Post by Georgina on Sept 18, 2010 12:51:08 GMT -5
This simultaneously cracked me up and annoyed me. I'm not even related to any of these people nor do they have any direct impact on my life, yet still. So here it is.
In 2001, Jonathan Franzen published a book that he'd written entitled The Corrections . Oprah's book club was a full power those days (as if it doesn't continue to be so), and she selected that book for her club to read. Franzen objected -- for a myriad of reasons -- one reason being he didn't want Oprah and her inevitable book club sticker taking up residence on the front cover of his book. He didn't think that Corrections was Oprah's club material (a bit snobbish of him, to be sure, but at the same time, not inaccurate) (just because something sounds stuck-up doesn't make the content any less true) and turned her offer down.
Publishers, gleeful at an Oprah blessing bestowed, went into over time cranking out more copies of the book, complete with the hallowed Oprah Book Club stamp as part of the printed cover. Because, you known, the moment Oprah announces which book her minions must read next, they run out and purchase the thing, making it an over night multi-million best seller. Most authors are thrilled. Their publishers are thrilled too.
Franzen wasn't thrilled and turned Oprah down both requesting his book be withdrawn and refusing to appear on her book club show to discuss the book.
The uproar from Oprah's fans was deafening. A few years ago I checked on Amazon.com to see what the readers' reviews of The Corrections looked like. There were over 10,000 entries and it was mostly a flame war between staunch Oprah defenders (how dare Franzen insult her like that!) and Franzen supporters (good on him for not letting his excellent book get sucked into the vortex that is Oprah's proclamations). Pure entertainment. And a little frightening when you read the vehemence of the Oprah-crowd.
As a result of that, Franzen's book was nonetheless a multi-million copy seller to the non-Oprah book club fans and as a result of the huge controversy surrounding the book that made him virtually a household name.
But make no mistake. It was all about Franzen refusing Oprah.
Franzen has now released a new book entitled Freedom (that Chapters has failed to ship to me because they lost my order -- I'm annoyed) and am looking forward to it. The Corrections really was a good book.
I just read today that Oprah has chosen that book for this month's book club selection, calling it a masterpiece. Every article I've read so far talks about Oprah "forgiving" Franzen for the 2001 debacle. One article characterised the whole thing as Oprah having "uninvited" Franzen when he "expressed ambivalence" about being on her book club show.
I haven't read anything, anywhere, yet, that talks about what Franzen has to say about this. Obviously, her people have spoken with his people and there won't be a repeat of 2001 and they have this all neatly packaged and tied down prior to the announcement. I doubt Franzen will step out of line and say anything in the least bit contrary to Oprah and her machine this time. Why he did it, though, I'd be really, really curious to know.
He doesn't need her to be able to sell books. Maybe it's just a publicity ploy but he said some pretty harsh things about Oprah's pick book readers last time. I wonder if the audience will be as "big hearted" as Oprah and not continue to hold a grudge against him. I doubt it. Oprah tells a certain demographic of people to do stuff and they do.
And that's frightening, is it not? Jeez.
And the spin! The spin is hilarious. It was all about her rejecting him for not being overjoyed at his book being named, but now she's ready to forgive him. Evidence, yet again, that the rewriting cultural or public events isn't reserved for politics and wars.
So, well, but I'd already ordered the book prior to this "big announcement". I hope I actually get an Oprah sticker-free copy. And I'll read the book and likely really enjoy it because Franzen is a kick-ass writer.
But I have to say, I'm dismayed.
In 2001, Jonathan Franzen published a book that he'd written entitled The Corrections . Oprah's book club was a full power those days (as if it doesn't continue to be so), and she selected that book for her club to read. Franzen objected -- for a myriad of reasons -- one reason being he didn't want Oprah and her inevitable book club sticker taking up residence on the front cover of his book. He didn't think that Corrections was Oprah's club material (a bit snobbish of him, to be sure, but at the same time, not inaccurate) (just because something sounds stuck-up doesn't make the content any less true) and turned her offer down.
Publishers, gleeful at an Oprah blessing bestowed, went into over time cranking out more copies of the book, complete with the hallowed Oprah Book Club stamp as part of the printed cover. Because, you known, the moment Oprah announces which book her minions must read next, they run out and purchase the thing, making it an over night multi-million best seller. Most authors are thrilled. Their publishers are thrilled too.
Franzen wasn't thrilled and turned Oprah down both requesting his book be withdrawn and refusing to appear on her book club show to discuss the book.
The uproar from Oprah's fans was deafening. A few years ago I checked on Amazon.com to see what the readers' reviews of The Corrections looked like. There were over 10,000 entries and it was mostly a flame war between staunch Oprah defenders (how dare Franzen insult her like that!) and Franzen supporters (good on him for not letting his excellent book get sucked into the vortex that is Oprah's proclamations). Pure entertainment. And a little frightening when you read the vehemence of the Oprah-crowd.
As a result of that, Franzen's book was nonetheless a multi-million copy seller to the non-Oprah book club fans and as a result of the huge controversy surrounding the book that made him virtually a household name.
But make no mistake. It was all about Franzen refusing Oprah.
Franzen has now released a new book entitled Freedom (that Chapters has failed to ship to me because they lost my order -- I'm annoyed) and am looking forward to it. The Corrections really was a good book.
I just read today that Oprah has chosen that book for this month's book club selection, calling it a masterpiece. Every article I've read so far talks about Oprah "forgiving" Franzen for the 2001 debacle. One article characterised the whole thing as Oprah having "uninvited" Franzen when he "expressed ambivalence" about being on her book club show.
I haven't read anything, anywhere, yet, that talks about what Franzen has to say about this. Obviously, her people have spoken with his people and there won't be a repeat of 2001 and they have this all neatly packaged and tied down prior to the announcement. I doubt Franzen will step out of line and say anything in the least bit contrary to Oprah and her machine this time. Why he did it, though, I'd be really, really curious to know.
He doesn't need her to be able to sell books. Maybe it's just a publicity ploy but he said some pretty harsh things about Oprah's pick book readers last time. I wonder if the audience will be as "big hearted" as Oprah and not continue to hold a grudge against him. I doubt it. Oprah tells a certain demographic of people to do stuff and they do.
And that's frightening, is it not? Jeez.
And the spin! The spin is hilarious. It was all about her rejecting him for not being overjoyed at his book being named, but now she's ready to forgive him. Evidence, yet again, that the rewriting cultural or public events isn't reserved for politics and wars.
So, well, but I'd already ordered the book prior to this "big announcement". I hope I actually get an Oprah sticker-free copy. And I'll read the book and likely really enjoy it because Franzen is a kick-ass writer.
But I have to say, I'm dismayed.