August 10, 2009 at 9:00 pm Eastern Time
Grab your copy of Olive Kitteridge , a glass or mug of your favorite beverage, and join us.
Olive Kitteridge was the 2009 Pulitzer Prize winner for fiction.
We're thrilled to announce that Elizabeth Strout, the author of Olive Kitteridge, will be participating in the discussion as well!
Questions? Post a comment below, ask on Twitter (@thebookmaven or @booksquare), or even use good old email: bethanne at thebookstudio dotcom.
The Twitter Book Club discussion for this book has already past.
It was a great discussion! Read an archived version below. Scroll to the bottom of this page to see the discussion questions and to add your comments about the book.
Archived discussion
thebookmaven:
Good evening, everyone; it's time for #tbc! I hope you're ready to talk about OLIVE KITTERIDGE & welcome author @elizstrout. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:00 pm
rachelresnick:
Pretty cool, all. Elizabeth Strout, @ElizStrout, author of Pulitzer Prize-winning OLIVE KITTERIDGE, abt to participate in #tbc.
August 10, 2009 -- 9:00 pm
booksquare:
and we're live! welcome to twitter bookclub, co-hosted by me and @thebookmaven. we're talking olive kitteridge tonight. #tbc #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:00 pm
BookingIt:
Hello!I'd hoped to review some character names before chatting today, but that didn't happen :-).Looking forward to talking anyway. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:01 pm
BrooksSigler:
Just finished office hours. I made it.
#tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:01 pm
booksquare:
we'd also like to welcome our special guest, the very brave
@elizstrout. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:01 pm
thebookmaven:
Hello there @brookssigler, @bookingit, @booksquare, @rachelresnick! Now, @elizstrout, keep tweeting as you like; I'll RT as necessary. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:01 pm
rachelresnick:
Loved the WaPo article & glimpses into origins of Olive. Those "psychic taboos" we internalize abt parents. The alchemy of characters. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:01 pm
bostonbibliophl:
Hi all! #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:02 pm
BookingIt:
Hello @elizstrout!It is exciting that you are joining us! #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:02 pm
thebookmaven:
@booksquare Our guest @elizstrout is VERY brave indeed. We really appreciate her participation. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:02 pm
booksquare:
let's talk first about the structure of this book: a novel in stories. i love this structure. did it work for you? why, why not? #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:02 pm
thebookmaven:
I've read several novels in stories, and this one felt most like a novel and least like patchwork. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:02 pm
bostonbibliophl:
i liked it b/c it allowed the reader to dip in and out of this community from multiple perspectives and times #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:02 pm
BookingIt:
I wasn't sure if it was working for me until about halfway through, I think listening to the audio made that a little harder. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:02 pm
booksquare:
does it impact your reading of a longer work if you know parts/stories have been previously published in other works? q1 #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:02 pm
BrooksSigler:
The structure completely worked for me. Olive is the vein that runs through the stories, so it gives us a fuller Olive. (No disrespect) #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:03 pm
mincontro:
@booksquare #tbc Definitely works. Short stories are compact gems. Linked stories can be very powerful.
August 10, 2009 -- 9:03 pm
KFZuzulo:
The first couple of stories of Olive Kitteridge, I felt she was an aunt about whom u hear stories. Then she showed up & began to chat #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:03 pm
batpoet:
Hello!I loved the structure of the book and also think it prevented Olive, the character, from being too overbearing.#tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:03 pm
BookingIt:
I did get into it by the end.I suspect that if I'd had the visual reminders when I changed stories, it would have been fine. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:03 pm
ElizStrout:
@rachelresnick yes, all those psychic taboos indeed #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:03 pm
jaypea1129:
Loved how it felt like a novel but each chapter was a story unto it self. Never felt plot driven. Incredibly concise. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:04 pm
rachelresnick:
If I may, I'm so curious to ask @ElizStrout, how did you arrive at the structure? At what point? Did it come as a blueprint? A dream? #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:04 pm
booksquare:
like @thebookmaven's comment about the cohesiveness of this novel-in-stories. it felt organic, which i appreciated. q1 #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:04 pm
bostonbibliophl:
@BrooksSigler yes! we got to see her character reflected thru prism of different people, situations. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:04 pm
ElizStrout:
@bostonbibliophl I love differing points of view, always have. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:04 pm
KFZuzulo:
I thought the structure was brilliant, "unfolding like a pine cone" as Strout noted in one passage so the reader "meets" Olive #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:04 pm
melissathomson:
loved the structure; was brave while the writing felt so grounded, &grounded-yet-brave combo was fundament. to characters as well #tbc #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:05 pm
BookingIt:
@bostonbibliophl I also liked that we saw Olive from so many points of view. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:05 pm
thebookmaven:
Thank you, @booksquare, for reminding me about using "q1."#tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:05 pm
highhiddenplace:
@booksquare I liked it. It was interested and felt rather true to life, the different opinions of Olive. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:05 pm
booksquare:
RT @KFZuzulo thought structure brilliant, "unfolding like a pine cone" as Strout noted in 1 passage so the reader "meets" Olive#tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:05 pm
KFZuzulo:
Organic is a good word @booksquare. I actually had a visceral response to realizing the connections that were revealed w/ea story #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:05 pm
BookingIt:
@booksquare q1 I don't care if parts of book have been published elsewhere, although it can be fun on a later read to puzzle out seams. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:06 pm
thebookmaven:
@ElizStrout A corollary to Q1: Did you find any one of the stories much more difficult to write than the others? #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:06 pm
bostonbibliophl:
loved that 1st story focused on Henry so we could get to know this key figure in her life before we knew too much abt her. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:06 pm
BrooksSigler:
@bostonbibliophl Excellent point about the first story being about Henry--he was not subsumed by Olive this way. q1 #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:06 pm
rachelresnick:
