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Jackie, Jackie, Jackie... tsk, tsk, tsk... look what have you done!!!
Yes--this is exactly the kind of thing I'd hoped would happen! Intelligent, multi-faceted discussion without rancor. Though I was really hoping to hear from our bookstore lady who, besides liking these kinds of discussions (I think), may have a foot in both camps, as it were.
Keith, I'd just like to say that, when you referred to "her" choice, I hope you meant Oprah, not me. I haven't read the book, either (very apt, that praises-but-doesn't-read remark!), and in fact don't read Steinbeck at all because I don't like to read depressing things.
I don't watch Oprah, either, but from what Helen says, it sounds like she (Oprah) makes an effort to have a varied list.* I can't make a blanket statement such as, "Reading ANYthing is better than not reading at all"; but--I think I have to say that, for the chance that SOME people will read her recommendation(s) and go on to improve themselves, Oprah's book club is a good thing. This somewhat relates to what I said in the thread about education in our country these days: that there needs to be a wide-based change in society, i.e. that learning and academic achievement are good things that one should strive for; and if a star can use his or her name-recognition to even plant this seed, then I'm all for it. A whole LOT of people will watch Oprah but wouldn't go to a library or bookstore.
*I got curous and went to the club's website (something just told me there'd be one!). It doesn't say who the targeted audience is, but I'd say it's a safe bet to agree that it's primarily women.
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Jackie,
Yes, I was talking about Oprah's choice.
I'm going to state the obvious, now:
People appreciate things that their minds are trained to appreciate. It's not that people can't ever understand something complicated. The issue is this: people CAN understand and even appreciate complicated things IF their minds are gradually trained for it. If I expected my daughter to sit down with her violin and play some extremely complicated piece, she'd decide she didn't want to play any more. But as her teacher started her with very simple pieces that are monthly and weekly growing more complicated, she's staying with it.
The literary mind requires no less a kind of training or preparation. I'm sure there is a 10 year old somewhere who can read War and Peace and get something worthwhile out of it. I seriously doubt that most of them would enjoy the experience - until their minds are prepared. (My own 10 year old read Hesse's Siddhartha and Orwell's Animal Farm this summer. These are what I would call borderline for her. I suspect maybe only 5-10% of 10 year olds would really enjoy these.) Adults minds are very different than children's minds, but we share a few very curious characteristics, for example, the oddity that we are more comfortable around things that are more familiar.
No matter what choice Oprah made, there would be someone who could find reason -probably even legitimate reason - to complain about it. While I admit to not having read East of Eden, I have read several other things by Steinbeck. His style is very simple, but very powerful. He's a great stepping stone to other writers. I reckon that's why so many of his short stories are used in schools. They want to get budding readers hooked.
I forgot who made the point about the latent and probably false assumption that commercial interests are necessarily bad - but I agree with it. If she makes money from this - so what? There are plenty of cheap editions - probably even some used stuff available. There are libraries, as well.
I hope she's not discouraged by the feedback she gets. I'm very curious to see how this pans out.
k
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I have nothing to add to this well-tuned discussion. At the same time I have so much to say I could write a treatise that would out-length the longest posts here. Maybe I'll be able to distill commentary in the next few days. But thanks so much for bringing this up, Jackie. Meanwhile, if anyone's curious to see the entire list, go here and then click on "printable list": http://www.oprah.com/obc/obc_landing.jhtmlShe's got a kiddie lit list too. Here's an interesting (*I think) stock room story: Eagerly-awaited hardcovers -- like John Grisham's latest, say -- arrive in the regular shipments with signs on the boxes reading: "Street Date: 13 August 2003. Do not display prior to this date." If you commit this sin, you sever your relationship with the publisher. This gets in the news every now and again when somebody violates (inadvertently or not) the rule and puts out a Harry Potter before its time. Well, whoever is publishing the current Oprah doesn't bother with that. The Oprah Book arrives on The Day she announces it, so no chance of violating the agreement. Sure publishers pay extra for the special delivery, but look what they earn.
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of_troy,
Before I leave on vacation, I wanted to get a note off to you in response to this message. I have never belonged to a book club; however, I have a close friend who belongs to two different clubs. She likes one and LOVES the other. In the larger club, everyone reads the book before discussing it. In the smaller club - of only three people where she works (actually she's a co-owner and one of the others is the other owner) - they meet and discuss after every few chapters. It meets more regularly and she feels that they all have a much better understanding of what they've read, as well as a deeper appreciation for it.
I've tried to get involved with a club myself, but my schedule (and the demands on my life in general) are far too erratic to permit me the luxury of knowing what I'll be reading day to day. Plus, from time to time I change my plans. It just happens. I just won't keep up with it, but I really miss being able to discuss what I read with other people. My best friend at the current time is extremely smart, but he HATES reading. The weirdest thing. He really has no patience to listen to me blather on about something I've read.
Anyway, in general, I think if people can belong to a club and think there's a remote possibly they might enjoy it, then they ought to try it. No matter how carefully I read something, when I talk to someone else about it - even someone like myself with no literary background - I find they can bring things to my attention that I never considered.
k
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Joined: Oct 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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i don't watch oprah either Jackie, but her book club books always have stickers on the label, so i know i have read a dozen or so books from her list.
I liked *** Edward's (can't think of the first name this second!) book Slaves in the Family, that documented his family's history of slavery-- and all that went on, (like an unmarried uncle, who openly lived with a black woman (born into slavery, but freed) and had a dozen children with her, during their 25 year relationship, but was always refered to as he was unmarried. (the white family totally ignored his relationship, and his children.)
Cane River (on Oprah list) is an other history of a family, half in half out of slavery, and its involvement in mixed common law marriages. its not as well detailed or documented, and its very different in style, but since my family is an immigrant one, this past history of the US, is something unreal to me. But, as a citizen of US, it is part of my history too, so i need to know about it. (I don't feel entitled to take all the good of the past, like the constitution, with out accepting some of the responsiblity for the past, like slavery)
neither book focuses on physical hardships, (beating, etc) but on the emotional damage to families-- both sort term and long term. Edward's book was better, i think, but Cane River wasnt' bad. i suspect Cane River reached a wider audience as a result of being on Oprah list.
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