Olive Kitteridge (Abridged) Audiobook

" One of my all time favorites. "

" Not my usual speed, but I liked it. Well-drawn characters, great scenery descriptions...you feel like you're in that little town in Maine. "

" Wasn't my favorite book, it was just a collection of stories all with the one old lady connecting them. I kept reading hoping it would come together in the end but it never did. "

" enjoyed, but hard to get into at times. liked the ending "

" Unique (to me). Also kept me interested. Characters encompass the "yin/yang" of life. "

" She is a great writer but I did find this book a bit of a slog, mainly because there isn't a strong narrative thread. It was almost like linked short stories. "

" Maybe if I'd realized that this was more a short story collection than a novel, I would've enjoyed it more. (I kept waiting for something to tie it all together and there just wasn't anything.) It was ok. Dragged a bit. "Literary" in that way where we just examine characters and very little happens. "

" This was an interesting book. Olive has a bit of us all somewhere in her personality. Each chapter is a different story that weaves through her life. It is sad and honest. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. "

" One of my all time favorite books "

" Read this book several years ago. A book I would read again and enjoy more, I imagine. Clever and moving. I loved it! "

" I liked listening to the audio book version, which I did while travelling to and from Maine, coincidentally. This added to the interest. I liked the quirky little stories about Olive's family and friends. "

" This is a fast-read book. The style of the book reminded me a little bit of "The Poisonwood Bible: A Novel" by Barbara Kingsolver. "

" I really don't know what all the hype was about this book. I thought it was extremely boring. "

" Strout successfully executes my favorite story format: short stories involving somewhat different characters yet all related. The characters it this book are multifaceted and intriguing. "

" Liked the character development, but the plot seemed kind of zigzaggy to me "

" Interesting format. A series of short stories, centered around a town in Maine, with Olive Kitteridge as an incidental or main character throughout the stories. "

" I rarely give up reading a book but I simply could not sustain my interest in Olive Kitteridge. "

" Well , I basically wept openly after reading the story "Pharmacy" and then again at the end of the book. Really really great. "

" Didn't like this book. Boring, bad language (so I wouldn't recommend it to others), depressing. "

" Loved this. I felt as though Olive and I were kindred spirits in many ways. I'd read it again if I didn't already loan it to my mother in law. "

" Beautifully written, at least in parts. But it felt more like a collection of short stories than a novel, and I couldn't get over my dislike of some of the characters. "

" Alexis gave this book to me for my birthday. I LOVED it. Thanks, Lex!!! :) "

" A beautifully written series of short stories that all take place in the same small northern town and in some way or another involve Olive Kitteridge. A quick, emotional, and thought-provoking read. "

" No comment. My book club hated her, and hence the problem....only 2 of us finished the book. We had no discussion after first question, "Did you like Olive?" "

" This is an elegantly written collection. Very well done! "

" Interesting book......betwee three and four stars. Fascinating way to incorporate one person into multiple, mostly facinating, individual stories. "

" I just wasn't a big fan. I didn't like the back and forth short stories. And frankly, Olive got on my nerves. "

" I'm not usually into story collections but I loved this book, and I thought the final three paragraphs were perfection. "

" I found this depressing reading and it never did move too far out of that arena at the end. It is well written though and does leave me feeling I should try and read it again to see if there is more for me to get from it. "

" I liked the concept of loosely intertwined short stories that in large or small ways incorporated Olive. But, I have to say, this book is depressing. Each chapter was full of some sort of miserableness. I realize it was a reflection on endurance, but it was a bit much. "

" I really enjoyed this book. It stayed w/ me a long time. Beautifully written. "

" Stories of a small town in Maine all linked through a woman, Olive Kitteridge. Completely engrossing. I literally felt fragile after reading. "

" 13 stories, all about different people, but all somehow connected to Olive Kitteridge in some small or large way. I liked the concept, the stories, and the writing. Don't read this if you're looking for a pick me up. I would give it 3.5 stars. "