@KFZuzulo "unfolding like a pine cone" (vis a vis structure) -- how inspired! Did the pinecone fractals spur the mind of @ElizStrout? #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:06 pm
thebookmaven:
@bostonbibliophl I found the contrast between Henry and Olive almost delicious -- that's a weird thing to say, but I did! #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:06 pm
jaypea1129:
@bostonbibliophl Agreed! I loved seeing how others *reacted* and viewed Olive. Really gave a complete profile. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:07 pm
bostonbibliophl:
@thebookmaven she was so caustic & he was this courtly old fashioned Maine guy. great contrast. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:07 pm
booksquare:
w/out first story about henry, he would have been lost to the reader. we needed to "know" him before we knew olive. q1 #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:07 pm
KFZuzulo:
RT @thebookmaven: @bostonbibliophl I found the contrast between Henry and Olive almost delicious -> me 2 + romantic & poignant by end #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:07 pm
BrooksSigler:
@bostonbibliophl @thebookmaven I didn't find her that caustic. Am I immune? I thought she was funny. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:07 pm
BookingIt:
@bostonbibliophl Yes, I think the first story being about Henry really set the feel for the entire book.I loved the contrasts too! #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:07 pm
melissathomson:
I wonder if I would have liked Olive as much as I did if I hadn't first seen her through Henry's eyes #tbc #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:08 pm
booksquare:
In instances where character of Olive is revealed through own thoughts and reflections, is she a reliable or unreliable narrator? q2 #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:08 pm
BookingIt:
@BrooksSigler She had a caustic exterior, but not a caustic soul, I think. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:08 pm
BrooksSigler:
Q2 She is both reliable in some aspects but unreliable in others. That scene with her son in NYC is telling.#tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:08 pm
jaypea1129:
I don't know if any of us really see ourselves the way we really are. I think we never really see all the ways we are perceived. q2 #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:08 pm
BookingIt:
@booksquare q2 I like that Olive acknowledges that she sees situations differently than other people.She honestly reports her POV. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:08 pm
thebookmaven:
RT @booksquare: Where character of Olive is revealed through own thoughts/reflections, is she reliable/unreliable narrator? q2 #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:09 pm
bostonbibliophl:
@booksquare as unreliable as anyone; she sees things from her POV which is necessarily limited. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:09 pm
ElizStrout:
@melissathomson exactly -- that was my concern as well!#tbc #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:09 pm
mincontro:
@BrooksSigler #tbc Not sure caustic is the word. Self-righteous maybe, until the story about the anorexic girl.
August 10, 2009 -- 9:09 pm
BrooksSigler:
Q2 Son sees her as a bad parent; she doesn't. Then she admits to Jack she was a bad parent. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:09 pm
KFZuzulo:
q2 Reliable. Because we're also given social cues of reactions of those around Olive. In that way, she is a reliable/revealing narrator #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:09 pm
thebookmaven:
I told @elizstrout that I believe Olive isn't a nice person, but that she is a good person. Q2 #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:10 pm
BrooksSigler:
One of my favorite sayings is "Perception is 9/10 of the law." #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:10 pm
thebookmaven:
RT @ElizStrout: @melissathomson exactly -- that was my concern as well!#tbc #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:10 pm
bostonbibliophl:
@thebookmaven sounds about right :-) #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:10 pm
batpoet:
I agree! @BrooksSigler Q2 She is both reliable in some aspects but unreliable in others. That scene with her son in NYC is telling. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:10 pm
thebookmaven:
Olive is growing as a narrator...I felt a cold little lump when Olive admitted to Ann that she used to hit Chris. "Not spank, hit." Q2 #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:10 pm
booksquare:
@thebookmaven notes olive isn't a nice person, but is a good person. believe that is highlighted in "starving". q2 #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:11 pm
KFZuzulo:
@thebookmaven although she does have episodes of 'niceness' where she soothes & is helpful- as she does w/Marlene in Basket of Trips #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:11 pm
booksquare:
it takes olive many years to acknowledge her mistakes, to say she's sorry. that enhanced unreliability for me (despite timeline) q2 #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:11 pm
thebookmaven:
@KFZuzulo Wasn't Basket of Trips amazing? I cried. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:11 pm
BrooksSigler:
@thebookmaven Q2 I agree. Olive's admission about hitting Chris is painful.
#tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:11 pm
BookingIt:
@thebookmaven I don't think that she'd ever admitted that (hitting, not spanking) to herself until that moment.And she told us then. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:11 pm
rachelresnick:
Trying to help Tweet-challenged Dylan Landis, author of Normal People Don't Live Like This, generously blurbed by @ElizStrout, post. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:12 pm
bostonbibliophl:
@KFZuzulo I think she tries to do what she thinks is right most of the time. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:12 pm
booksquare:
RT @thebookmaven: @KFZuzulo Wasnt Basket of Trips amazing? I cried. (oh yeah!) #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:12 pm
bostonbibliophl:
@BookingIt that's very human tho, to have a hard time admitting fault & being honest about one's self. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:12 pm
thebookmaven:
@booksquare observes that timeline "enhanced" Olive's unreliability. Being unreliable doesn't always mean being (or remaining) crazy. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:12 pm
rachelresnick:
@KFZuzulo "Episodes of niceness" -- spot on! And nicely phrased. Like an affliction? Or sprouting from character's complexity? #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:12 pm
booksquare:
sometimes blunt, no-nonsense people are viewed as scary or mean. would town perception of olive fall into that category? q2 #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:13 pm
melissathomson:
I like the idea I read about elsewhere of Olive as empathetic but unsentimental. She's flawed but is there 4 people when no1 else is. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:13 pm
KFZuzulo:
@thebookmaven the character development in Basket of Trips was amazing. Even of Eddie Jr. who didn't even have a speaking part! #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:13 pm
mistycliff:
#tbc I think OK is the part of us that tries so hard to do the right thing even when we know it will fail in others eyes.
