Oprah Announces Her New Book Club Selection
Oprah announced her new book club selection today. What is it you ask? Why I’m glad you asked! Because I’ve got the answer for you. It’s The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski .
From O Magazine, July 2008:
A CLASSSIC IN THE MAKING: Whether you read for the beauty of language or for the intricacies of plot, you will easily fall in love with David Wroblewski’s generous, almost transcendentally lovely debut novel, The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. This is a tale set in rural Wisconsin in the first half of the 20th century, on a farm where the Sawtelles raise a fictional breed of dog. The dogs function like spirits in Shakespeare, or the chorus in Greek tragedy: They color the text with larger meaning yet remain tangibly real, deeply believable as dogs. Edgar is the mute boy who raises them, a mesmerizing fictional hero, primitive and wise. There are passages of language here (”A pair of does sprang over the fence on the north side of the field-two leaps each, nonchalant, long-sustained, falling earthward only as an afterthought…”) that make you pause and read again with luxuriant pleasure. Wroblewski’s plot is dynamic – page by page compelling – and classical, evoking Hamlet, Antigone, Electra, and Orestes, as Edgar tries to avenge his father’s death and his paternal uncle’s new place in the affections of his mother. The scope of this book, its psychological insight and lyrical mastery, make it one of the best novels of the year, and a perfect, comforting joy of a book for summer.
So I know a lot of people do not like the whole Oprah book club thing or the titles that she selects. Almost as if the Oprah sticker on the front immediately degrades the book to something that should be avoided like the plague. I have to admit that I don’t mind Oprah’s selections at all. In fact, I’ve enjoyed most all of them and have no shame in using her list to discover some great new books. The only exception is when she wandered away from her fiction selections for The New Earth, which I personally could not get into. Oh, how I wished she handn’t done that. So happy she’s gone back to fiction.
David Wrobelwski’s The Story Of Edgar Sawtelle is his debut novel. Now he’s an instant millionare with Oprah’s backing. Have you read it? Will you be reading it? I think I’ll get to it.
Visit David Wrobelwski’s website. Buy The Story of Edgar Sawtelle on Amazon.
Category: Bookish Musings & Miscellany
Tags: book club, Oprah
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The book has 576 pages!!! That right there is enough to deter me, let alone that it’s an Oprah book. I’m anti-chunksters, but will be happy to read your review.
on September 19th, 2008 at 10:26 amI’ve been hearing buzz about this book and now that Oprah has picked it I am sure I’ll be hearing more. At this point I don’t know if I’ll ever read it or not.
on September 19th, 2008 at 10:37 amI have mixed feelings about Oprah’s book club. I’ve read some of the choices and have really liked the books. But, I find many of her choices just so depressing. She never picks a light, fluffy read, does she?
on September 19th, 2008 at 10:53 amPersonally, I have no desire to read this book. But my co-worker, whose opinions I respect, says it’s quite good. She said it’s a bit slow-moving at times, but a wonderful story. I might read it eventually, but it’s not high on my list.
on September 19th, 2008 at 11:47 amI already have this on my wishlist and TBR list.
on September 19th, 2008 at 12:35 pmI gave it an A. I would agree it’s not a fast read but it’s worthwhile.
on September 19th, 2008 at 12:40 pmP.S I enjoy her picks and had the same view as you of her last one.
on September 19th, 2008 at 12:41 pmI can’t decide if I like Oprah’s book club or not. I like a few of her selections..but not all.. and yeah.. the New Earth was waayyy out of my league as well.. am curious about this one though.. seems to be interesting enough!
on September 19th, 2008 at 12:42 pmI am hesitant to read anything off Oprah. The last one I read off of her book club was pretty bad for my tastes. However, maybe this one wouldn’t be too bad. You just never know.
on September 19th, 2008 at 1:58 pmI’ve only read three of her picks, and of the three I thought one was not bad (Tara Road, by Maeve Binchy), one was not good (Where the Heart Is, by Billie Letts), and one was the reason I generally have avoided books with the O label on them (She’s Come Undone, by Wally Lamb – which I hated). Still, I’ll probably read this one. It sounds like a good one.
