Monday, June 13, 2005

Oprah's Book Club: A Summer of Faulkner

Oprah's Book Club: A Summer of Faulkner

By now just about everybody knows that Oprah is intent on getting people to read a few William Faulkner novels this summer. Is this a good thing?

I've read the three novels in question (As I Lay Dying, Light in August, The Sound and the Fury) more than once. I've probably read The Sound and the Fury ten or eleven times. I loved it the first time I read it, and I still think it's one of the best novels of the 20th century. I like the other two books almost as well. But I'm not sure they're for everybody. In fact, I'm pretty sure they're not. For one thing, they're not easy reading. Faulkner's style can be a little off-putting to some people. (Like the students in my American lit classes.)

It's an interesting experiment, though. I'd really like to know how many people will actually read the books and how many will be out buying the Cliff's Notes.

To get back to my original question, I've decided that it is a good thing. If it puts Faulkner back on the bestseller list, it certainly can't be bad, can it?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I think it is a bad thing. She should pick an author who could benefit from the royalties like, say, Bill Crider.