August 10, 2009 -- 9:13 pm
BookingIt:
@bostonbibliophl Agreed!I think that was an incredibly human moment, showing growth and honesty. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:13 pm
thebookmaven:
@rachelresnick Hello Dylan! Welcome to Twitter Book Club...and congrats on the blurb from @elizstrout. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:13 pm
bostonbibliophl:
@booksquare yes. she also seems to project confidence, also intimidating. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:14 pm
booksquare:
(btw, i much prefer the unreliable narrator. makes me work harder as a reader.) q2 #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:14 pm
BrooksSigler:
@rachelresnick @kfuzulo:Whole new meaning to "she is having an episode."
#tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:14 pm
ElizStrout:
A bit tweet challenged myself!I hope you're receiving this -- my appreciation for comments#tbc #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:14 pm
BookingIt:
@booksquare I think that most (but not all)of her ex-students probably retain an image of her as scary. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:14 pm
booksquare:
@bostonbibliophl in some ways, it's the strong woman equals bitch problem, no? #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:14 pm
KFZuzulo:
@bostonbibliophl Definitely!Olive's prickly because she's protecting herself but she's painfully honest w/herself, too #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:15 pm
melissathomson:
I would read a novel about any 1 of the characters in this book & wonder if there are any @elizstrout plans on revisiting in the future #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:15 pm
BookingIt:
@ElizStrout We're hearing you, and appreciating your comments! #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:15 pm
mistycliff:
@booksquare I think so. There's also a sadness there especially in the end. She's just misunderstood, I think. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:15 pm
BrooksSigler:
@BookingIt I have loved many of my scary teachers dearly. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:15 pm
booksquare:
long thoughts coming: As I read this book, I couldn't help but compare it to Sherwood Anderson's Winesburg, Ohio. q3 #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:15 pm
thebookmaven:
Several have told me hashtag isn't working for them. A tip from @booksquare: Log out of Twitter completely, then log in via Tweetchat. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:16 pm
BookingIt:
@booksquare Hmm, not sure I agree.I think a man that blunt wouldn't be perceived positively either. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:16 pm
booksquare:
Winesburg was all about keeping secrets well-hidden while Olive Kitteridge dealt with secrets revealed. q3 #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:16 pm
thebookmaven:
@booksquare Yay! Long thoughts... Q3...bring em... #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:16 pm
booksquare:
What secrets, hidden pieces impacted you the most? q3 #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:16 pm
BookingIt:
@BrooksSigler Yup. Usually they are scary because they are trying to get through to the students!I think that is true of Olive. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:17 pm
bostonbibliophl:
@BookingIt Henry's gentleness complimented Olive's bluntness #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:17 pm
thebookmaven:
For me, @booksquare, I kept coming back to Christopher's hidden childhood; what we didn't see, what he didn't share. Q3 #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:17 pm
booksquare:
@BrooksSigler i had a very olive kitteridge teacher. loved her then and now. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:17 pm
KFZuzulo:
I found the most heartbreaking scene to be in A Little Burst when Olive heard a woman criticizing her dress.My chest actually lurched.
#tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:17 pm
rachelresnick:
RT @raineyroyal (aka Dylan Landis):why, bookmaven, did it feel least like patchwork? #tbc #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:18 pm
mistycliff:
Defintely. RT @booksquare: @bostonbibliophl in some ways, it's the strong woman equals bitch problem, no? #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:18 pm
bostonbibliophl:
@booksquare Olive's relationship with O'Casey- a surprise, that she had feelings like that. but maybe shouldn't a surprise. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:18 pm
batpoet:
Yes, or Sarah Orne Jewett, too. @booksquare ...this book, I couldn't help but compare it to Sherwood Anderson's Winesburg, Ohio. q3 #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:18 pm
BrooksSigler:
@booksquare Q3 Angie's hidden secrets made me cry, truly. I told @thebookmaven that. Missed opportunity. Parent curtailing growth. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:18 pm
booksquare:
@thebookmaven notes christopher's childhood remained hidden. maybe another story to be told? q3 #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:18 pm
bostonbibliophl:
@mistycliff absolutely. and when you're older, not conventionally attractive, even more so. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:18 pm
KFZuzulo:
Sounds like a small, materialistic (no pun intended) thing, but I thought that scene so indicative of what Olive knew to b true of self #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:18 pm
BookingIt:
@thebookmaven I wondered about that too.We didn't see much of Christopher's childhood, I wasn't sure what it was like from glimpses. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:19 pm
thebookmaven:
Good point, @booksquare. @ElizStrout -- will there ever be more from Crosby? #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:19 pm
booksquare:
RT @KFZuzulo found most heartbreaking scene t/bin A Little Burst when Olive heard woman criticizing her dress.Chest actually lurched. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:19 pm
WinterWrite:
@KFZuzulo The moment when the dress was being criticized was one of the most heartbreaking for me as well. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:19 pm
rachelresnick:
RT @raineyroyal did it take a huge leap, to have 1st story focus on henry, not olive? to back into a view of yr central char like that? #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:19 pm
toofondofbooks:
@booksquare I loved when I caught Olive putting on sunglasses (hiding behind them) when people got too close, she was uncomfortable #tbc q3
August 10, 2009 -- 9:20 pm
bostonbibliophl:
@batpoet book felt very Alice Munro-like to me. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:20 pm
BrooksSigler:
Q3 This book is just secret after secret or little things we don't want to admit to ourselves out loud.#tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:20 pm
thebookmaven:
