In this column on September 17, we wrote about Jonathan Franzen's literary blockbuster, The Corrections—stellar reviews, movie sale, author profiles ad infinitum, etc. So what more, one might ask, can be added to the huzzahs a mere two weeks later? The answer's in one word: Oprah. Last Monday, Franzen's opus became Ms. Winfrey's 43rd book club selection (and the first for publisher FSG), thus guaranteeing the book an even greater audience than it was already amassing. FSG was up to 90,000 copies after two printings; following the post-Oprah run, the figure's now at 720,000. (Publicity manager Peter Miller noted that an additional 50,000 have already been ordered.) Miller, who attended the author's first official appearance on his 15-city tour (at Borders in Franzen's hometown of St. Louis, Mo.), reported an overflow crowd of some 150, many of whom bought multiple copies.
With reporting by Dick Donahue
