As fan of Elizabeth Strout, I eagerly anticipated the further adventures of Olive. If you liked Olive in Olive Kittreridge - either the book or the series - you'll love this book. If you haven't met her, you have a treat in store. As an older lady with a 30 something year old daughter who reads, I've been contemplating age/experience as a variable in the enjoyment of novels such as these. I acknowledge that it exists but should not be a factor in choosing a book. Both of us have been happily surprised to read and love books recommended by the other.

If you've read Olive Kitteridge, you'll be immediately familiar with the structure of Olive, Again; individual chapters that read like stand-alone short stories, but which build into a deep character study of a single woman. Olive is older. She's a widow who has a tense relationship with her son and his family, whom she rarely sees. After her last visit to see them, they have not invited her to return and if you've read Olive Kitteridge, you'll know why. As Olive figures out how to live life alone, she interacts with the folks of Crosby, Maine and the surrounding towns, she learns both how to be lonely and how to let people into her life. It's a lovely story, and Elizabeth Strout's love for her out-spoken and prickly creation is evident.

While this can be read on it's own, why would you deny yourself the pleasure of following Olive from the beginning? There are some surprises in this sequel, but it's written in the same quiet, unvarnished way as the first book.

Thank you NetGalley for this book in exchange for a honest review.

Loved this book! The story flows the characters are fascinating and I couldn't put it down. Highly recommend.

Such a lovely, touching story filled with all the joys and sorrows of life. For fans of Olive Kitteridge, this is a "must read", but even if you haven't read the earlier book, you can enjoy Olive's take on life and the stories of her neighbors in this small town in Maine. The characters are quirky, and even downright weird sometimes, but completely relatable. I found the stories particularly poignant and touching, maybe because I'm older and can relate to some of their stories. I'm not sure younger readers would enjoy the book as much, but they will likely appreciate the writing and characterization. Elizabeth Strout is wonderful at pulling the readers' heartstrings and creating recognizable and realistic characters. A great read!!

5 reverent stars

Elizabeth Strout has penned a stunning tale and I fell in love with Olive Kitteridge all over again.

Yup, this one was so well written that I just marvel again at Elizabeth Strout. I’m at a loss to describe exactly how she does it, but she puts me squarely into the lives of Olive and other residents in Crosby, Maine. This is certainly not a “feel-good romantic comedy” I would almost liken it to a foreign language film – the kind that doesn’t have a Hollywood happy ending.

There are chapters that paint vivid pictures of some people in town and Olive plays a role, sometimes a small one, in their stories. As in most towns, there are people grappling with grief, loneliness, failing health, alcoholism, and mental health. Olive finds love again and comes to make some hard realizations about her life and how she’s treated some people. I find her relationship with her son fascinating. She ages during the course of the story and has some medical problems and I thought Strout did an excellent job with this part of the story.

I took my time and savored this story. Olive is one of those brutally honest people, but of course, now I picture her as Frances McDormand, thanks to the HBO series. I definitely recommend reading the first book to fully appreciate this one.

*I will update my Goodreads review on publication day as well as share with B&N and Amazon

When I heard there was going to be a sequel to the original Olive Kitteridge, I knew I had to get my hands on it.

Thankfully, I was not disappointed.

Olive, Again feels a lot like picking up with an old friend you haven’t seen for years. The conversation continues as if you saw each other only yesterday and the quiet comfortableness remains.

Olive, Again succeeds in making Olive a more sympathetic and likable character than in the original. She retains her original no nonsense crotchetiness, but this time I feel you get more of a sense of her inner workings and what motivates her.

The style and format of this book is very similar to the original and in fact reads more like an extended version of the original than a true sequel.

Either way, I do not think fans of the original will come away dissatisfied.

Oh Olive.....I love your contrary,opinionated, caring humanness! We meet again in your older years still in Crosby ME. The book is a series of short stories about some of the residents of this small town and Alice is in many of them. They are stories of living and getting by and all the different struggles people face. Olive's involvement and perspective gives the stories an added shine. Olive does seem to be softening some as she ages. She spends time reflecting and really tries to be a better person. Still she is Olive.
Strout writes with tremendous empathy about humanness and our flaws. I also love her portrayals of small town Maine. There was a lot of material in the story that gave me much to reflect on. I was sorry to see it end.
Many thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for the ARC.
5*

This is the second book featuring Olive Kitteridge and it is set up just like the first novel. It features small short stories about different characters in the small town of Crosby, Maine and Olive is in almost all of the stories. Olive is older now and retired and nearing her end of life an she does alot of pondering about her own life. I would definitly recommed this to anyone that loved the first book.