@toofondofbooks Greetings; so glad you could join us! #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:20 pm
booksquare:
janie learning husband's secret in "winter concert" tore at me. the slow reveal was beautiful and sad. q3 #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:20 pm
thebookmaven:
RT @booksquare: janie learning husbands secret in "winter concert" tore at me. the slow reveal was beautiful and sad. q3 #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:21 pm
KFZuzulo:
@booksquare q3 I was waiting 4 the great horror of Chris's childhood.Olive was rough, yes, but Christo was coddled.Olive reaped result #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:21 pm
booksquare:
RT @toofondofbooks: loved when I caught Olive putting on sunglasses (hiding) when people got too close, she was uncomfortable #tbc q3 #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:21 pm
KFZuzulo:
RT @BrooksSigler: Q3 This book is just secret after secret or little things we dont want to admit to ourselves out loud.->exactly! #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:21 pm
melissathomson:
Re hidden pieces, I was saddened by what Denise's life in TX w/ Jerry turned out to be like. Taught me not to expect happy endings #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:22 pm
toofondofbooks:
@thebookmaven don't have the bk with me, so I'm relying on spotty memory; good to eavesdrop if I can't add anything :) #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:22 pm
mincontro:
#tbc Olive was real. One of most real characters in modern lit.
August 10, 2009 -- 9:22 pm
MuchMoreThanMom:
Ok, what is #tbc ??
August 10, 2009 -- 9:22 pm
bostonbibliophl:
@melissathomson Denise's story made me sad too. She deserved better. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:22 pm
thebookmaven:
@toofondofbooks Absolutely; eavesdrop away. I'm sure There Are Others ::looks sternly into Twitterverse:: #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:23 pm
bostonbibliophl:
@melissathomson AND it wasa good intro to the book. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:23 pm
booksquare:
@MuchMoreThanMom twitter book club. monthly book discussion. we're talking about olive kitteridge tonight. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:23 pm
thebookmaven:
@MuchMoreThanMom It's Twitter Book Club. We're discussing OLIVE KITTERIDGE by Elizabeth Strout, & @elizstrout is here with us. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:24 pm
booksquare:
didn't henry somewhat create a fantasy of denise without really knowing who she was? does that impact her life with jerry? #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:25 pm
BookingIt:
@bostonbibliophl Thinking about it, first story really set up the book well.We're introduced to themes, characters, not all happiness #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:25 pm
thebookmaven:
@ElizStrout You are doing just fine. thank you so much for hanging in there! #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:25 pm
toofondofbooks:
@mincontro my mother was appalled that Olive reminded me of my Nana (mother's mother) a bit standoffish, but good-hearted inside #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:25 pm
KFZuzulo:
I'd like 2 salute the humor Strout brings to many scenes? I laughed out loud when O suggests pillow instead of knife in Basket ofTrips #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:25 pm
WinterWrite:
Every time I built a judgement or an expectation of a character, it was quickly shattered -- like when Olive helps the starving girl. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:26 pm
booksquare:
I found the ending of the novel beautiful, a repudiation of the depression/suicide in a way. q4 #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:26 pm
melissathomson:
Can a narrator be unreliable even if s/he fully believes s/he is being honest? Or must s/he be consciously withholding from reader? q2 #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:26 pm
WinterWrite:
It made me rethink how I view or judge others. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:26 pm
mincontro:
@BookingIt Well that's what life is like. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:26 pm
KFZuzulo:
"Cut her throat, there's going to be a lot of blood." New England practical, that Olive. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:27 pm
BookingIt:
Henry loves the idea of Denise, of youth and innocence.He doesn't know her, but he likes her, likes most people.#tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:27 pm
booksquare:
RT @KFZuzulo: like 2 salute humor Strout brings to many scenes. laughed out loud when O suggests pillow instead of knife--BasketofTrips #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:27 pm
thebookmaven:
@KFZuzulo OMG, yes. She really captures Downeast humor, but it's much more than that. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:27 pm
BookingIt:
@mincontro Yes!And this book was like that, it is very much part of its strength. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:27 pm
KFZuzulo:
@RachelResnick Yes, as far as those episodes of niceness, I do think, as you say, that O is very complex #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:28 pm
booksquare:
@melissathomson yes, i believe so. it's about whether or not you can trust the character. couldn't always trust olive (because she hid) #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:28 pm
booksquare:
What did you think about the mental and physical place we found Olive at the book's end? q4 #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:28 pm
LectriceUSA:
@booksquare The last story was a wonderful ending to the book. Cried like a baby #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:28 pm
thebookmaven:
Re Q4: Ending reminded me that without snow, blueberries wouldn't be so sweet. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:28 pm
KFZuzulo:
@thebookmaven Yes, it's sort of a wry fatalism.She knows all, but doesn't want to confront all... #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:28 pm
bostonbibliophl:
@LectriceUSA so did I! It was beautiful. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:28 pm
BookingIt:
@melissathomson That's the question-- is there such a thing as objective reality? Is Olive's reality as true as Chris's. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:29 pm
toofondofbooks:
friend asks "Doesn't it make you angry?!" .Olive replies, "no sense in getting angry, what's done is done." more praticality! #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:29 pm
booksquare:
RT @thebookmaven: Re Q4: Ending reminded me that without snow, blueberries wouldnt be so sweet. (wow, great!) #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:29 pm
bostonbibliophl:
@LectriceUSA Loved that she sort of fell in love again. Wonderful. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:29 pm
thebookmaven:
