I thought this was an excellent sequel.

This book was filled with points that filled me with laughter

Very sad. I kept reading it ... thinking there had to be a point .. beyond reminding all of us that we are going to die. Sorry, I just don’t think that we need that reminder. Strange and sad.

Olive Again was sweet and rather poignant. We get to see Olive in a different light. Now she’s at the end of her life and has become reflective. It’s a place that hopefully we will eventually face.

Real, beautifully written.

It's wonderful to pick up a book that so immediately and skillfully plunges you into the small, everyday events that make us all human. Just like her first book (Olive Kitteridge), Elizabeth Strout takes us into the orbit of Maine-born-and-raised Olive -- now older, retired, and just as prickly and wise. Like the first book, this sequel reads like a series of short stories about individuals in and around the small town of Crosby, Maine. Some are Olive's former students. Others, her neighbors. But each has a deeply touching story to tell about the everyday pain people routinely carry, their own resilience, and the kind of love and relationships that brings meaning to our lives. Whether it's a young woman visiting the burned down ruins of her family home, or a Civil War enthusiast who uses the dog to speak to his wife, or the residents of an assisted living facility struggling to find community -- each has a valuable and emotional story to tell. All of them, connected in some way to crusty but lovable Olive. Highly recommended.

If you are looking for a page turning, this is NOT it. This is one of the most boring books I have ever read. There is nothing special about any one character. For the most part, many of the characters lives are painfully boring. There is not a message or overarching theme. Like other reviewers said: this book has snippets of stories from random characters that might be connect to one another? My girlfriend and I downloaded this book because Oprah recommended it but I know realized it was all a publicity hype to sell the book. Well I’ll tell you I am not longer following Oprah’s book recommendations. Also, there are so many grammar issues in this book, it finitely feels rush.

This book was a big waste of my time. No joy reading this book nor did it have anything valuable to say. The prose was simple and not enjoyable.

Good content but the chapters seemed random and not sure how it all ties together.

❦