Pulitzer Prize winner for the year. There was some big surprise because the book beat out others by authors such as Philip Roth and John Updike. Here is what the Pulitzer Prize judges said about the book:
The Pulitzer judges said the book "packs a cumulative emotional wallop, bound together by polished prose and by Olive, the title character, blunt, flawed and fascinating."
I found their assessment right on. I loved how humanely the characters were portrayed and developed. Do you like or not like Olive? I think that as people really think about all of the characters in the book, they will see the struggles they have as they take the personality and character traits that came to them naturally and add in life's experiences and how they affect the way we deal with our lives and the people around us. I saw so much of myself in Olive and understand what it is like to be judged by people for outward things that they see, neglecting the true heart that is underneath that has trouble expressing itself.
I highly recommend this novel to others. Be warned, however, that there is some very bad language in the book, at times.
