Oprah has gone high brow on us. Her suggestion for our summer reading pleasure? William Faulkner. She has a web site up, complete with reading suggestions, commentaries, critiques and all manner of things to aid in the understanding of Faulkner. Her avid fans (many of whom I doubt will become William's avid fans) can buy a special boxed set, complete with commentary by Oprah (or her ghost writer). It's charging up the Amazon best seller list.
Even Kroger is carrying the books - saw a woman buying a set yesterday - and my neighborhood Kroger is not the gathering place for lovers of higher level literature.
I'm glad Oprah is continuing to promote reading and books but I'm very surprised by her current selection. I read some Faulkner back in college and he's not the sort of writer I'd tuck into my beach bag or bring along to while away a long airplane flight. He writes literature with a capital L.
Maybe I am underestimating the stick to it power of Oprah's fans but right now Faulkner gets my vote for the most bought / least read author of 2005. Multiple copies of his books will soon be appearing at a thrift store near you.
5 comments:
Oh ha ha! Faulkner at the grocery store! I love it. What next? How about, hmmm, The Faerie Queen? Or perhaps Paradise Lost? Maybe some of Shakespeare's historical plays?
I'm gonna have to start watching Oprah.
I've always respected Oprah's intelligence. I, too, recently read her book suggestions and agree w/ you G, regarding the public's actual reading. More power to her for promoting classics, though!
(P.S. Thx for linking me. I wish there was a notification thingie. I just noticed. Will reciprocate, but do you mind also linking me as "SilkenThreads". I opened a new blog for my writings. I'm trying to generate people interesting in writing and literature there, so that is my "writing blog", and "Good Vibrations" is my art blog, although I can't keep my fingers shut, so there will still be writing on both. ;)
Chuckle, chuckle. Indeed, I'll have to check out the thrift stores in a few months. Still, good for Oprah for thinking so highly of us.
She's wonderful. I was introduced to to Pema Chodron's books through her magazine.
Oprah recommending Faulkner? If she'll be discussing his work on TV, I would love to know when to watch.
"Light in August" is not my idea of beach reading in any month. It makes me think of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" for further light reading....
I'm a fairly intelligent fella, but I can't get my head around "Go Down, Moses." Thanks for the tip. I'll put my Faulkner pb's on eBay soon!
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