Oprah's Book Club Boosts Faulkner Sales

Posted on June 8, 2005

She's the only woman in the world who could tell people to read three books by William Faulkner this summer, and have them actually do it. On Friday, June 3rd, Oprah Winfrey named a boxed set of three Faulkner novels -- As I Lay Dying, The Sounds and the Fury and Light in August -- as the choice for Oprah's book Club this summer. Within 24 hours, the Summer of Faulkner Boxed Set had hit #2 on Amazon.com's bestseller list, behind the upcoming Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling.

Apparently determined to get people to read literature, Oprah has enlisted well-known Faulkner scholars to answer readers' questions, which we think is pretty cool. You have to join her Book Club to be able to submit questions, but registration is free at her website.