At the end of 2005, I remember wandering around the halls of EW yakking to any co-workers who’d listen that Oprah Winfrey deserved to be the mag’s Entertainer of the Year. She was on a mighty cultural tear back then. It was in 2005 that Oprah used her Oprah powers for greater good — exposing Tom Cruise as a couch-hopper, backing The Color Purple on Broadway, saving publishing (again) by reviving her Book Club, and, most of all, going down to New Orleans after Katrina and Oprah-ing her way through TV’s most gut-wrenching news hour on the hurricane. Also that year, I think she helped catch some child molesters (or was it rapists?), and did a few other things I can’t remember. In 2005, I loved Oprah.
But we didn’t make her our Entertainer of the Year (she lost out to Lost), and in early 2006, I didn’t like it when she filleted A Million Little Pieces‘ author James Frey on national TV, so — since I tend to be relatively busy from 4 to 5 p.m. — I stopped paying so much attention to her. But on Tuesday, she won me back. That’s when she used her Oprah powers to get Cormac McCarthy — the great and reclusive 73-year-old literary lion who’s only been interviewed twice in 40 years, and never anywhere NEAR a television camera — to talk to her about his astonishing novel, The Road, selected by Oprah for her book club a couple of months back. At the top of Tuesday’s show, she related how she called the writer and asked him to be on her show. He said, “No way am I gonna do that!,” and she said — presumably in the same soft but undeniably arm-bending tone that coaxed poor James Frey off the cliff when she nailed him for making up his memoir — that she was gonna give him 48 hours to reconsider, and would call back at EXACTLY ten minutes to 3 in two days’ time. Even though by the sound of it he’s barely talked to anyone even vaguely reeking of media in 40 years, how could McCarthy resist? It was OPRAH. When she called back, he said yes.
Thus, the stage was set for an unmissable moment of television for English majors and other discerning bookworms, affirming (for the first time in — I dunno — probably at least a couple of days) that Oprah is still maybe the biggest single cultural force of our time. After the jump, we’ll quickly break down the chat for anybody interested in the guy who wrote the Pulitzer-Prize winning book that truly was the best novel of 2006.
He was wearing a denim button-down and brown boots, and he was sunkinto a big black leather chair at New Mexico’s Santa Fe Institute, athink tank where he likes to hang out and just talk to all thescientists. ("I don’t know any writers," he said.) Throughout theinterview, McCarthy kept his elbow cocked on the armrest, fist perchedon his temple — a defensive crouch of sorts that Oprah respected bygoing at him gingerly and with due reverence. He was not nearly soimposing or prickly as you might imagine from the stone glare of hisMarion Ettlinger author photos, practically the only bits ofMcCarthy-iana we fans had to judge him by in the past. Off the bat, we learned that McCarthy doesn’t like to be interviewed because hefeels if you spend a lot of time writing a book, you should probablyspend that time writing and not talking about it. It’s not, heinsisted, because he hates the dirty press. "You work your side of thestreet, I’ll work mine," he told Oprah, politely.
It was news to me that the 73-year-old McCarthy has an 8-year-old boy, John Francis, and that the kid inspired The Road, which follows afather and son as they cross a decimated apocalyptic landscapeafter an unspecified global calamity. If you’ve read the book, it wasalmost haunting to hear McCarthy explain how he first got the idea forit four years ago, when he was staying in a hotel in El Paso with JohnFrancis. He described looking out the window at three or four in themorning, "and there was nothing moving, but I could hear the traingoing through, with that very lonesome sound. I had this image, of whatthis town might look like in 50 or 100 years. I just had this image offires up on the hill, and everything being laid waste, and I thoughtabout my little boy."
So Oprah asked him if the book was a love story for his son, and itwas the kind of question you imagine the stoic novelist has tried toavoid for the past 40 years. You can bet his scientist buddies at theSanta Fe Institute avoid that line of questioning. "In a way, Isuppose it is," he replied, blanching a little, "although that’s kindof embarrassing." When Oprah pointed out that he was blushing, McCarthy rubbed his head and gave her a sideways glance, looking peeved for the only time during the 15-minute interview.
Elsewhere McCarthy — affirming that the line between genius and bum issometimes so very thin — talked about trying his hardest not to work aregular job his whole life, refusing to take even big-money speakingengagements, and once getting kicked out of a $40-a-MONTH hotel becausehe just couldn’t afford it. What a guy. It was a good interview — simply nice to see the legend unearthed.
Themost surprising bit came when Oprah noted that the book’s apocalypticvision would’ve seemed futuristic 25 years ago, whereas now it seemsreal. "Yes!" I thought. That’s what I love about The Road. From thefirst page, with the appearance of a beast "with eyes dead white andsightless as the eggs of spiders," the novel really made me believe theworld could end, and the agony of that vision still follows me aroundmonths and months after I read it. Pick up The Road, Blood Meridian, or NoCountry for Old Men, and you’ll meet an author whose novels gets asdark as novels get, and so I expected him to take Oprah’sobservation and bring his doomsday vision — "fires up on the hill" andeverything else — into the homes of the Oprah-watching millions.
Instead he said, "Life is pretty damn good, even when it looks bad,and we should appreciate it more." A writer this bleak on the page feels this okay in real life?Who knew? No wonder he never gives interviews. And Oprah once again delivers us news no one else can get.
Anyway, what did you people think? Anybody else love The Road? Anybody else glad they got to meet Cormac McCarthy? Anybody else eager to read Oprah’s next book club pick, Middlesex, by Jeffrey Eugenides?
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Middlesex was published a few years ago, and I thought it was great, very well written. Unfortunately, people tend to get freaked out when they hear what the story’s about.
I haven’t watched the Oprah interview yet but I have to say that The Road was so heartwrenching that I sobbed for 15 minutes afterward. No other book has ever brought me to my knees like that and I am so grateful that she is opening so many people’s eyes to this amazing story.
I recently read The Road and, although very dreary indeed, it did speak of hope and endurance. McCarthy may voice a postive life-view in person, but on the page he draws a bleak portrait. McCarthy chooses to darkness in nature’s cycle of death. Where are the Coleridge’s of our day to point out its beauty? No Country for Old Men, while as brilliantly written, was just as dreary. McCarthy seems to share the views of Eliot and Forster…doesn’t care much for humans.
Let’s see if she can get JD Salinger now.
I read “MIddlesex” when it came out, great book, and I’m glad to see that it will be getting a new audience thru the book club.
McCarthy was always a hero of mine, though admittedly for his more “accessible” Border Trilogy — if you want beauty, Keith, it’s there; ‘The Crossing” has landscape descriptions and trains of thought that made me tremble with delight — but now I’ve decided he’s my role model in life as well. I’ve already got that “avoiding real work” thing down pat, and I’m working on the “not talking to anybody” aspect. Though commenting on blogs probably isn’t helping. Oh well!
Am I insane, or didn’t this interview air months ago? I could swear I have this in my TiVo…
The Road wasn’t, at least for me, the Best book of the year, it is the best book written in my life time. I still can’t forget it, it was as if he reached into my stomach and knotted my insides with patience and precision, to this day I feel torn apart by it.
Oprah’s most famous read will be her own book when she retires. She can finally say goodbye. The woman’s ego is just too big. She is the only person that I know of, who owns a magazine that features only her mug on it everytime.
I have never heard of this mand and I am not an avid reader but after seeing the episode I wanted to pick it up, and will.
You can fault Oprah if you want but keep in mind that you probablly hanve never, nor will ever do as much for humanity as she has done for countless children in africa, abused children in america, and the citizens of the gulf coast. Not to mention the countless number of people helped by her angel network.
So put your money/time/opinions where yuor mouth is or shut up and sit back on the bench.
If Oprah’s goal is to single-handed increase people’s interest in reading why pick the most depressing, heart-wrenching book she can find? I read over 100 books a year and have helped some of my friends begin reading more by finding a good mystery with a little humor to pass around or a good biography – both encourage more people to actually crack open the book and not want put it down rather than not want to suffer through the characters woes until you hate to pick the book UP again.
Just finished The Road last night, coincidentally, and absolutely and utterly loved it. Devastatingly good stuff.
I was all excited until I realized that the title of the post wasn’t “Oprah Literally Bags a Sasquatch”, but Cormac McCarthy’s decent too.
Didn’t see the interview, but based on your comments on the book The Road, I will buy that at Borders this weekend. Astonishing, huh? We’ll see….
Oprah got McCarthy and the Simpsons had Pynchon, now all we need is J.D. Salinger.
For goodness’ sake, Lori (comment below), Oprah isn’t singlehandedly responsible for getting everyone in the entire U.S. to read. It’s her book club, and she picks the books that she likes. She doesn’t have to choose mysteries just because some people won’t pick up anything else.
As for “Middlesex,” it’s a fantastic book, and not depressing at all, so no one can use that excuse this time.
I haven’t read “The Road” yet, but another great post-apocalyptic novel that seems real is Margaret Atwood’s “Oryx and Crake.” It even has some humor in it!
I finished The Road last week. I tore through that book in a matter of hours I couldn’t put it down. When I finished it, I wept for nearly 25 minutes. Still that novel haunts me. I’ve since bought copies for friends, family, coworkers. It is an amazing piece of art.
An aside: As for Oprah as an egomaniac who plasters her mug on the pages of her magazine. Go for it I say. I think she has changed the lives of many, many people and that is not an easy feat. If I had the money and could start a magazine, I think I’d put myself on the cover every month too, there’s not enough men who look like me on the cover, I think it would be nice to at least see one image that looked like me each month on the shelves.
I ordered this book after reading Stephen King’s review in “Entertainment Weekly” and I struggled to finish it. It was the most depressing thing I’ve ever read, however, it does make you think. I don’t recommend it for anyone with the blues.
I loved Middlesex . . . I am ecstatic that its going to be read by thousands of people! Great book – definitely different, people will love it . . .
I tried five times and i couldn’t get past the first page. I don’t know what it is, but it’s just not my type of story.
Oprah is not the only star to have her “mug” on the magazine, but until recently Martha Stewart’s mug was on her magz – but since leaving the slammer it’s been off; and Rachel Ray has a magz with her mug. Rosie O’Donnel did it also, but usually with a guest celeb.
As for Oprah putting her face on the magazine – it occurred to me, being a black female, that there are too FEW OF US on magazine covers, and if I was a guessing person, she probably felt, at least the public will see a black face everytime they pick up a magazine. If you go to the magz stands, all you see are Caucasian (women), no Asians, no Hispanics, no Blacks – except during those “special ethnic months.” (Black History, Asia History)
Keith – Your point about the lack of romantics on the contemporary scene is valid, but you have to look at literary periods as a reflection of the time. And as for Coleridge — sure, he depicted the beauty of nature and found divine inspiration in it, but i’m sure you’ve crossed “The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner,” no? Talk about no faith in humanity.
And as for Eliot – He was an avid “impersonalist” and people only seem to know him for “The Wasteland.” But hey, he was writing about (among many other things) a post war, barren landscape.
To?: I understand what you are saying, but there are thousands of other black women in the world;she can pick her choice. Halle Berry, Beyonce, Jennifer Hudson, Lynn Whitfield, Diane Carrol, Dawn Lewis, Dana Owens, Jackee, etc.etc.
Team Oprah: It is so good to know that Oprah has such a strong backer. She is not God. I know, so many people think she is. The Sun rises and sets on Oprah the magnificent.
Halle Berry and Beyonce are one thing, but who’s going to buy a magazine because Jackee is on the cover? Let’s be realistic. Oprah puts herself on the cover because her face sells magazines.
I feel completely ignorant! I’m an English major, and I consider myself knowledgable about literature. But I have no idea who this guy is! I had never heard of THE ROAD. I’ve been bogged down by a lot of intensive reading during the last semester (CRIME & PUNISHMENT; GO DOWN, MOSES)so this summer I’m keeping my reading list fun and lite. Eventually, I’ll try to pick up THE ROAD and MIDDLESEX.
Middlesex is absolutely extraordinary…as was the Road, as was A Million Little Pieces (even if it was made up, it was still a great read), and as (though I hate to admit it) every Oprah book pick has been. Hate to say it, but she is making better, smarter readers out of her devotees.
I believe that a good book is a book that moves you, and that you think about long after you finish. I hated reading The Road, the feeling of never knowing what was to come- the sickness of the man, etc, etc., but when I finished it, I realized it was the best book I’ve ever read. The experience moved me, and I’ve thought about the man and the boy- everyday- ever since. I think that Oprah is a genius.
I loved The Road, but I turned this off at the first commercial break. It was such a softball interview. It was just really dull. But I’m glad Oprah picked it, and that waaay more people are reading it because of that.
Middlesex, by the way, is a great book, too.
I started to read The Road, but I just couldn’t get into it, I thought it was kind of boring.