Oprah Selects Tolstoy's Anna Karenina
for Book Club
It’s great. It’s classic. It’s long. It’s Anna
Karenina.
Oprah is an astonishingly popular celebrity who remains on the cutting
edge of what’s hot. She has an uncanny ability to make good choices
when it comes to pleasing her audience. Every so often however, she makes
a suggestion that gives you pause.
Anna Karenina is Oprah’s current pick for Oprah’s Book Club.
A densely packed Russian novel for summer? Not the sunniest read one can
come up with. Oprah herself seemed nervous to tackle this challenge of
a book, as she humorously admitted to her audience. But ever the gutsy
trailblazer, she encouraged us with these words: “don’t be
scur’d.” That’s Oprah, and she has the golden touch.
So the Queen of Talk sprinkles some of her magic dust on Tolstoy, and
instantly Anna
Karenina is number one on the bestseller list.
Oprah’s Book Club, after having been retired for almost a year,
has made a strong comeback with a dedication to reading the classics.
Women bonding over books is a positive development, especially in an age
of superficiality and pettiness. Books are meaningful and enriching, as
passe as reading might seem. At a time when motherhood is restored to
high honor, reading classic novels has become downright hip.
So join the rest of us: strap on your sandals and head to the beach,
with a hefty dose of Russian prose tucked neatly in your bag.
To join the discussion, go to Yahoo
Groups for Oprah’s Book Club (of which there are currently 27),
or go to the member’s
discussion board at Oprah.com (it’s free). The American Library
Association also provides a complete
list of previous books selected by Oprah for her readers, many of
which have inspirational themes involving overcoming adversity.
by Dr. Allison Conner, Clinical Director, Cognitive
Therapy Associates.
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