Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

"Olive Kitteridge" by Elizabeth Strout. This book won Pulitzer prize for fiction in 2009.

This book is a collection of 13 stories. But this is not a typical short story collection because all these stories take place in one costal town called Crosby, Maine. And Olive Kitteridge appears in all these stories.

Olive is a large lady, a retired school teacher who taught mathematics, not known to be delicate with words, who lives with her husband and has a son who is a podiatrist (doctor specializing in feet).

The stories are woven around citizens of Crosby, Maine and visitors to the town. Small and seemingly minor and at times innocuous incidents that have significance to the characters. The stories are about human emotions and relations, priorities likes and dislikes.

The stories are good, subtle and shows Elizabeth Strout's power of observation and ability to delicately peel the cover and bare human emotions for the readers. The stories are short and crisp. Although these are separate stories the central theme seems to be old age, sufferings and relations. At the end of each story you get a feeling that something is missing, much is left unsaid.

Although 'A little burst' and 'Basket of trips' were good stories, 'Incoming tide' and 'River' were the ones that I liked most.

Elizabeth has become obsessed with the title of the book. She has brought in Olive Kitteredge in a couple of stories, as a guest appearance when none was required, for no real reason other than to be faithful to the title.

Read if you like reading about emotions and feelings without much happening around. Otherwise avoid.