@LectriceUSA I knew there were other lurkers, LOLOL... #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:29 pm
bostonbibliophl:
@toofondofbooks and emotional denial- anger comes back in other ways if you don't acknowledge it. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:29 pm
BookingIt:
@booksquare I loved that we were left with Olive getting past a place where she thought her life was done, and reflecting & moving on! #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:30 pm
melissathomson:
I felt like I lived 40 years in this book. And then the ending felt like a beginning. It was breathtaking. q4 #tbc #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:30 pm
batpoet:
Oh yes! @KFZuzulo I'd like 2 salute the humor Strout brings to many scenes? I laughed out loud when O suggests pillow instead of knife- #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:30 pm
thebookmaven:
BTW, don't know how many of you have pback; @elizstrout's 3-way interview w/Random House AND Olive is a hoot! #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:30 pm
LectriceUSA:
@booksquare re: hidden Olive--I would have liked to see more scenes of her as a teacher. The glimpses students gave was tantalizing #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:30 pm
ElizStrout:
It seemed to me that Olive had earned another chance if it was given to her.She's no dope, and will give it a shot#tbc #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:30 pm
booksquare:
olive could have succumbed to depression or malaise, but she kept walking every day, kept going. q4 #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:31 pm
thebookmaven:
RT @ElizStrout: It seemed to me that Olive had earned another chance if it was given to her. Shes no dope, and will give it a shot#tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:31 pm
bostonbibliophl:
@ElizStrout it was a marvelous way to end the book- with hope &optimism, two things we don't see much of elsewhere. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:31 pm
jaypea1129:
@booksquare I thought it was nice to see Olive actively choosing life when in some ways she had seemed so emotionally withdrawn. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:32 pm
KFZuzulo:
@ElizStrout and have to say I was giggling thru the whole hosp/crabmeat scene & O's compliance, until it went dark. Very captivating #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:32 pm
toofondofbooks:
@thebookmaven Yes!And do they (Eliz, Olive, RH) eat the famous local donuts during the interview, or am I imagining that? #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:32 pm
vladtheimpaller:
@vladtheimpaller #tbc loved the book
August 10, 2009 -- 9:32 pm
booksquare:
RT @ElizStrout It seemed to me that Olive had earned another chance if it was given to her.Shes no dope, and will give it a shot #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:32 pm
mincontro:
hostage scene was so realistic. as prosecutor, I dealt w/ witnesses all the time who remembered things like paint strokes. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:32 pm
BrooksSigler:
@elizStrout Just going to say something about forgiveness. Given all the things people do to ea. other on
pages, does anyone seek it? #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:32 pm
BookingIt:
@booksquare For a while, it seemed that Olive was walking, hoping it would get her closer to death.Then at last, she's ready to live! #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:32 pm
bostonbibliophl:
@BookingIt ironically, it was keeping her alive by helping to keep her fit! #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:33 pm
thebookmaven:
@mincontro I felt such pain for Olive in that scene, her hospital gown open and her aging body exposed.#tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:33 pm
booksquare:
RT @mincontro: hostage scene was realistic. as prosecutor, I deal w/ witnesses all the time who remembered things like paint strokes. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:33 pm
MuchMoreThanMom:
@booksquare @thebookmaven thanks for explaining #tbc !:)
August 10, 2009 -- 9:34 pm
thebookmaven:
@MuchMoreThanMom Absolutely; hope you'll join us sometime (feel free to stick around regardless of whether you've read book btw). #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:35 pm
thebookmaven:
@MuchMoreThanMom Absolutely; hope you'll join us sometime (feel free to stick around regardless of whether you've read book btw). #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:35 pm
WinterWrite:
Loved the hostage scene. I wasn't expecting that at all. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:35 pm
booksquare:
next question circles back to previous discussion: do we put too much blame on the mother? (leading into super bonus q at end!) #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:35 pm
BookingIt:
@thebookmaven That was an amazing scene.And the tension between Olive and Henry... #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:35 pm
mincontro:
@thebookmaven I know. The open gown exposed her vulnerability, something she kept well-hidden most of time. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:35 pm
booksquare:
hostage story, olive's final confession. tied that one up very nicely. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:36 pm
KFZuzulo:
That type of abruptness-e.g. trivial chat about crabmeat to harrowing hostage-that burned many scenes into my mind. Life is abrupt. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:36 pm
rachelresnick:
RT @raineyroyal Stealing in Ann's rm. When Bob says, "Oh, Janie, I've made u so sad..." so many moments. (thx, rachel, RTing for me!) #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:36 pm
thebookmaven:
Well, Olive thinks we blame mothers too much. As mother, will say this: We are quick to take ON the blame. Q4 #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:36 pm
KFZuzulo:
RT @mincontro: @thebookmaven I know. The open gown exposed her vulnerability, something she kept well-hidden most of time. <-perfect #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:36 pm
BrooksSigler:
@booksquare Q4 The mother is supposed to be the ultimate protector and nurturer--much resting on her shoulders. Is that fair? #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:37 pm
thebookmaven:
RT @KFZuzulo: abruptness-e.g. trivial chat about crabmeat to harrowing hostage-that burned many scenes into my mind. Life is abrupt. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:37 pm
msulka:
@WinterWrite: Loved the hostage scene. I wasn't expecting that at all. Me neither! That was a riveting scene #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:37 pm
rachelresnick:
RT @raineyroyal @ElizStrout "secret after secret;" that's exactly it. this book is a study in the many ways to connect, & fail to. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:37 pm
mkunruh:
