Oprah's Book Club

[Grace]

I watched Oprah this morning, and she announced her new book club selection - Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy.

I've never read Tolstoy, and for whatever reason, feel like I should :confused: Like it's one of those things everyone should do before they die... :rolleyes:

Has anyone read this book? Does anyone love it? Is anyone planning to read it? I think I'm going to try it....

It seems big and overwhelming and confusing, but maybe my mind could use a little challenge.... :p :cool:

[kima]

Thanks for the heads up Grace! We don't get Oprah here until 4pm PST so I had no idea which book she picked. I have not read it either...should we challenge each other to do so???

Have you read The Poisonwood Bible yet??????:) :p

[Emmalani]

I read it for a Women's Studies class my first year of college. At the time I thought it was overwhelming. (Thick book and all) I'm in, I'd like to read it again as an adult.

[Grace]

Maureen!!! Sorry for the spoiler - I forgot that not everyone gets her show at the same time :rolleyes: :o

The Poisonwood Bible is at the top of my pile, although I haven't started it yet. But I have to say, it sounds FAR more enticing than Tolstoy does. But I think I should read the Tolstoy while everyone else is reading it if I have any hopes of following/understanding it. But I also know that if it's too big a drudgery, I'll never force myself to keep reading, so part of me wonders if I should even bother starting? :p :rolleyes: :D

I don't know - there's something about expanding my mind that always sounds good in theory - but inevitably if it's too boring or requires too much work, I tend to end up not making the effort.

I guess I'm looking for someone here to tell me it's really, really good and worth the effort? :D

Do you even WANT to read it, Maureen? If so, maybe I will take the "challenge" with you! We could do our own, "mini" book club?! :D Then I couldn't slack off and not read, knowing that you'd be there to hold me accountable! :D ha ha ha

I do like the idea that Oprah's website will be having discussions/study guides, etc. to help along.

[slknight]

I had to read it the summer before my senior year in high school for AP English. Like Emmalani, I was very overwhelmed with it. I remember discussing it in class and realized I had "missed" quite a bit of it. I might have an easier time with it now but don't have too much desire. We also read "Crime and Punishment" that summer and I definitely preferred that. I think I prefer Dostoevsky to Tolstoy, if we're discussing Russian authors.

[kima]

Oh I am glad you told me Grace!!! Now I don't have to watch the show today!

Truthfully, no I don't want to read it but I don't want you to think you are smarter than I am so if you tackle it then I will!:D (there must be Coles Notes for this one).

Okay Ron just told me he read it years ago and enjoyed it...show off!!!:p

[Grace]

LOL!! SEE!! It always struck me as a book that "smart people" read... I think I'm just too bourgeois to read it! :D

I'm going to the bookstore today. I'll read a couple of pages and see what I think, and I'll make my decision then. It IS a love story, and I do like those, so I'm still not sure I don't want to read it.

[crlykat]

I've read it, and had a hard time following it. I think you have to be used to Russian names in all their forms. A cheat sheet to keep track of all the names and who the heck they are might be helpful. That said, its a good story.
Have fun! That's some big reading for summer.

[crlykat]

Uh, bump

[rosie_one]

I agree crlycat... it was hard to keep all of the characters straight. I got confused too by all the similar names. It is one of those books that you feel like you've accomplished somethihng by reading though. I'm glad that I tackled it. But, it's quite dark. Not exactly a light read, which is what a lot of people look for in a summer book. Why do you suppose she selected it?

[Grace]

Well Oprah did provide a downloadable cheat sheet on her website, so that should help. And the reason she said she chose it was because a) it's a classic, and she's choosing only classics for her book club this year, and b) it's one she's wanted to read for many, many years but has avoided because she too was afraid of it. It's also the first book she's chosen that she hasn't already read. She'll be reading along for the first time with everyone else. Should be interesting.

[sneezles]

I read it years ago and love it! I guess I truly got lost in it and would read for hours on end...such a magnificent story and so sad and at times disturbing(which is true of most books Oprah puts on her list).

'All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way,' drew me in...but I read it so long ago that I may just have to read it agian!

[mom2garret]

HELP!!! Quite frankly I do not know if I should read it or NOT! Is it like her last book (which I didn't get into)? I just finished "The Five People You Meet In Heavan" and I LOVED IT!!!! Sooooo, that being said......Everyone tell me what you think, Please!

[NewMrsG]

I read Anna Karenina several years ago and really loved it. It IS long and will take forever if you're only able to read a few pages at a time. I do remember there being alot of characters, but don't remember finding it confusing. I'd say it's definitely worth it!

[Sarah]

I'm going to be the dissenter here...I hated it. She could not die fast enough.

Anna Karenina is one book that I never finished :o

[memartha]

I think I will give it a try, only because I have read so few of the "classics." Maybe even none of the classics. :o

[jem927]

You know.. I'm one of those folks that was "supposed" to read that in high school, but didn't. A) it looked intimidating and B) I was rebelling against any book assigned (Yes, I was hooked on Cliff's Notes).

