I’m surprised this novel won the Pulitzer. You can argue it’s a short story collection.

Also, Olive Kitteridge is not a particularly likeable protagonist. Retired math teacher, she’s often blunt, unkind, and insensitive.

She is certainly memorable. And authentic. Perhaps slightly on the autistic spectrum.

Some people appreciate her honesty. A few.

The writing is OK, not brilliant. But I did appreciate tiny insights into daily life, not often acknowledged out loud.

Olive Kitteridge is a 2008 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Elizabeth Strout and a critically acclaimed 2014 HBO miniseries.

Both tell the story of a misanthropic yet complex retired schoolteacher living in the fictional coastal town of Crosby, Maine.

The narrative explores themes of depression, family dysfunction, and the quiet tragedies of ordinary life over a 25-year span.

Written by Elizabeth Strout, the book is a “short story cycle” consisting of 13 interrelated but discontinuous stories.

While Olive is the central figure, she sometimes only appears as a minor character or cameo in certain chapters, allowing the book to paint a broader picture of the community.

Frances McDormand produced the series, specifically seeking out the role to highlight complex stories for older actors.

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Jon “Jo” Nesbø is a Norwegian novelist and musician. His books had sold over 50 million copies worldwide by 2021, making him the most successful Norwegian author to date.

Detective Hole, the Norweigan TV adaptation, is based on the book The Devil’s Star, one of Nesbø’s best.

I’d actually given up on the books because self-destructive Oslo police detective Harry Hole was too much of an asshole. And the books too violent.

He’s slightly more likeable in the TV show.

But there’s gore. Graphic violence. Alcoholism. It’s hard to watch, at times.

The cast is great.

The look of the show is striking. “… dark, gritty color grade characteristic of Scandi noir, … heavily utilizing orange tones in the lighting. This intense, moody aesthetic, characterized as “gloriously grim,” 

Tom Waaler (Joel Kinnaman) is scary believable.

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I’m still disappointed.

Excellent source books, the Alex Cross series. Excellent cast.

I’d fire the writers. This TV drama should have been much better.

Critics and most people still like this show.

I found the plot confusing. A couple of deaths unnecessary. Poor story telling.

Meh.

The ending of the season was quite good, however. Not easy to do.

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Thomas Perry died 2025 age-78.

And that’s a shame as he’s one of my favourite authors.

The Old Man (2017) is a stand-alone thriller. Excellent, as always.

A television adaptation of the same name starring Jeff Bridges aired on FX beginning June 2022.

Former army intelligence officer Michael Kohler, … has been in hiding for most of his adult life after absconding with $20 million during a mission in Libya.

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