Last week I saw a notice on the web that Jacquelyn Mitchard, author of the first book recommended by megacelebrity Oprah Winfrey to her millions of fans, is on the verge of bankruptcy. Like most people, I found my curiosity piqued by the sad tale of investments gone bad, and I certainly hope Mitchard and her family (which includes nine children) recover some of the money they’ve lost to a crooked investment manager.
But the story got me thinking: What kind of books does Oprah recommend, and would her reading list be of interest to anyone but a devotee of the billionaire talk show host turned philanthropist and dispenser of advice on just about everything?
Actually, I discovered that the list put together by Oprah – or the people advising her – is both eclectic in subject matter and (relatively) wide ranging in its historical sweep. Oprah began the “club” in 1996, selecting Mitchard’s recently released The Deep End of the Ocean as her first recommendation. Also recommended that year were Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon (published in 1977) and Jane Hamilton’s The Book of Ruth (a 1989 release). Oprah’s list for 1997 contained eleven books, the most for any year; by contrast, her 2006 list included a single title, Elie Wiesel’s Night, a book about the Holocaust written shortly after World War II and first published in English in 1960. Even this cursory survey suggests that Oprah can hardly be accused of pandering to the soap-opera crowd that stays glued to the TV to soak in her feel-good stories every afternoon.
What I find particularly appealing about Oprah’s list is the mix of ‘old’ and ‘new.’ Some of her recommendations are relatively recent releases, others are works that have become, or are becoming, classics. And many are far from ‘easy reads.’ Anyone who’s tried to wade through William Faulkner’s Light in August or As I Lay Dying – both recommended in 2005 – will know what I mean. If you can get through those, you might try a third recommendation that year, Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury, the first third of which is told by a grown man with the mind of a three-year-old.
Even if you stick to less convoluted works on the list, you’ll be both entertained and enlightened. Barbara Kingsolver’s The Poisonwood Bible or David Wroblewski’s The Story of Edgar Sawtelle are both provocative novels, albeit in different ways. Those who enjoy nonfiction will find some recommendations as well, including actor Sidney Poitier’s autobiography The Measure of a Man – certainly worth exploring if you have an interest in race relations in this country. Although American writers dominate the list, a number of works by British and European authors also make the cut.
So if you’re looking for a guide to good reading, you might want to get a copy of the Oprah’s Book Club Recommendations. Certainly not everyone will be delighted with every book on the list, but there’s sure to be more than one title that will appeal to anyone who enjoys reading.
You can learn more about Oprah’s Book Club by going to the web site:
A complete listing of Oprah’s recommendations can be found at:
http://www.oprah.com/oprahsbookclub/Complete-List-of-Oprahs-Book-Club-Books