But now that I have gotten older, and hopefully a little wiser, I have found myself going back to so many of the "classics" because I feel like I did miss something by not reading them.

Anyway... Enough of my rambling... If anyone else is up for the challenge, so am I! :-)

Jamie

[MrsReber]

Originally posted by Sarah
She could not die fast enough.

Anna Karenina is one book that I never finished :o

:D :D :D

I finished the book. Then I said "why?? Why did you waste so much time on that crazy story?"

I'm not much for long, drawn out descriptions. I think the premise of the story itself was good, but it dragged in so many places. And, being a mom myself, I had a very hard time with some of her actions. There are quite a few characters and a very sweet love story that I understand is based on Tolstoy's meeting with his own wife. Actually, the one character is very much based on Tolstoy.

Sorry, I wasn't all that impressed when I finished. In my very humble opinion, the whole story could have been told with about half of the words.

If you still want to read it and you're not checking it out from the library, I'd be happy to send you mine. I don't plan on reading it again any time soon!

[badunnin]

I'm with Sarah and Susan on this one. I knew how it ends (mom slipped), but I still ploughed on. And as far as summer reading goes? It ranks right up there with "War and Peace." This ain't a beach book.

[Beth H]

And as far as summer reading goes? It ranks right up there with "War and Peace." This ain't a beach book.

Exactly. Frankly, I think this smacks a bit of Oprah trying to be an educator to the masses or something, like a mother trying to get her kid to eat spinach. "But it's good for you, I promise."

I've never read Anna Karenina , and I know it's a well-regarded piece of literature, but I don't think I'll be rushing out to get it this summer.

I've read quite a few of Oprah's book club suggestions, and I think it's a good idea, but this choice falls flat.

[Grace]

I'm not trying to defend Oprah, necessarily, but I did watch the show and I didn't perceive her trying to "educate me" or "get me to eat my spinach". She hasn't actually read the book herself, so what if she hates it too? I mean, she didn't rave about it and say it's such a good book, all she said was it was one she's always wanted to read, and never did, so why not let's read it all together? And she did choose to read classics all this year for her book club, something I personally am GLAD she's doing, because, frankly, I hated the majority of her usual contemporary novel picks. All dysfunctional, misery stories that I either couldn't identify at all with or didn't want to (I mean, I used to LIVE dysfunction - now that I've gotten away from all that, why would I want to read about it? Kind of like not wanting to watch Springer...) but anyway, I think there must be merit to books that have stood the test of time and that are widely read by mostly intelligent people. Whether or not I think the book is good ultimately doesn't matter - it's not the point. I just want to see what classic, Russian literature is all about since I've never, ever read any, and in the words of Martha, I think it's a good thing! :D

And of course, as with anything, if you don't like her choice, don't read it! I sure didn't read any more of her old book club choices after like the third or fourth one (before she started with the classics) - couldn't stand it anymore. It didn't matter to me how great she exclaimed about any novel, I wasn't going near it. And I didn't read the last "classic" she did for her book club (The Heart is a Lonely Hunter) - it just didn't appeal to me either. But the classics in general to me are something I'm attracted to.

[Beth H]

I'm not trying to defend Oprah, necessarily, but I did watch the show and I didn't perceive her trying to "educate me" or "get me to eat my spinach".

Sorry - maybe that was a bit harsh. I'm not a big Oprah fan, and sometimes to me (in interviews or on the show, which I don't watch very often) she comes across (to me at least) as a bit holier-than-thou. But I know she has many more fans than detractors.

I think that the idea of doing classics is a good one - this just seemed like an usually heavy, dense choice for the summer months.

[Kristilyn1]

well, I read it last summer. I know that I probably missed a lot of imagery and symbolism--but I thought it was good, just not great. I hate books that make me feel dumb. My idea of a classic is a book that *I* feel that in spite of what year it takes place it's a good book and it stands the test of time AND is highly entertaining. Not too academic.

Some examples: Jane Eyre
Lonesome Dove
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
The Great Gatsby
Wuthering Heights
Memoirs of a Geisha
The Education of Little Tree
The Chronicles of Narnia
The Count of Monte Cristo

I guess we could ALL go on for days on our favorites and what constitutes a classic.........

Kristi

[Grace]

I agree with you Kristi about what I personally like in a book. To me there has to be some "fun" to it or I'm generally not interested. And I'm also attracted to historical fiction - stories that are true and give me insight into the world of the past. I'm not sure this book is going to meet any of those criteria. I'm certainly not going to force myself to read it if it's that boring/uninteresting to me. But we'll see. I'm just liking the idea that if it is a difficult book, I'll be able to get some help with it which might make me understand/see things I wouldn't have been able to see/understand by myself, which might make me like it! :D

But I'm glad for everyone's input. So far, in general, it seems like the majority of those that read it liked it.

