Olive Kitteridge

 This book by Elizabeth Strout won the Pulitzer prize for fiction. it is a group of short stories about a women named Olive and her life in a small town in Maine. It is told from several points of view. I liked this book, except for one problem; it is a little sad. Olive comes across as rather melancholy and a little bit nuts. A story works best for me when I like the characters and Olive is tough to like. The general feel of the book was a bit depressed, I thought. But the writing is excellent and the characters are very well drawn. It is a worthwhile read.

South of Broad

Well, I've been slogging through "South of Broad" for the past week. I had so looked forward to this  and couldn't wait to read it. I loved Conroy's other books but this one didn't do anything for me. The characters were all miserable people.  The protagonist was a totally unrealistic person- a teenage boy who would clean up a sick old man on his own with no complaints? Please. The plot was not all that much either. There was the search for the long lost brother and there was the homicidal dad and that was about it. I did like the hurricane scenes. I know some people loved this book but it was a disappointment to me.

     Every summer I try to read a few classics.  This summer I read "Tale of two Cities" by Charles Dickens. Despite it's age this is still a great story. It follows several characters as they move between France and England during the beginning of the French Revolution.  There is the beautiful Lucie Manette, her father and two men who love her, Charles Darney and Sydney Carton. We also meet the revolutionaries Mr. and Mrs. Defarge who are very scary people. The story is very fast paced because it was written as a weekly serial. It is still a bit of a difficult book for todays readers. But it is well worth spending the time to read it. 

     I also became obsessed with "Kristin Lavransdatter" by Sigrid Undst. This book is a classic in Scandinavia and I see why. It is a beautifully written story about a young girl living in medieval Norway. She defies everyone to be with the man she loves. The reader truly cares about  and understands Kristen because the book is so well written. The descriptions of Norway and everyday life there are also wonderful. I highly recommend this one.

Julie and Julia

Everyone is abuzz over Julie Powell's book "Julie and Julia."  It is a good book. It is light and funny, a good summer read. The book flip-flops between Julies adventures as she cooks her way through the entire "Mastering the art of French Cooking" and Julia Child's life in France. I enjoyed both aspects of the book. In fact it got me so interested in Julia Child that I next read "My Life in France" by Julia Child.  This was also an enjoyable easy book. Julia Child had a wonderful life. She married Paul when she was in her late thirties and he in his forties. His job sent them to Paris shortly after WWII. Paul spoke French and was already familiar with the country. Julia plunged into life there and never looked back. I would recommend both of these books.