Strout has an ability to capture small town life, in Maine in particular, that is both endearing and haunting. Returning to Olive Kitteridge, we are quickly reminded about her crusty yet somehow sweet persona, which has mellowed a bit as she has aged but still erupts with her tendency to speak her mind. As with the earlier novel, each chapter is a self-contained short story, some with only a brief mention of Olive. The well-rounded portrait of both the characters and the community is greater than the sum of the parts, and leaves a lasting impression. For this Maine reader, the authentic local touches just added to my interest--I haven't thought about Cottles for years!--and avoided the condescending "quaintness" of many regional works.

I know that I am the outlier on my feelings for this book but let me explain that 3 stars from me means that it was a good book but not a great book FOR ME.

Olive Kitteridge was also a 3 star for me, I found that I just didn’t like this character even though many seem to love her. I watched the HBO series to reacquaint myself with her and how the first book ended. I loved the series by the way, and it ended on such a hopeful note.

As in the first book this is written in a series of short stories, most of which Olive plays a part in or there is a thread connecting her to the story. My favorite story was the one where Olive is at a baby shower, a pretty conventional, dull affair and one of the guests is in labor. I will leave you to discover what happens and how Olive handles this. This was the only story that made me laugh and feel that maybe there was a softer side, somewhere, to Oliver.

This book starts when her second husband has already died, although there are quite a few flashbacks to some happy times when she and her husband lived together and did some traveling. As a character I really enjoyed Jack. He had a lot of empathy, he knew that he had made mistakes in his life, particularly with not accepting his daughter’s lifestyle, but he wanted to make it right. He also had a great sense of humor, something completely lacking in Olive’s character.

Olive never seemed to be able to figure herself out. She was extremely upset when a former student, Andrea L’Rieux, once the Poet Laureate of the United States writes a poem about her. She had met Andrea months before at the local coffee shop and had had a conversation with her, it all ended up in the poem. I thought that it summed Olive up pretty well:
“Who taught me math thirty-four years ago/ terrified me and is now terrified herself/ sat before me at the breakfast counter / white whiskered / told me I had always been lonely / no idea she was speaking of herself” “Use it for a poem, she said / All yours.”

I thought that the poem explained a lot about Olive, because she was always a person alone, even when she was with Henry and then Jack. She never seemed to truly let people in, to see how she felt inside, her insecurities, her prejudices, she didn’t seem to be able to fully love even the people that she cared about.

What I disliked about the book is that I felt as though I knew where Olive was heading and it wasn’t a pleasant forward look. I questioned at times whether I wanted to continue her story since it was quite dismal.

If you loved the first book than you will likely love this one. It is definitely not a happy book and it left me feeling rather depressed, not what I like to feel at the end of a book.

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley

This was a Traveling Sisters read.

Publication date is set for October 15, 2019

This book is going to go into a new file I am calling, "I wish I had liked it more." While it certainly had its many pluses as the irascible Olive was back in rare form, it also had a number of puzzling occurrences and a chapter that had me scratching my head wondering why.

Olive is getting older or as we who are in the same boat like to say, becoming more mature. She still goes about, saying "Oliveisms" and ticking off a few people, including family, but she has developed a new inner perspective. It's like Olive looked into a mirror that was able to see inside herself and she wasn't all that thrilled with the reflection. She has a new love in her life, Jack, who recognizes her for the snob she is, but still loves her. Her relationship with her son is always on the fritz as they all walk a very tight line between I can tolerate you and I can't stay in your company another minute.

But as mentioned, Olive is maturing, and starts down a road that she should have traveled a long time ago, but hey, better late than never. Perhaps it is never too late to salvage relationships.

All in all, this was a good story, although even after a number of days thinking about it I am still a bit perplexed. However, as Olive discovers, and we do as well, there are always gray areas and Olive and her author have explored the grayness and we are left to puzzle out the rest.


4 stars for me and yes, I was a tad disappointed, but I am working on my gray areas.
Thank you to Elizabeth Strout, Random House, and NetGalley for a copy of this book due to be published on October 15,2019

For those who loved Olive Kitteridge, as I did, have no fear. Olive is still Olive. And for those who have loved Strout’s previous books, a few characters make an appearance in this one. Olive is still the crusty, prickly, and judgmental woman who says what she thinks. But, she’s mellowing. Perhaps it’s the indignities of aging, or the fact that at her age the losses mount up quickly, but Olive takes a long hard look at herself and doesn’t always like what she sees. As she deals with the harsh realities of getting older, she must also face some harsh truths about herself.

