Elizabeth Strout always goes and does it again. In this case with her latest work „Tell me Everything„. That again being to write books which are flawlessly written about beautifully flawed people.

Which brings me straight to the first outstanding Stroutness:

Characterization

Bob, Lucy, Olive and William – we meet old friends, who we got to visit over and over again in her books. Obviously she knows all their strengths and weaknesses, their deepest, darkest thoughts. It’s nothing short of magic, how she created these people out of thin air. They feel as if they were part of your own life – your uncle maybe or your cousin. Someone you know. And we do get to know Bob a little bit better in „Tell me Everything„. His kindness. His idolization of Lucy. His way of getting involved in a crime case that is crippling the small neighborhood in Cosby, Maine.

Oh Bob!

They love, they despair. They are still trying to make sense of life. Of this stage of life to be exact. Not young anymore, not old enough to give up or give into the parts that start aching yet. Where does that lead Bob? The more we get invested in his life, the more it feels like he doesn’t want us to get the full picture. Which makes him so much more interesting. Strout knows how to do this brilliantly. So does Lucy by the way, who gets more and more under Bob’s skin.

In the end „Tell me Everything“ is another „classic“ Strout.
Quietly intimate and fully absorbing.

Personal Rating: 4/5 Stars