Interesting, Oprah, very interesting.

I never thought I'd say this, but Oprah's latest book club choice, Uwem Akpan's short story collection Say You're One of Them, is actually an interesting one.

For some weird reason I was on the waiting list for this book before Oprah named it her choice (I used to like short stories, so maybe that's why?), so I was able to get it much more quickly than readers who just requested it. Akpan is an African author, and the stories are set in various African countries. I read the first story, "An Ex-Mas Feast," and parts of the other stories, and it was really very interesting.* Although I am usually distracted by settings that are so far from my experience, or stories written with traces of dialogue, I must say that neither of those things bothered me here:

"We heard two drunks stumbling toward our home. Mama hid the bottle. They stood outside announcing that they had come to wish us a merry Ex-mas. 'My husband is not here!' Mama lied. I recognized the voices. It was Bwana Marcos Wako and his wife, Cecilia. Baba had owed them money for four years. They came whenever they smelled money, then Baba had to take off for a few days. When Baby was born, we pawned three-quarters of his clothing to defray the debts. A week before Ex-mas, the couple had raided us, confiscating Baba's work clothes in the name of debt servicing." (p. 13.)

That's about as cheerful as the stories get. If I'm not able to read the whole thing (and I'm not), it's because I'm not going to be able to handle a whole book of short stories that make me so sad. But at least it's an interesting choice for Oprah, and something a bit different. I haven't liked an Oprah book since James Frey's A Million Little Pieces, and we all know how that turned out, so I'm hoping this book isn't discredited some time down the way.

*It's roughly a million times better than Lorrie Moore's A Gate at the Stairs, my last disastrous fiction pick.

Comments

[Robert Brown]

Fiction: Hey, baby, you can't quit me: you love me. You be lovin' me forevah.

Citizen Reader: (sotto voce) Oh, damn, he's right. (bites knuckle)

Organ music swells.

[Citizen Reader]

CR: I wish I could quit you!

Meaning fiction, of course. And thank YOU, Bert, for allowing me to use the line from Brokeback Mountain I've always wanted to use.

[Care]

lol!!!!
anyway, had to share... I was inline to load the SW airplane when I spied that lady in front of me had newest Oprah book. Just had to comment, "hey - got the new O book, huh" and she said - you'd be PROUD - "I bought this before Oprah selected it but it's good so far." As she wrinkled up her nose!

anyway. I love spying on what people are reading when I'm on a plane, in the airport.

[Citizen Reader]

Care,
Ha! Book snobs unite!! Perfect...and thanks for the story. Glad there's a few of us out there dubious of Oprah's choices, but ready to be pleasantly surprised. I always love spying on people's books, too, and when I get in their homes I'm absolutely obnoxious about tracking down bookcases. (And if there aren't any there I know our friendship is probably destined to fail...)

[Beth]

I was just thinking the same thing this morning, that this is an Oprah book I might actually read and like! Finally! (although I loved She's Come Undone, but I know how you feel about Wally Lamb, so I'll leave that alone).

[Citizen Reader]

Beth,
Yes, I think this one has merit. Unfortunately, I just can't read too many books about Africa because it seems they're all so heartbreaking (I finished Jean Hatzfeld's "The Antelope's Strategy" about Rwanda not long ago, and am still thinking it over).

You're right--I don't know that I'll ever have the strength to tackle another Wally Lamb. But I will file your tidbit about "She's Come Undone" away and maybe someday I'll return to it...