Why a short-story structure?

[Mark]

Why do you think Elizabeth Strout chose to structure Anything Is Possible as a novel in the form of linked stories? How would your understanding of the book change if it had been written instead as a novel with a single narrative? Question provided by the author https://www.elizabethstrout.com/books...

[Susan]

I have no idea why -- and I'm only 2 chapters in -- but I do enjoy this structure. Strout used the same structure for Olive Kitteridge, which I read a few months ago. Her writing is wonderful, but I found OK so depressing that I almost couldn't finish it. I'm hoping the stories here will be a little less dark.

[Mark]

This book was a little slow out of the blocks for me, but my interest increased as I went along. Part of the reason, I think, was the short-story format made it clear the reader was going to see the protagonists from two distinctly different angles. You were going to each as others see them; then you saw them from a more personal perspective. I really enjoyed it.

[Mark]

Susan wrote: "I have no idea why -- and I'm only 2 chapters in -- but I do enjoy this structure. Strout used the same structure for Olive Kitteridge, which I read a few months ago. Her writing is wonderful, but ..."

I found these stories to be hopeful. Most characters improved their relationships with the people in their lives or developed new, better relationships.

What did you think?

[Susan]

I found this book much more hopeful/positive overall than Olive K. -- thank goodness! Strout has a real gift for creating characters who feel real, I think. I found this talk with her that I found really interesting --
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_gDv...