Tell Me Everything: A Novel

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars | 13,428 ratings

Price: 17.72

Last update: 01-05-2025


About this item

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER OPRAH’S BOOK CLUB PICK From Pulitzer Prize-winning author Elizabeth Strout comes a “stunner” (People) of a novel about new friendships, old loves, and the very human desire to leave a mark on the world.

“Tell Me Everything hits like a bucolic fable. . . . A novel of moods, how they govern our personal lives and public spaces, reflected in Strout’s shimmering technique.”—The Washington Post

A TIME AND NPR BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

With her remarkable insight into the human condition and silences that contain multitudes, Elizabeth Strout returns to the town of Crosby, Maine, and to her beloved cast of characters—Lucy Barton, Olive Kitteridge, Bob Burgess, and more—as they deal with a shocking crime in their midst, fall in love and yet choose to be apart, and grapple with the question, as Lucy Barton puts it, “What does anyone’s life mean?”

It’s autumn in Maine, and the town lawyer Bob Burgess has become enmeshed in an unfolding murder investigation, defending a lonely, isolated man accused of killing his mother. He has also fallen into a deep and abiding friendship with the acclaimed writer Lucy Barton, who lives down the road in a house by the sea with her ex-husband, William. Together, Lucy and Bob go on walks and talk about their lives, their fears and regrets, and what might have been. Lucy, meanwhile, is finally introduced to the iconic Olive Kitteridge, now living in a retirement community on the edge of town. They spend afternoons together in Olive’s apartment, telling each other stories. Stories about people they have known—“unrecorded lives,” Olive calls them—reanimating them, and, in the process, imbuing their lives with meaning.

Brimming with empathy and pathos, Tell Me Everything is Elizabeth Strout operating at the height of her powers, illuminating the ways in which our relationships keep us afloat. As Lucy says, “Love comes in so many different forms, but it is always love.”


Top reviews from the United States

  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars A New Visit With Old Friends
    Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2024
    What a delight to see a new novel by Elizabeth Strout--one of my favorites! And this one also features many of my favorite characters from previous novels, including Bob Burgess, Lucy Barton, and Olive Kitteredge. --With Matthew Beach making a significant debut, and other familiar characters growing through their tribulations. Brief commentaries in occasional visits from a wise, very human, omniscient narrator. Lovely use of details in the seasonal settings, deep understanding of the human heart in its many physical placements. Couldn't put TELL ME EVERYTHING down. A wonderful, bittersweet, satisfying read. Brava!
  • Hurricane Reader
    4.0 out of 5 stars very nice, quiet,thoughtful
    Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2024
    Lovely book about thinking, feeling, people living their lives. I loved it. It’s like a fine principle drawing. ……. …….
  • LindaL
    5.0 out of 5 stars If you love character-driven novels that focus on conversation, this is the perfect book
    Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2024
    Elizabeth Strout has the unique ability to make the ordinary seem extraordinary. The characters she has created over the years are probably stereotypes in some sense since they represent typical people in a small town in Maine—a minister, lawyer, writer, police chief, schoolteacher, and others. However, the introspective conversations she creates among her characters are amazingly representative of every human being and are relatable on multiple levels.

    I've read almost all of Strout's books, and along with a few other authors, I feel as though I have lived my adult life and grown through some of the perspectives of Olive Kitteridge, Lucy Barton, and the Burgess men. These familiar characters all appear in Tell Me Everything. Since they are all aging, the issues of dealing with adult children, failing health, and loneliness are addressed with poise, humor, and dignity.

    A central theme in this novel is "unrecorded lives." In her nineties, Olive Kitteridge wishes to tell stories about people to Lucy Barton, a writer. Lucy listens to her stories and relays a few of her own. As they ponder the meaning of the stories, it becomes apparent that all lives are noteworthy and chance encounters with unknown people can be significant. Storytelling, so much a part of our culture, is exalted in this novel, and those who can listen and learn from others' stories are the most likable characters.

    In conversations Attorney Bob Burgess has with his brother Jim, his wife Margaret, his ex-wife Pam, his client Matt, and his friend, Lucy Barton, the reader gains tremendous insight into various personalities and human needs. There is a detailed discussion about narcissism, gaslighters, and other character traits which cause consternation. In addition, some relationships include linchpins and cycles of abuse. There are discussions of alcoholism, suicide, patricide, and matricide. Strout's expressions when giving her characters words exemplify her understanding of the human condition. I loved when someone was referred to as a sin eater—they "eat" other people's sins and make themselves miserable. There are numerous depictions of "broken" people, those who need a good hug and those who just need to be heard. So much of real life is conveyed in Strout's fictional yet realistic characters.
  • Martine BP
    5.0 out of 5 stars Strout at her best!
    Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2024
    Storytelling within storytelling and a rich set of characters make for a wonderful read. I devoured this book and found myself stopping often to ponder and digest Lucy’s insights. Olive Kitteridge who appears in other Strout novels is the perfect listener for these stories of love, love lost, and love found. My favorite Strout novel thus far!
  • Anna
    3.0 out of 5 stars The Olive Moments Were Good
    Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2024
    Olive Kitteridge and Olive Again are two of my favorite contemporary novels of all time, so I was really looking forward to this book. The Olive moments didn't disappoint - she's just as salty and inwardly caring as always. The character is Lucy is well-drawn as well - she's dreamy and full of love of all people and the world, yet prickly when poked. I also liked the character of Bob, whose thoughts on his bad haircut reminded me of the sweetly humorous insightful character studies of Anne Tyler. However, the story, unlike the stories within the story, dragged along for some reason. It was difficult to care about the woman who got murdered or the back story of her family, for some reason. I know that the story needed some sort of plot, but I'm not sure a murder mystery was a good fit to the character development within the story. I kept skipping ahead to the places where Olive and Lucy meet up and had hoped that there was more here. I also wished to know more about Margaret and Bob's relationship and Margaret herself, how she became a pastor, for example. This book will still find its place on my shelf with the Olive books, but it was not as satisfying of a read by a long shot.
  • Johnny DAmazon Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Tell Me Everything
    Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2024
    Elizabeth Strout's poignant tale of life and love is beautifully written. She proves once again, that she is one of Americas greatest story tellers. I did struggle with the parts of the novel that bleeds into the over dramatic, but her skill of drawing the reader into this dysfunctional group of senior citizens was,well worth the effort.
  • Sandra L Frye
    5.0 out of 5 stars Years, Tears, Laughter, and Love
    Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 2024
    I can’t say enough about Elizabeth Strout. I am almost 80, and every book gives us the gift of the unique and yet universal characters of Crosby, Maine. Each book touches me deeply. In Tell Me Everything, Bob Burgess and Lucy Barton’s friendship as well as the many “stories” Lucy and Olive Kitteridge share, illustrate the complex dynamics of love and the flaws we are all familiar with. If you can, listen to the audible book. Kimberly Farr is absolutely brilliant.
  • Karen Haddy
    5.0 out of 5 stars loved the stories in a story and a murder mystery
    Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2024
    Great characters, many stories about life and love. Quite uplifting. I looked forward to getting back to the book every time I put it down.

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