Books & Music Any ideas on oprah's new book selection ?
- Thread starter LABAG
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the cat was let out of the bag a few days ago, but she unveiled her latest choice on today's show -- FREEDOM by Jonathan Franzen
Anyone here reading it? I picked up a copy but haven't gotten to it yet. I know reviews for it have been mixed - I'm just glad I got an "official" 1st Ed w/o Oprah's logo on the cover!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100917/ap_en_tv/us_books_winfrey_franzen
Winfrey chooses Franzen's 'Freedom' for book club
Oprah Winfrey chose Jonathan Franzen's new book "Freedom" for her book club on Friday, calling it a "masterpiece" nine years after she canceled his appearance on her show when he expressed ambivalence over her endorsement of one of his previous works.
"I am really betting that "Freedom" by Jonathan Franzen will end up being for you, as it is for me, one of the best novels you have ever read," Winfrey said on a live episode of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" as she announced her 64th book club pick. "When is the last time you heard that? I am not kidding."
In 2001, Winfrey picked Franzen's "The Corrections" for her book club. But then Franzen called some of Winfrey's book club picks "schmaltzy" and worried about his place in the "high-end literary tradition."
But at the same time, he praised Winfrey for making some good choices and for "fighting the good fight." He apologized quickly and repeatedly.
Winfrey's decision tells a story she loves well, one of redemption. It involves a Minnesota family and Winfrey described it to her viewers as a "saga that has everything. It has sex and love, even rock and roll and everything you want in a book."
Released in late August, "Freedom" was virtually canonized by critics before publication and has been topping best-seller lists. Franzen, 51, was the subject of a Time Magazine cover story, titled "Great American Novelist."
The Oprah Book Club logo will appear on new shipments of the novel. "Freedom" had already gone into a second printing, with 300,000 copies in print, and is virtually assured of selling hundreds of thousands of copies.
Anyone here reading it? I picked up a copy but haven't gotten to it yet. I know reviews for it have been mixed - I'm just glad I got an "official" 1st Ed w/o Oprah's logo on the cover!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100917/ap_en_tv/us_books_winfrey_franzen
Winfrey chooses Franzen's 'Freedom' for book club
Oprah Winfrey chose Jonathan Franzen's new book "Freedom" for her book club on Friday, calling it a "masterpiece" nine years after she canceled his appearance on her show when he expressed ambivalence over her endorsement of one of his previous works.
"I am really betting that "Freedom" by Jonathan Franzen will end up being for you, as it is for me, one of the best novels you have ever read," Winfrey said on a live episode of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" as she announced her 64th book club pick. "When is the last time you heard that? I am not kidding."
In 2001, Winfrey picked Franzen's "The Corrections" for her book club. But then Franzen called some of Winfrey's book club picks "schmaltzy" and worried about his place in the "high-end literary tradition."
But at the same time, he praised Winfrey for making some good choices and for "fighting the good fight." He apologized quickly and repeatedly.
Winfrey's decision tells a story she loves well, one of redemption. It involves a Minnesota family and Winfrey described it to her viewers as a "saga that has everything. It has sex and love, even rock and roll and everything you want in a book."
Released in late August, "Freedom" was virtually canonized by critics before publication and has been topping best-seller lists. Franzen, 51, was the subject of a Time Magazine cover story, titled "Great American Novelist."
The Oprah Book Club logo will appear on new shipments of the novel. "Freedom" had already gone into a second printing, with 300,000 copies in print, and is virtually assured of selling hundreds of thousands of copies.
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I think it may have actually been #1 before she announced it (it was released 8/31). I actually bought it the day it came out but then returned it. I re-purchased it about a week later when I recd an adtl' Border's d/c coupon & Border Bucks!
I couldn't get thru the CORRECTIONS either & ended up returning it (MAJOR regret! I had an original 1st ed before Oprah added it to her Book Club - those eds became very valuable later on, when they became impossible to find!) Altho I've read mixed-reviews on FREEDOM, the one thing I have heard repeatedly is that the characters in this book are a little more relatable than the ones in the CORRECTIONS. We'll see - I won't get to it for a while (I'm currently reading N. Sparks newest and there are several other books coming in the next few weeks on my Must Read List!)
I'm still surprised that Oprah never chose THE HELP as an O Book Club Choice -- I loved that book, everyone I know who's read it has loved it - it just seemed like the type of book she'd choose
I couldn't get thru the CORRECTIONS either & ended up returning it (MAJOR regret! I had an original 1st ed before Oprah added it to her Book Club - those eds became very valuable later on, when they became impossible to find!) Altho I've read mixed-reviews on FREEDOM, the one thing I have heard repeatedly is that the characters in this book are a little more relatable than the ones in the CORRECTIONS. We'll see - I won't get to it for a while (I'm currently reading N. Sparks newest and there are several other books coming in the next few weeks on my Must Read List!)
I'm still surprised that Oprah never chose THE HELP as an O Book Club Choice -- I loved that book, everyone I know who's read it has loved it - it just seemed like the type of book she'd choose
ugh, I wish she would have picked something less mainstream. I usually love her selections and think they are super worthy, but jonathan franzen was already a crazy media darling before this.
perhaps I should read it before judging though
I gave up on the corrections when I was already a good 200+ pages through it so I guess I just have a bad taste in my mouth when it comes to this author!
perhaps I should read it before judging though
I gave up on the corrections when I was already a good 200+ pages through it so I guess I just have a bad taste in my mouth when it comes to this author!
I read The Corrections and didn't care for it. Franzen seems to be a bit of a pompous a** so I'm not dying to read Freedom. If someone gave me a copy I might reconsider but otherwise I'll probably give it a miss.
Yes, I did finish it. I skimmed major parts because seriously, it was that boring. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, and I can't believe Oprah picked it!