Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout

September 24, 2019

Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout

Olive, Again is a follow-up to Strout’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel, Olive Kitteridge.  Per the author, although she thought she was done with her, Olive apparently had more to say.  Like the first book, this one is a series of inter-connected narratives about the people who live in Crosby, Maine, and the surrounding towns. Since Olive is at heart a storyteller and collects and distributes information about the people she knows, the story format is particularly appropriate.  Picking up where the previous book left off, the story follows Olive through the next ten years of her life.  Even though she is well into her senior years, Olive discovers that surprising and unexpected things can still happen to her, and that it’s not too late for her to learn things about herself.

This is character-driven literary fiction that is much more accessible than a lot of literary works.  Olive is a wonderful creation, outspoken and crusty and selfish.  Her exterior shell shows signs of cracking as she ages and she becomes more accepting of others’ flaws.  Even though this is a sequel, you don’t necessarily have to have read the first book to enjoy this one. 

Side note:  My reading has been on the slow side this week.  I had a lot planned for the weekend including marathon reading, but my 11 year old golden retriever Asia developed a seriously drippy eye.  The vet referred us to a veterinary ophthalmologist (yes, there are all kinds of specialty vets), who diagnosed an indolent ulcer in her eye and did a procedure that removed the ulcer from her cornea (don’t get squeamish, the cornea has no nerves – when your eye itches or stings, it’s the eyelid that’s feeling it).  He sent her home with the “cone of shame” for two weeks, antibiotic drops, and some pretty good drugs.  She’s tolerating it but would really prefer to scratch the heck out of her eye.  Then a family interested in meeting my foster dog Scout wanted to come over on Sunday, which meant making the house presentable for strangers to see.  They liked him a lot and decided to take Scouty home with them, so I hope it works out for all of them.  Paws crossed.

Asia in the cone:

Scout the (former) foster guy: