Reading Oprah: How Oprah's Book Club Changed the Way America Reads »

Oprah's Book Club sparked a revolution among readers by bringing serious contemporary novels to the attention of a wider audience. The Oprah's Book Club seal on a book led to instant fame and bestseller status for authorsbut, how did Oprah change the way America reads and values books? Reading Oprah suggests that Oprah initiated an allimportant mantratrust readers. Not only did the public start reading accessible novels, but they also would snatch up formidable titles and read them with a growing confidence and skill. Then, they would talk about them, giving them a life beyond the reader and text.

Author Biography: Cecilia Konchar Farr is Associate Professor of English and Women's Studies and Chair of the English Department at the College of St. Catherine.