We see her struggling to be a better person, sometimes successfully, sometimes not so much. But as we saw in the first book, Olive has a soft center and can be incredibly understanding and kind as she reaches out to others who are hurting. Then the next moment she’s judgmental and ugly. Perhaps she is more like most of us than we care to admit, a combination of great characteristics with some not-so-nice ones.

I loved that this book caused me to think and reflect. I could only read two stories at a time before stopping to absorb and discuss what I’d just read. If you aren’t in the mood to read about illness, death, and the indignities of aging, then you might want to set this aside for later.

Strout writes beautifully and with enormous empathy for the human condition, and is one of the few authors who writes about ordinary lives in an extraordinary way. But, as in any collection, some of the stories resonated while others, not so much. I confess that several had me scratching my head for days. I simply couldn’t figure out why they were included or what purpose they served to the overall story. Except perhaps this: people are complicated and we are all struggling with the reality of being flawed humans in a flawed world.

Olive, Again. I wish the stories will never end. Olive Kitteridge is a strong, interesting, and compelling character that I just can't get enough of. Olive shows that anyone can have a huge impact on others' lives by being kind and honest, no matter how small or insignificant it might seem. More Olive please!

Who is the audience for this book? It certainly isn't for this senior citizen who found it depressing.. Not sure younger people will want to read about what might happen to them in old age. This book, told in a series of interconnected short stories, is about regret, infidelity, and how old people have few activities to keep them from obsessing about their past.

While the writing is acceptable, I find the short story to novel format to be gimmicky.

No doubt, I'll be one of the few people who did not enjoy this book.

#OliveAgain #NetGalley

In "Olive, Again," Elizabeth Strout returns to Crosby, Maine, and to Olive Kitteridge, a difficult woman with an unusually blunt manner. As Olive ages, she seems able to see some of the people and relationships in her life more clearly. Some of these revelations ease old wounds; others cut her to the quick. The short stories return to Olive over and over, while also introducing other folks who grew up or turn up in Crosby. Strout once again manages to make us care deeply about her characters, even those who on first consideration seem pretty unlikable. She also performs this trick where the story advances through straightforward narration and dialogue AND the text includes the innermost thoughts and feelings of various characters. This may be a work of fiction, but it will challenge you to think more deeply about parenting, marriage and friendship.

Oh how I have missed my sweet curmudgeon Olive....That does sound like an oxymoron but in Olive's case it is no mistake. In her previous book we were introduced to Olive, the same cantankerous, obstinate, blunt woman we face now but time has softened her edges and replaced SOME of her insensitivity with her understanding of human behavior and relationships that Strout pens with a deft touch. Don't get me wrong; she is still the same old Olive but this book delves more into issues that arise as the years accumulate. Divorce happens, illness arrives, misgivings abound, and family misunderstandings and loneliness materialize. These are all embedded in stories of compassion and intimacy and friendship. I think I even loved this Olive even more peering at her vulnerability during the aging process. It is not crucial to read the previous book before this one, but I think it adds another dimension to fleshing out this terrific character. Run to see her. You will just smile at being in her company.

Olive, Again is structured like its predecessor Olive Kitteridge: there are 13 interwoven stories. As before, Olive does not appear in all of the stories, but in each she makes a brief appearance or is at least mentioned. Some new characters are introduced, but some reappear and have their stories continued.

Strout excels at showing the lives of ordinary people struggling with some aspect of the human condition. Olive is trying to understand herself and her life; in particular, she struggles with the realities of aging and loneliness.

Olive remains opinionated and brutally honest. Her second husband tells her, “’God, Olive, you’re a difficult woman. You are such a goddamn difficult woman, and fuck all, I love you.’” I loved one woman’s description of her as “’That pickle person’” and a man’s summary of her: “’Olive thinks everything is crap . . . That’s just who she is.’”

Though she remains cantankerous, she has also become more self-reflective. She acknowledges her flaws and faults. She admits that she does not have all the answers: “She, who always thought that she knew everything that others did not. It just wasn’t true.” She realizes that she was not the perfect parent and bears responsibility for the tension with Christopher whom she now understands she raised as “a motherless child.” It is ironic that as a teacher she told her students, “’”You all know who you are. If you just look at yourself and listen to yourself, you know exactly who you are. And don’t forget it.”’” It is only as an old woman that she seems to understand who she is. She recognizes that others may know her better than she knows herself; a former student who has become a poet sees Olive’s loneliness in a way Olive herself has not acknowledged.