@booksquare absolutely, but I think Olive is due for a fair amt. of the blame. She does much good, but also much harm. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:37 pm
booksquare:
@BrooksSigler always makes me wonder why not the father, who is also a protector. must consider this more. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:38 pm
melissathomson:
trivial chat about crabmeat--reminds me of beginning of Didion's Yr of Magical Thinking, life changing in "the ordinary instant" #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:38 pm
BrooksSigler:
@thebookmaven Women, I think, are taught to take the blame, no? #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:38 pm
BrooksSigler:
@booksquare Well, attachment theory does put a great deal on that primary caregiver, traditionally the mother.#tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:39 pm
batpoet:
Or credit (multi-meanings)? RT @booksquare nxt question circles back to previous discussion: do we put too much blame on the mother?... #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:39 pm
batpoet:
Or credit (multi-meanings)? RT @booksquare nxt question circles back to previous discussion: do we put too much blame on the mother?... #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:39 pm
booksquare:
christopher's annoyance when his mother says she's leaving--why did he think she'd stay? why would she stay? #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:39 pm
thebookmaven:
@ElizStrout I wish we had several hours over the course of a few weeks to discuss this book. We've barely scratched surface! #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:39 pm
toofondofbooks:
Have you read @ElizStrout 's OLIVE KITTERIDGE?Join the discussion using hashtag #tbc... in progress NOW! (author is here, too!)
August 10, 2009 -- 9:39 pm
rachelresnick:
RT @raineyroyal That's what's so generous, @WinterWriter - Olive's light always shines thru, no matter how watery it may seem at times #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:40 pm
ElizStrout:
Yes, Life IS abrupt!Good point.And mostly we allow ourselves to forget it.And then -- #tbc #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:40 pm
thebookmaven:
@BrooksSigler Yes, and I like that Olive is so rough. She's NOT a sweet little maternal figure. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:40 pm
MuchMoreThanMom:
@thebookmaven Thanks, I'd LOVE to, when is the next one and which book? #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:40 pm
toofondofbooks:
@BrooksSigler I'm reading Rachel Simmons MYTH OF THE GOOD GIRL now, she has volumes to say on this topic! (re: woman taking blame) #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:40 pm
rachelresnick:
I'm still swooning over having received a direct response from the brilliantly talented perhaps Tweet-challenged @ElizStrout herself! #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:40 pm
thebookmaven:
HA! RT @ElizStrout: Yes, Life IS abrupt!Good point.And mostly we allow ourselves to forget it.And then -- #tbc #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:41 pm
BookingIt:
@BrooksSigler Q4 Life isn't fair.Although it is changing, we get much responsibility & blame, also opportunities for relationships.#tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:41 pm
mkunruh:
I thought his annoyance made perfect sense. He wants her to stay but isn't willing to live with how she responds to him anymore.#tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:41 pm
thebookmaven:
@MuchMoreThanMom We gather once a month and haven't selected next month's yet. Stick around for a few & I'll send link to vote! #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:41 pm
melissathomson:
@rachelresnick exactly! failure to connect...ppl have ?s but go years w/o asking the people who can answer them...so true to life #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:41 pm
toofondofbooks:
@BrooksSigler is Olive MORE real because "what you see is what you get", she doesn't mask who she is, what she feels #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:42 pm
booksquare:
and @mkunruh leads into bonus question: did you want to whop Christopher upside the head and tell him to get over himself? q6 #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:42 pm
ElizStrout:
Very tweet challenged but very appreciative of comments and thoughtful thoughts! #tbc #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:43 pm
bostonbibliophl:
@booksquare Yes I did. He did not respect her enough to meet her where she was; very judgemental & self righteous. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:43 pm
thebookmaven:
@ElizStrout We're just all thrilled to know you're there. You're such a good sport, Elizabeth! #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:44 pm
BrooksSigler:
@toofondofbooks Olive feels very real to me. Painfully so.
#tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:44 pm
booksquare:
@ElizStrout it gets easier! we are so happy you joined us and participated. we love talking about story! #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:44 pm
rachelresnick:
RT @melissathomson exactly! failure to connect...ppl have ?s but go years w/o asking people... [Thx! But insight was @raineyroyal's!] #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:44 pm
mincontro:
@ElizStrout how did you write this? did you start with a story? at some pt, realize Olive cd be center of linked stories? #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:44 pm
BookingIt:
@booksquare Hmmm, yes, but it was balanced with an equal dose of wondering what Olive expected from him.She used the dog to babysit! #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:44 pm
booksquare:
feeling about christopher: at some point, you take responsibility for your own life, stop blaming others.#tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:44 pm
KFZuzulo:
@thebookmaven @BrookSigler And Olive knows who she is. Says of Henry: "...he would marry a beast and love her." Unfaltering. Resigned? #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:45 pm
melissathomson:
Olive deserves blame, but it was unfair for Chris. to expect Olive to behave differently w/o telling her what he wanted from her q6 #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:45 pm
mkunruh:
@booksquare Heh. Interesting question. Not really. felt that Christopher was working on creating a space. Hard to with Olive around. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:45 pm
BrooksSigler:
@booksquare Q6 No, deep down I know what Christopher said was right. I felt horrible for Olive, but he couldn't allow her to invade. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:45 pm
ElizStrout:
I started with A Little Burst and thought Olive should have her own book.#tbc #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:45 pm
rachelresnick:
RT @ElizStrout Yes, Life IS abrupt! Good point. & mostly we allow ourselves to forget it. And then -- #tbc # [Love the cliff-hanging tweet!]
