More on Olive Kitteridge - and Feb. 18 event!

First things first: the first face-to-face meeting of the Page by Page Book Club is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Feb. 18.  The Courier has reserved the front table at George House. Come one, come all!  We'll discuss Olive Kitteridge as well as previewing the March/April book, Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice.

But I do want to get some online discussion going, as well as face-to-face discussion.  So, for those of you who have finished Olive Kitteridge, what are your thoughts on the book? Personally, I loved it.

What did you all think of the structure of the short stories woven together to make a novel?  I found it intriguing to be reading lots of different stories within one larger story. Some of the stories resonated for me more than others.  On the whole, I felt like I was getting to know not just one character and her family but a whole town full of people.

Also, I'd love to hear people's thoughts on the character of Olive herself.  Did you like her?  I thought it was interesting how she was initially introduced as a not particularly warm and fuzzy, likeable character, but I did find sympathy growing for her as the book went on, particularly in the story "Tulips."

What emotions came up reading the book?  It's funny, because there are some very depressing themes here -- anorexia, suicide, dementia -- but the book didn't depress me.  I loved how many of the characters, even in very bleak situations, found little glimmers of hope.

Finally, did anyone else get a sense of a sort of timelessness to the book?  What I mean is that it feels like it could be any people of any generation.  There are little clues that the story is set in the present time -- mention of the Sept. 11 attacks, for instance -- but Olive and Henry and their neighbors feel like they could have been people of generations earlier. I think this is something particular to good literature, the feeling that these themes and these emotions are universal and have been felt by human people since the dawn of time.

All right, there's at least a few questions to get you started discussing. As always, your comments and thoughts are welcome!

Comments

[Gail Whelan]

You create an inviting writing of Olive Kitteridge. I hope to follow you more faithfully from this day forward. :D

[Miriam Vance]

February 12, 2010
I have finished Olive Kitteridge and will write a comment or two. As someone else wrote, the prose is gorgeous. I couldn't agree more. The character development and descriptions or place and emotions is skillfully written. Sara wrote that although the book was recently written, there is a timelessness about it which may be a hallmark of great literature. As for Olive, I am still trying to decide what I think about her. In some ways she seems to be a mature woman who has never learned to be kind or gentle. She seemed to be truly cruel toward her son, I thought. Still she could be compassionate to those around her that she saw suffering. In the last chapter titled "River" I thought she treated Jack Kennison more kindly than she had treated her husband when he was alive. I'm looking forward to our face to face meeting at the George House on the 18th. Miriam Vance

[Sara]

Miriam, thank you for taking the time to comment! I agree, Olive seemed unkind toward her son throughout, and I felt sorry for her husband. But there were elements of her character I did find sympathetic.

I look forward to seeing you Thursday.