h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Oprah's reopening the doors to her book club again. I know everyone made fun of the original version saying, rightly or wrongly, she was boosting the popularity of middling authors and making stars out of hacks. I agree with that for the most part, but I think any effort by anyone to expand and encourage Americans' reading habits is a good thing. It ended last year because Jonathan Franzen's book "The Corrections" was an Oprah pick. He was insulted by its inclusion on her list, felt his work was of a higher artistic quality and complained loudly about it in public. I started it, and frankly I only got to page twenty. He was quite lucky to have Oprah look at it at all. I know I couldn't.

Now Oprah's back, and she's introducing Americans to the classics. First on her list is John Steinbeck's "East of Eden". He is a favorite author of mine, and I dearly hope her viewers enjoy his work as much as I do. If anyone complains about *this* new club, they're a complete cretin.

I'm in agreement, although I don't know that folks who enjoyed all those Janet Finch books will get into Steinbeck. It's a bit of a different twist.

You're right--a lot of those books were pretty overwrought. I started a few which I later discovered to be an Oprah pick and found they were pretty awful. I can't imagine anyone working their way through such overly dense prose (I'm thinking Andre Dubus, Jr. here). Certainly after some of those books the clarity of Steinbeck's writing will shine. I *do* hope they go into it with open minds.

Then again, if she recommends a Faulkner it will all fall apart.

Depends on which one, as it does if she picks a Hemingway.

You know of a easy-to-comprehend Faulker?!

No. But is Toni Morrison easy to get through? I mean, she had Beloved as one reading!

The only Morrison I have read was Tar Baby, and that was waaaay back in high school so I can barely remember it or her writing style. I do recall when Paradise came out a few years ago that most reviews were positive but did mention that it was rather a hard read.

Which reminds me--right now I am reading Beryl Markham's West with the Night, and so far I think that would be a good choice for her new club.

Hello? Oprah? If you're reading this...

I think Ulysses was an easy enough read. But that's the only Faulkner I've read...

*ahem* That was James Joyce, dear.

Yes, well. I was still trying to come up with a Faulkner title... I keep thinking of Hemingway, for some reason.

Joyce, Faulkner. Tomato, potato, alfredo sauce.

You know, I read the sound and the fury. and that's what i was thinking of when i thought ulysses. don't ask why, it just was.

My first English professor in college did a strange thing. The first half of the semester was fairly normal...reading and writing papers and engaging in discussions about our assignments. The entire time she was watching each of us carefully for her special assignment that comprised the second half of the semester. She assigned each of us a book to read, based upon her assessment of us. We then had to show up once a week to discuss it with her one-on-one. Mine was Faulkner's Light in August, about a aging Southern spinster who has a secret affair with a young black man.