What We're Reading

Oprah: A Biography

Author: Kitty Kelly
Publisher: Crown Pub
$30.00 Hard Cover (524p.)
ISBN: 9780307394866
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Reviewed by Elena Knapp

I am not among Oprah's fans. I don't recall ever watching any of her shows to the very end, but I do enjoy reading amazing stories about self-made people and their empires; books with a base of recent interviews and rather fresh memories of current people. It's like watching history taking place in front of me. It's about a feeling of participation in current events – I've seen this, I remember that. Whether one likes Oprah or not, Oprah is a part of a history and a culture that continues to reshape society, the country, and beyond in particular ways.

Kitty Kelley is known for giving quite a look inside the worlds of royals and celebrities. I gave her new book a shot, although reading unauthorized biographies may give one a feeling of intrusion into somebody else's place because the door turns out to be "broken-in". Kitty Kelley, however, did try to get permission granted from the subject of her documentary research. The biography contains over 800 interviews with family and people who used to know Oprah. It covers her journey from being a child abandoned by her single mother in a poor black community to the top of a media empire of her very own. So why was Oprah (who made her career by revealing all kinds of secrets with shocking openness while on her show) so reluctant to discuss her own life beyond the show? Is her family right by judging her for making up stories about herself for the sake of ratings? What makes some people think that Oprah's famous generosity is self-serving? Well, you have to read the book to have an opinion. There are some interesting facts for people who adore Oprah. For example, they may be interested to know that her name was supposed to be Orpah after the sister-in-law of Ruth in the Old Testament, but a midwife misspelled it. The book may give a share of excitement for readers who like to pick on juicy celebrities' "bones", and it can be curious reading for those who like to separate myths and facts and would see the book as just another source. Whatever the reader's choice is, more books about Oprah are scheduled for publication, but it's a different empire already, and one that probably gives Oprah a feeling of being used like an ATM-machine.