The OPrah Winfrey Book Club
Posted on: December 14, 2010
I dug into some of the books that were selected by Oprah in recent years. I didn’t get a chance to completely read the books but I did get time to read enough to write a quick summary. So,here’s what I found out:
The book recently selected (in 2010) is one we’ve all probably heard of and maybe even read in high school called Great Expectations: A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. This book is a combinatoin of the two most well known novels in English Literature; Great Expectations and A Tale of Two Cities. A Tale of Two Cities is about an ageing doctor named Doctor Manette, who after eighteen yearas as a political prisoner, is finally released and reunited with his daughter in England. There the lives of two very different MEN, Charles Darnay, an exiled French aristocrat, and Sydney Carton, an unappreciated brilliant English lawyer, become involved through thier love for Lucie Manette. “From the tranquil roads of London, they are drawn against thier will to the vengeful, bloodstained streets of Paris at the height of hte Reign of Terror, and they soon fall under hte lethal shadow of the guillotine.” Great Expectations is about a series of fortunate and unfortunate events that change an orphan kids life named Pip; an encounter with an escaped convict in a graveyard on the marshes, a visit to Ms. Havisham and beautiful, yet cold-hearted Estella and the surprising generosity of a mysterious benefactor. It is truly intereting to see Pip transform into a gentleman “as he discovers the true nature of his great expectations.”
This second book, called Freedom by Jonathan Franzen, was also selected this year. Patty and Walter Berglund were the perfect couple. Patty was like the ideal negibor who was always there to help her fellow neighbors be it from recycyling to getting the cops to do thier jobs right. “She was an enviably perfect mother and the wife of Walter’s dream.” Walter was an environmental lawyer,c ommuter cyclist and the perfect family man. The berglunds grew mysterious in the new millenium. All kinds of questions were popping up; Why has their teenage son moved in with the Republican family next door? Why has Walter started working at Big Coal? Ehat exactly is Richard Katz, who is Walter’s best friend and rival, still doing in the picture? Most of all, what has happened to Patty?Why has she turned into a “very differnt kind of negihbor?” Jonathan Franzen gives the readers the story of “contemporary love and marriage.” It is story from where lesson are to be learned of “how to live in an ever more confusing world.”
This third book is called Say You’re One Of Them by Uwem Akpan. It was selected by Oprah’s book club in 2009. Uwem Akpan tell the true stories of Africa. An eight year old boy is eager to attend school and so is a narrator of “An Ex-Mas Feast” while his twelve year old sister is on the streets helping out. Both the children are still not able to raise enough money because of other more basic needs like food. His poor family lives in a shelter in Nairobi. The other story is also about a poor Afican girl, who witnesses the worst situations between their parents. These stories of Akpan were chosen as finalists for the Caine Prize of African Writing in 2007.
This one was chosen is 20008. It’s a story about boy who is born mute and lives on a farm with his parents in remote northern Wisconsin. It si the Sawtelle’s family tradition to raise and train ” a fictional breed of dog” that posses a remarkable gift of companionship. Edgar has one such friend and ally named Almondine. Edgar is eager to carry on the family tradition but when a catarophic event takes over the family. Hef lees into the wilderness where he lives with three dogs, his only companions. Until one day he is forced to decide whether to leave forever or return home to work on unifnished business.
This book was also selected back in 2008. It’s called A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle. According to Tolle, who is the narrator as well, humans are on the verge of creating an new world by a personal transformation that takes us away from our “ever-expanding ego.” The author presensts us with the honest state of humanity. Tolle describes in great detail how our current ego-based state of consiousness operates. Then, in very practical terms, he leads us into this new consiousness. The reader comes to experience who we truly are which is much greater than what we think we are.
Now judging from all that I’ve read and everything I learned I dont see a single place where I could point my finger and say “Aha! This is what Oprah is trying to tell us throug this reading, which indirectly is connected to femisnim.” I mean these are very general books with very life like themes. None of these books were about powerful women or how women should be or not be treated or about women’s rights. Because from the denifitions I’ve looked up in my previous post, feminism has alot to do with equalizing women. Oprah is simply giving us the oppurtunity to have a good read during our leisure time and I’m sure these books are read by both men and women alike.
Is Oprah A Feminist? 
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