[lorilei]

I really have to hand it to Oprah -- she's getting the masses to read big, bulky, GREAT books (I do think that this is part of her scheme, unashamedly). Frankly, I think it's interesting. I was pretty disappointed in the fluff she started off with. This might be a bit much, but at least it's an interesting approach to getting people to read Classics.

Now -- that said, "Anna" is NOT exactly a book I'd pick up at the library and just READ. It's a book meant to be studied, which is maybe what she's getting around to :)

I read the book in college -- and I did enjoy it (good story, nice and sad, intriguing historic backdrop), though it took a while to get through it. One of the greatest challenges, when it all comes down to it, is keeping the myriad of characters straight. Tolstoi is a talented writer -- but he writes such a BROAD story. Yeesh.

Good thing she gives everybody the whole summer to read :D

[Beth H]

Well, Oprah's influence should not be underestimated - this book is #1 on Amazon's best-seller list today. I'm sure Tolstoy never hit that mark in his own lifetime! :)

They're selling it as a special with Crime and Punishment.

[Grace]

Originally posted by Beth H
They're selling it as a special with Crime and Punishment.

:D :D :D

[Beth H]

They're selling it as a special with Crime and Punishment.

They really are! :)

[Escher]

Why buy the book?

Read it online!
http://www.online-literature.com/tolstoy/anna_karenina/1/

[Grace]

I believe you Beth! :) I just thought it was very funny, particularly after the discussion on this thread where Bethany said it was like "War and Peace"! :D I mean, who is really going to read Crime and Punishment AND Anna Karenina this summer?!! :D :D Wonder who came up with that brilliant marketing idea!

[lorilei]

Originally posted by Grace
:D I mean, who is really going to read Crime and Punishment AND Anna Karenina this summer?!! :D :D Wonder who came up with that brilliant marketing idea!

Hey, don't knock it.

I'm sure that plenty of dedicated graduate students studying for the English GRE are thrilled. :)

Anyhow -- I think lots of people should take advantage :) If they keep doing that, people will have whole libraries STOCKED with OPRAH versions of all sorts of classics... and they'll at least LOOK like they're well-read.

[Jazzmatazz49]

I haven't read it. I took an American Novels class in grad school that required quite a few long (and boring) books, and I'm educated enough for one lifetime. I'll never forget trying to plow through Moby Dick and then making a C on the test! I'm kidding about being educated enough, but Oprah has never chosen books that I particularly liked. Her first book club seemed to be full of books that were depressing, about misfits, and that had no point. The greatest example of this was Jewel .

[hockeymom]

I'm reviving this post to see if anyone is reading this book. I had bought it years ago and just never read it, and now decided to go for it in light of Oprah's book selection. The edition I have is different than the one she's referencing on her web site. (I think it's a different translation).

Grace, did you jump in too? I have to admit I'm liking it, although I'm only halfway through Part 1 and I feel like I've been reading it for a long time.

Anyone else????

Laurie:D

[Grace]

Yes Laurie, I'm reading it. And actually enjoying it more than I thought I would! It's not really very hard or heavy reading like I had imagined. It's really an old-time soap opera! (literally!). It originally ran over two years time in the newspaper in Russia. So people had to run out every day to get the paper to get the next installment in the saga, and it really IS like a modern day soap opera - this person sleeping with that person, people talking about each other behind their backs, etc.

I've been keeping up pretty much with Oprah's schedule - I might be behind by 30 pages or something right this minute, but I'll make that up this week.

I will admit to not liking the Anna/Vronsky characters/storyline very much though. They don't seem very "real" to me - meaning I can't relate to their feelings/actions very well. I like the Lenin/Kitty storyline better (see, I said it was like a soap opera! :D ).

[MrsReber]

I, too, was wondering if you were reading it!

I agree, I didn't find Anna to be very likable and I don't really understand how that affair just happened. She hurt so many people and I can't relate to that. But I did notice that Tolstoy really doesn't influence your thinking on the characters. They just do what they do and they have their own reasons, which are never laid out for your. It was an interesting read, but I have to say I expected more from the ending.

[kbs]

I have read this in both English and the original Russian. My senior seminar in college was basically reading Anna Karenina in Russian and dissecting it. Good thing I loved the book :D

As with anything, some people will like it and others will not.

Grace's point about Anna and Vronsky seeming artificial is well taken and fits in with one of Tolstoy's themes of the struggle between a Westernized Russia and traditional Russia- a debate that continues today.

Anyway, I may have to dust off my copy since it's been awhile. I do love this book.

-Kim

[aprilbride]

I'm reading it....and I'm enjoying it a lot more than I thought I would! I'm a little behind schedule as well but that's okay..Good summer read!

[tinalag]

I loved this book. It's one of my all-time favorites. I especially love the character of Levin, but I also love Anna because I feel for how trapped she was without a positive outlet for her passion and love of life. Some folks say that Levin and Anna are two sides of the same coin. I find that to be an interesting way of looking at it. Anyway, I loved this book.