August 10, 2009 -- 9:45 pm
BookingIt:
@booksquare I'm not sure she ever really listened to him, I expect he's behaving as he's seen modeled... but he's not nice about it! #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:46 pm
thebookmaven:
@booksquare @bostonbibliophil It's one thing to maintain high boundaries with friends/sibs; another w/parents. They won't be staying... #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:46 pm
booksquare:
@BookingIt it seemed right to her. are we overlaying our political correctness to different situation ? #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:46 pm
KFZuzulo:
@melissathomson yes, you're right. He offered no line of communication to his mother.Her struggle was completely internal. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:46 pm
BookingIt:
@ElizStrout I'm glad you gave it to her. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:46 pm
thebookmaven:
RT @ElizStrout: I started with A Little Burst and thought Olive should have her own book.#tbc #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:46 pm
mkunruh:
On another note, I found the role of the 'other' woman really interesting (in a good way). #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:46 pm
BrooksSigler:
Q6 You can take responsibility for your own life without letting someone else, even a loved one, plow into it again. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:46 pm
booksquare:
RT @mkunruh: On another note, I found the role of the other woman really interesting (in a good way). (ooh, double bonus q -- discuss!) #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:47 pm
BookingIt:
@booksquare She did what she thought right, Christopher did what he thought right... #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:47 pm
anecdotal:
@thebookmaven Yes. RT Well, Olive thinks we blame mothers too much. As mother, will say this: We are quick to take ON the blame.#tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:47 pm
booksquare:
what about learning to accept the faults in another person as a way of healing the past? it can't be undone. q6 #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:48 pm
bostonbibliophl:
@BrooksSigler yes; have to decide if you want accept someone the wayshe is or if you expect them to change to please you.#tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:48 pm
mkunruh:
@anecdotal yes, absolutely - very quick. I didn't read the book that way though. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:48 pm
BookingIt:
@booksquare I did find the examinations of different relationships (marital and extra-marital) interesting.The short story strength. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:48 pm
thebookmaven:
@anecdotal Hey there! Glad to see you. Welcome to Twitter Book Club... #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:49 pm
BrooksSigler:
Q6 @bostonbibliophl Sometimes it is hard to accept someone the way he or she is when you are on unsteady ground yourself. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:49 pm
batpoet:
That was an inspired moment! RT @ElizStrout I started with A Little Burst and thought Olive should have her own book. #tbc #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:49 pm
bostonbibliophl:
@booksquare yes; and others can only be the people they are. olive isn't going to change to cuddly-feely mom. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:49 pm
bostonbibliophl:
@BrooksSigler absolutely, but hoping they change only brings disappointment. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:50 pm
KFZuzulo:
@ElizStrout Olive always seems to pull back from self-pity, except where Christopher is concerned. Does she forgive herself? #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:50 pm
bostonbibliophl:
@BrooksSigler and Christopher was certainly on unsteady ground. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:50 pm
booksquare:
@bostonbibliophl but man, you'd want her in your corner when things got tough! #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:50 pm
mkunruh:
@booksquare she's still 'plowing' though. His invitation was about forgiving the past. But then Olive arrives and she's still all that. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:50 pm
LectriceUSA:
RT Lots of funny/awful moments in that story. Little girl @ Olive: "You look dead." @ElizStrout: I started with A Little Burst. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:50 pm
mkunruh:
You look dead - ha! And she was so gracious about it too. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:51 pm
KFZuzulo:
Thought it indicated a shift in Olive's outlook when she finds Jack and says, "You seem less dead every minute." [also funny] #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:51 pm
ElizStrout:
@KFZuzulo good question re O forgiving herself.I don't know.Yes and no, perhaps. #tbc #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:52 pm
thebookmaven:
A detail, but an important one, that I love: Olive walking. "Three miles out...three miles back." #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:52 pm
booksquare:
@mkunruh not sure his invite was about forgiving the past. he seemed to want a babysitter (or maybe the discipline she represented) #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:52 pm
BrooksSigler:
@KFZuzulo #tbc She seems to accept herself but maybe not forgive. She does have that pragmatism.
August 10, 2009 -- 9:52 pm
mkunruh:
My favorite piece in the novel though, was not Olive's it was the Jazz pianist. Gorgeous piece that will stick permanently. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:52 pm
BookingIt:
@mkunruh I don't feel I really know/understand Christopher.I'm pretty sure he is unsteady, but I don't really know why. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:52 pm
booksquare:
oh, wow, time. housekeeping abounds! first, thank you so much @elizstrout for joining us (and twitter). #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:53 pm
rachelresnick:
RT @ElizStrout Our pov is our world for the most part. (Why books are so impt.) #tbc [Bears repeating, eh? A reminder. A cautionary, even.]
