The New Oprah Book Club

http://www.oprah.com ^

[cyborg]

I am almost afraid to even bring this up on FR, knowing a lot of people do not like Oprah. HOWEVER, her new book club is better than the one before. I never got into her old club because I thought all the books were bleeding heart liberal crap. Now I can't call John Steinbeck's East of Eden crap can I?

Has anyone ever read this book? She is sticking to the classics this time which I am happy about. I read mostly British Literature BUT I am willing to try. There has to be another FReeper that watches Oprah.

[Utah Girl]

I rarely watch Oprah, but I did belong to an online Oprah bookclub for several years. I unsubscribed when she ended her book club on her show "because there were no more good books out there that I can recommend." Yikes. And now she starts up her book club again, and selects 'East of Eden'!!! Another yikes, heavy reading for those used to wallowing in dysfunctional fiction. After about the first year of her picks, I rarely read the books. There is only so much dysfunction that I can stand to read about.

[Utah Girl]

PS- I have read East of Eden, not one of my favorite books, but it is readable. Good luck.

[cyborg]

The Oprah demographic has a very curious mindset. I never read any of the first BC picks. They were just too... dysfunctional and too overloaded with preachy social commentary (like Cane River and Toni Morrison books). Well, maybe I can enjoy Deep End of the Ocean. It drove me crazy when she said that thing about there are no more good books! I knew it was not going to last long though... not having the book club. I'm just relieved that she picked a book I would actually read.

[gcruse]

Read the good stuff that stands over time.

Read all of Sinclair Lewis.
Read anything by John Barth.
Absorb all of Kafka's short stories.
For dessert, Only Yesterday, by Fredrick Lewis Allen.

[cyborg]

While on vacation I read Count of Monte Cristo... very interesting. I started reading Metamorphosis BUT I am putting that on hold to read East of Eden. I'll finish it in about three days. I usually stick to European literature, but lately I've been making exceptions.

[gcruse]

If you get caught up in wondering why Metamorposis, indeed all of Kafka's work, is the way it is, look for the works of Max Brod, who saved work that Kafka wanted destroyed at his death, and had an insight into Franz's thinking.

[Utah Girl]

Great advice. One of my nieces came over this evening to borrow some books from me, she is in AP English, and is doing some reading over the summer. I was telling her about the books I read when I was in AP English, and I can still remember them, they have stood the test of time. (The Scarlet Letter, Moby Dick, Grapes of Wrath, The Brothers Karamazov, River of Darkness, Tess of the D'Ubervilles, Jane Eyre, * The Metamorphosis, etc.) I also took an American lit class at BYU, and read a lot of Sinclair Lewis. Classics stand the test of time.

[gcruse]

I agree. Great reading, all.

[foolscap]

East of Eden is a wonderful book. It tells the story of two families in the Salanis (sp?)valley around the turn of the century. The Hamilton family story is based largely on Stenibeck's own family history on his mother's side. Not everyone in the book is a nut case although they are the characters one tends to remember. The Trask clan is the one with all the problems The evil Katherine Trask charter is based on Steinbeck's second wife. You can tell he did think much of her to say the least. It's a very long book but a really holds your attention. It's much better than both of the movies where the story of the Hamilton family is pretty much left out

[cyborg]

Thanks! I started reading it and it's exciting already. I've made lots of notes already. If I make it on her show, I hope FReepers will watch me :D