Olive growth is also shown in her attitude towards others. Because Olive is socially awkward, having no patience for small talk, she has difficulty making friends. However, when she sees another woman who is obviously tentative in a social situation, Olive speaks to her. When that woman introduces herself as Isabelle Daignault, Olive’s prejudice against French-Canadians appears. Olive has also always disliked people who are “mousy” and Isabelle’s appearance is such that Olive even nicknames her “Mousy Pants“. Nevertheless, despite these biases, Olive gives Isabelle a chance, and the two develop a wonderful friendship.

Olive does become a better person. She has regrets (“It was herself, she realized, that did not please her”), but she tells a friend, “’At times these days – rarely, very rarely, but at times – I feel like I’ve become, oh, just a tiny – tiny – bit better as a person.’” I think she is so much more self-aware though she claims, “I do not have a clue who I have been. Truthfully, I do not understand a thing.” Perhaps that is the clearest indication of her change.

The theme is that, like the ants that show up in the first story, people must “Just [do] what they were meant to do, live until they died.” In the middle of the book, another character states that our duty is “’To bear the burden of the mystery with as much grace as we can.’” Olive says, “’Well, that’s life. Nothing you can do about it.’” We must, like Olive, pick ourselves up and do what we must do, even if that is just to “go get Isabelle for supper.”

Though there are certainly touches of humour, the book is very poignant. Nonetheless, I can only describe the book as a gem. Sequels often disappoint, but that is not the case here. The book can be read as a standalone, but why not read or re-read Olive Kitteridge for an even richer experience reading Olive, Again. Both books are magnificent.

Note: I received a digital galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.

I have to start this review by admitting that I haven't read Olive Kitteridge...yet. I had definitely heard about it, but it had not yet made its way to the top of my ever-growing TBR pile. When the opportunity came up for me to read the sequel to Olive Kitteridge, called Olive, Again, I jumped at the chance to do so but I did wonder if I would find myself lost, having not read the first book. These fears proved to be unfounded.

Olive, Again can absolutely be read as a stand-alone book, even if you have never heard of Olive before! I absolutely loved her character- a cantankerous old woman who says exactly what's she thinking and often wonders why people get offended by her blunt words. I couldn't get enough of her. The scenarios that she and others around her find themselves in are thought-provoking, heart-wrenching, and eye-opening. I loved the motley crew that she surrounded herself with, and I love that Olive found herself to be a beloved member of her community despite her off-putting ways.

While I still haven't read Olive Kitteridge, I can say with confidence that I will be sooner rather than later. Considering how well-written Olive, Again was, I definitely want to read more about her and her community. Funnily enough, I finished this book on my way up to a mini-vacation at the cottage that my parents have rented, and when I got there I was telling my mom that she should read the book because Olive reminded me of my own cantankerous grandma. Lo and behold, there was a copy of Olive Kitteridge in the cottage, having been left behind by another cottager! If that's not fate, then I don't know what is!

Olive, Again is a must-read, and one that pulled me out of a reading slump!

Elizabeth Strout's work always strikes me as the pinnacle of good writing: realistic, flawed characters written about in just enough detail to make the reader feel as if they, too, live in a small Maine town. Olive Kitteridge is one of my favorite books, and I was thrilled to have the chance to read Olive, Again early. Predictably, it did not disappoint. I laughed, cried, and found myself nodding along or shaking my head more than once as I read. I'd read about the daily lives of Crosby, Maine residents for a thousand pages.

Welcome back, Olive Kitteridge! It is so delightful to read another book about Olive, the woman you love to dislike, and love to love. I fell for Olive in her first book, Olive Kitteridge, and was so happy to welcome her back, in this, a book about her later years.

Olive still lives in Crosby, a small town on the Maine coastline. Despite her sometimes acid tongue, you know that Olive is a good person deep down, and tries to help her friends and family any way she can. She will tell you what she feels you should know, whether it hurts you or not. It's just Olive's way.

The latter part of Olive's life finds her trying to make amends with her doctor-son, daughter in law, and her step-grandchildren, who all live in New York and she seldom sees. Having never gotten along well with her son, she's still trying to show him her love, but she and her daughter-in-law can't seem to become friends.

Life changes for Olive when she meets Jack, an elderly, divorced resident of Crosby. Jack falls in love with Olive, who finally says yes to his many proposals.

We're happy for Olive, for she's found someone to share her life. She now has a husband and friends, and her life is good, until Olive's life changes again.

This book earned five stars from me. Thank you to net galley for allowing me to read this beautiful book and for giving my honest opinion.