 2009. Because I have so greatly adored the previous few winners I had to pick this up as soon as the winner was announced. It did not disappoint!

This book has depth! Be prepared to immerse yourself in the world created in this novel. It's not a quick read, it takes focus to get through it. I even took notes in the back few blank pages of the book.

The book is centered around Olive Kitteridge, yet most of the chapters and stories are not directly about her. Each story is about someone that was affected by her, or involved with her somehow. There are a few sections that are directly about Olive herself as well.

The characters are referenced in other chapters other than their own, so I opted to keep a chart of characters with a little blip about them and their relationships with other characters, as a reference. This came in handy! I would recommend keeping a character chart so that you can full experience the depth of the novel.

The stories are so real, its small town America! All of the people in the town know each other, they know each others secrets and have crossed each others paths on many occasions. Their lives are intertwined whether they like it or not.

The mothers and fathers desire so greatly to have their children in their arms forever. They want the best for their families and can't understand their children's need to run away all the time. They resign to the fact that all children hate their parents, but have a hard time understanding why.

Spouses find themselves having their needs fulfilled by people they never expected to want or need. They wonder how their relationships have gotten to the places that they are today. They wonder who they have become and why they should need another person to complete them.

The book deals with issues such as anorexia, divorce, aging, disaster, marriage, family and love.

The relationships are complex, and the writing is introspective. This is by far the best book I have read in 2009.

As a fan of Elizabeth Strout's writing, I posit that "Olive Kitteridge" may well be her best novel yet. It's actually a collection of connected stories (through the eponymous Olive) about life in a small New England town.

Strout draws each character, and each relationship with a keen and economic eye to detail; in just a short story we learn so much. She deftly describes the intricacies of life weaving the momentous with the mundane, just like reality does. And also like reality, people are multi-faceted. At first Olive may strike the reader as a crabby old woman, which is one facet of her character, but as the stories progress, we learn more and more about this complex and ultimately interesting person.

This is simply a wonderful book. Stout's prose is so perfectly apt and so fluidly succinct, that aspiring writers will be alternately envious and awestruck. This is the kind of writing that we avid readers wait for.

I love this book. It is a deeply emotional book, covering some tough subjects. I swear she knows my mother. She described her to a "T". I think I connected to this book because the relationship between Olive and her son resonated with me. It also gave me some insight. Maybe Olive (and my mother) did the best they could. This is a great read for anyone interested in real people, real situations, real feelings. If you are a human, you will find something in here to be moved by. The author brought me to tears several times. I borrowed this book from the library, but I will be purchasing it to read again, and even again. What a beautiful book, Elizabeth Strout.