Bad Expectations

By Hillary Kelly

Oprah’s misguided view of Charles Dickens—and literature as a whole.

I wanted to like this review, because I’m tired of the whole Oprah phenomenon. But it smacks of elitism, of an attitude that says, “Even if you uneducated people want to read great literature, fine, but don’t do it without our superior guidance, because you won’t be able to understand it.” Is the author suggesting that ordinary people cannot appreciate Dickens without them? Ordinary folks may not be up on all the latest literary theories, but isn’t the fact that they are willing to crack open the book something to encourage instead of sneer at?

About Stan Guthrie

Stan Guthrie is an editor at large for Christianity Today magazine and for the Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview. His latest book is God's Story in 66 Verses. He also is author of All that Jesus Asks: How His Questions Can Teach and Transform Us, Missions in the Third Millennium: 21 Key Trends for the 21st Century, and A Concise Guide to Bible Prophecy. He is co-author of The Sacrament of Evangelism. Besides authoring, writing, and editing books, Stan is a literary agent, bringing together good authors, good books, and good publishers. Stan writes the monthly Priorities colum for BreakPoint.org. He has appeared on National Public Radio's €œTell Me More,€ WGN's Milt Rosenberg program, and many Christian shows, including The Eric Metaxas Show and Moody Radio'€™s €œNew Day Florida.€ A licensed minister and an inspirational speaker, he served as moderator for the Christian Book Expo panel discussion, Does the God of Christianity Exist, and What Difference Does It Make?
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