Franzen appeared on Monday's "The Oprah Winfrey Show," embracing his host after she chose his bestselling novel "Freedom" for her popular book club. Winfrey did not have Franzen on her show nine years ago, when his previous novel "The Corrections" was a book club selection, because he called some of her choices "schmaltzy."
Winfrey said Monday she didn't have Franzen on her show then because she didn't want him to feel "uncomfortable."
Franzen, 51, who is widely regarded as one of his generation's leading fiction writers, was branded as a snob for the comment even though he apologized quickly and repeatedly.
On Monday, he told Winfrey he considers himself a "Midwest egalitarian." The pair discussed Franzen's writing process and his visit with President Barack Obama.
"Bottomline is, I'm happy to have you," Winfrey said.
"I'm happy to be here," Franzen replied.
Winfrey said in September that she read "Freedom" after Franzen sent her a copy during the summer along with a note. She said she considered it a "tour de force" after the first chapter and called it a "masterpiece." Released in late August, "Freedom" was virtually canonized by critics before publication and has topped best-seller lists. Franzen was the subject of a Time Magazine cover story, titled "Great American Novelist."
Also Monday, Winfrey announced her 65th book club selection would be a combination of two Charles Dickens classics, "A Tale of Two Cities" and "Great Expectations."
The two novels have been issued in a single bound Penguin paperback edition of about 800 pages with a list price of $20. The electronic version, also from Penguin, sells for $7.99.
Because the copyright has long expired on the 19th-century novels, they are available through a variety of publishers and retailers. "Great Expectations" can be downloaded for free on Amazon.com's Kindle reader. "A Tale of Two Cities" costs 99 cents on Barnes & Noble's e-book device, the Nook. The novels also can be downloaded for free through the new Google bookstore.
The Associated Press reported the picks Sunday after purchasing a copy of the new Dickens volume, which has Winfrey's book club logo on the cover. Winfrey said on Monday's show that she has never read Dickens before.
"It's the best of times, readers," Winfrey said and called the books timeless classics.
Oprah's Book Club has nearly 2 million online members, according to Harpo Productions. Winfrey has said she will take the book club with her when she moves to her new cable station, the Oprah Winfrey Network, which launches Jan. 1.
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AP national writer Hillel Italie contributed to this report.
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Online: http://www.oprah.com
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