on September 19th, 2008 at 2:47 pmhmm. seems interesting. i’ll check it out. .. i didn’t even know oprah had a book club. i don’t much about it or her. =p
on September 19th, 2008 at 2:51 pmI’ve heard good things about this book, so I was planning to read it at some point anyway, but I guess I’ll really have to, because it is something that a lot of people will be asking me about.
on September 19th, 2008 at 3:42 pmI have read a couple of her selections and they all were crap. I gave up on her book club long ago. Thanks but no thanks.
on September 19th, 2008 at 3:48 pmI will probably get around to reading it at some point but I’m not in a rush.
on September 19th, 2008 at 6:59 pmI’m not normally attracted to books about dogs (sorry dog-lovers), but this one has received enough good reviews to tempt me to read against type!
on September 19th, 2008 at 7:05 pmI think I’ll get to this one too.
on September 19th, 2008 at 7:42 pmI am not a big fan of Oprah’s book club (especially when I worked in a bookstore and saw all the mommies rushing in after she would announce another title). However, I just finished this book a week ago and it truly was one of the best books of literary fiction I’ve read in a long time. I loved it and have to admit I was glad when she chose it so that more people would become aware of it.
on September 20th, 2008 at 5:59 amGosh – maybe I’ll read it like a mini-series.
Those that I know that have read it, have nothing but praise. Makes me think twice.
on September 20th, 2008 at 6:21 amI don’t follow Oprah’s book club religiously, but I do give it some credit for making me into the reader I am today. When I was a teenager, I thought all there was that was good to read fell into the mystery/thriller/horror genres and was pretty happy with that. When my mom started reading Oprah’s book club picks, I started getting interested, too. It was kind of my introduction to more “literary” fiction which is the kind I prefer to this day, so there’s a little soft spot in my heart for Oprah’s book club. And I was already interested in this book, anyhow!
on September 20th, 2008 at 1:54 pmI”ll be reading it. I usually like Oprah’s selections. Not always, but usually.
on September 20th, 2008 at 9:21 pmI don’t make a point of reading Oprah’s selections, but of those I’ve read, some I’ve loved and others I haven’t. Personally, I think it’s great that she’s getting people reading some different stuff. I’ll hold off on this one for now, but look forward to your review so I can decide if I want to read it later!
on September 21st, 2008 at 12:33 amI haven’t read it but it was on my Amazon wish list before this. Now I just might be able to buy it at Target instead since they always seem to carry her picks.
on September 21st, 2008 at 11:10 amI have mixed feelings about the Oprah Bookclub. You’re right, in someways it makes people avoid it like the plague. In other ways it makes authors into millionaires.
I think what it is, is that people who consider themselves true booklovers don’t feel like Oprah has any place making decisions about what books are good or not. Although I seriously doubt that Oprah herself makes these choices. Just my opinion. I feel a twinge of something whenever I pick up an “Oprah Approved” book.
But hey….if it gets people reading…then more power to her.
on September 22nd, 2008 at 9:18 amWhy do you people believe anything Oprah says?
I do not remember the name of the book but she touted it as great. It was about a policeman and his escapades. The book turned out to be total fiction. This should discredit Oprah from reviewing books. What qualifies her to do that anyway?
She should be held responsible for that tragedy in her school in Africa, where the head guy turned out to be a pedophile.
So, why do you people give her any credence at all?
on October 3rd, 2008 at 8:22 amThanks everybody for your thoughts! I would respond to them all but I let too many build up before I got back to it.
To e148 – The book that you are referring to is A Million Little Pieces. True, he duped Oprah. But he also deceived his editor and his publisher. Oprah was not the only one who’s wool was pulled over her eyes. I believe Oprah is qualified to review books for one reason only: she’s a reader. I think everybody is entitled to review a book. I don’t care who they are. I have as much qualification to recommend a book for my book club as she does to recommend a book for her book club. The difference is, she has millions in hers and I’ve got 5-6 people in mine. I give her credence for the fact that she has people reading books when maybe they normally wouldn’t. That’s enough reason for me.
on October 3rd, 2008 at 10:55 pm