August 10, 2009 -- 9:53 pm
ElizStrout:
@booksquare Yes, you would want her in your corner when things got tough, that makes me LOL #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:53 pm
BookingIt:
@mkunruh I think that's my favorite as well, even though it didn't contain much Olive. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:53 pm
BrooksSigler:
@booksquare That's a good point about why Christopher invited her. What did he expect exactly? Q6 #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:53 pm
booksquare:
second, check out our home @thebookstudio: http://www.thebookstudio.com/twitterbookclub #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:53 pm
thebookmaven:
Thank you @ElizStrout!#tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:53 pm
SusanDEisenberg:
I love that Olive often did the unexpected such as when she defaced Dr. Sue's sweater. She always surprised me. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:53 pm
mkunruh:
@BookingIt he was hard to know, seeing him through Olive's eyes (which is interesting - mother should know) #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:54 pm
LectriceUSA:
Yes, it was a beautiful story RT @mkunruh: My favorite piece in the novel though, was not Olives it was the Jazz pianist.#tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:54 pm
BrooksSigler:
@mkunruh Angie! Angie will stick with me, too. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:54 pm
thebookmaven:
What @booksquare said -- Please note we've got a selection of books to vote on for our September pick. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:54 pm
toofondofbooks:
@LectriceUSA that section struck me, 2! Olive felt a physical reaction to the girl's fairly innocent remark. Aging self confronted her #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:54 pm
booksquare:
and, @thebookmaven and i will be getting ready to vote on next month's title. suggestions via twitter or comments. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:54 pm
melissathomson:
thank you thank you @elizstrout; you are awesome for doing this. I LOVED the book. And thank you @booksquare and @thebookmaven! #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:54 pm
bostonbibliophl:
@mkunruh but the parent's perspective is so limited by hopes, dreams, rose colored glasses. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:54 pm
abookinhand:
RT @ElizStrout Our pov is our world for the most part. (Why books are so impt.) #tbc [Bears repeating, eh? A reminder. A cautionary, even.]
August 10, 2009 -- 9:55 pm
KFZuzulo:
@BrooksSigler Right; I think that's it...she accepts herself. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:55 pm
toofondofbooks:
@BrooksSigler maybe Christopher had whitewashed his memory and was desperate for help w/new family(?) #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:55 pm
BookingIt:
Thank you everyone!Particularly @thebookmaven, @booksquare and @ElizStrout.It's been fun and thought provoking.Great book choice. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:55 pm
BrooksSigler:
@elizstrout Thank you very much for joining us & writing Olive. @thebookmaven and @booksquare, thanks for facilitating! #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:56 pm
melissathomson:
Dr. Sue's comment abt Olive's dress broke my heart. & I think it was 1st time the outside world broke into my Crosby bubble as a reader #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:56 pm
bostonbibliophl:
thanks @elizstrout @thebookmaven @booksquare ! great discussion! #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:56 pm
mkunruh:
Loved the book. Thanks for coming @elizstrout and writing it! #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:57 pm
booksquare:
off to do laundry. will check back for comments. thank you all for joining and discussing. this was a great chat! #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:57 pm
mkunruh:
very fun discussion. My first and once I discovered tweetchat, I could get into the convo. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:57 pm
jaypea1129:
Thanks to everyone especially @booksquare, @thebookmaven and @ElizStrout Great Discussion. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:57 pm
thebookmaven:
Remember; on the site, there's a poll -- scroll down and vote! We'll be doing a giveaway for the winning title, too.#tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:57 pm
batpoet:
@elizstrout @booksquare @thebookmaven Thank you for tonight's #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:57 pm
BrooksSigler:
@toofondofbooks Hard with family. You know who they are, want to forgive, and then, they arrive on the scene. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:58 pm
rachelresnick:
Profound thx to @thebookmaven, @booksquare, @ElizStrout & all the lively participants. Lovely way to burst the #tbc cherry. My first foray!
August 10, 2009 -- 9:58 pm
BookingIt:
Bye everyone, going to eat dinner & talk to patient daughter now. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:58 pm
thebookmaven:
Thanks all! Especially @ElizStrout and @booksquare. Good night... #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:58 pm
Leegettingfit:
I just got here but want it known: I LOVED this book. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 9:59 pm
SusanDEisenberg:
Thanks from me to @thebookmaven, @booksquare, all of you, and especially @ElizStrout for such an enjoyable discussion. Goodnight. #tbc
August 10, 2009 -- 10:00 pm
August 09 TBC Questions for "Olive Kitteridge"
Good evening, everyone! Here are the questions that your moderators, Bethanne and Kassia, have come up with and which we'll seed the discussion with at regular intervals. Each time we post a question, we'll append a Q and numeral to it -- "Q1," "Q2," etc. If you're answering a specific question, it would be helpful for you to append that question's Q-tag (for lack of a better term), too.
Q1: I happen to love the narrative flow that comes from a novel-in-stories, but some readers find the non-linear approach to be off-putting. Did this style work for you in this book?
Q2: In those instances where the character of Olive was revealed through her own thoughts and reflections, would you consider her to be a reliable or unreliable narrator?
Q3: As I read this book, I couldn't help but compare it to Sherwood Anderson's Winesburg, Ohio. The difference, though, was that Winesburg was all about keeping secrets well-hidden while Olive Kitteridge dealt with secrets revealed. There were a lot of wounds exposed and left festering in this book. What secrets, hidden pieces impacted you the most? (thinking of the Janie learning her husband saw his old lover, the slow reveal that he's been involved with someone else in particular).
Q4: I found the ending of the novel beautiful. Throughout the story, there was a constant thread of depression and suicide, a sense that one could just give up, take the easy way out. Once Olive acknowledged some truths about herself, that path might have been attractive to her. What did you think about the mental and physical place we found Olive at the book's end?
Q5: Bonus question: did you want to whop Christopher upside the head and tell him to get over himself?
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