Reviews for Nostalgia is What It Was

The average rating for Nostalgia is What It Was based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2011-09-17 00:00:00 Michael Rivera Living Oprah is Robyn Okrant's account of how she spent one year conscientiously following the advice Oprah dishes out to millions of women across America. If Oprah said to read a book or watch a film, Robyn did it. If she advised de-cluttering, new make-up tips or relationship work, Robyn was on-board. For the most part, I enjoyed this quirky book, but I also found it to be slightly repetitive- similar to what Robyn found following Oprah to be after a few months. She starts out with high hopes: "Could Oprah's guidance truly lead a woman to her 'best life,' or would it fail miserable? Is it even possible to follow someone else's advice to discover one's authentic self?" pg 4. We all discover the answer to be no. But, Robyn gives it a good run because: "It's vitally important for women to question the sources of influence and persuasion in our lives. We are inundated with get rich/get thin/get married suggestions every time we turn on the TV or walk by the magazine rack. And sadly, we tend to judge ourselves against seemingly impossible standards." pg 11. I liked her thought process throughout the year. I also thought her reasoning for doing the experiment was excellent: "One of the reasons I was drawn to Oprah as a subject for this project was my continual search for new ways to manage my pain, keep my self-esteem from faltering, and ease the stress and fear associated with scoliosis." pg 36. In some ways, Robyn was sort of Oprah's target audience. My favorite part of this book was when Robyn was trying to follow Oprah's advice to read Eckert Tolle's A New Earth and live by its precepts, while still engaging in the consumerism and self improvement programs Oprah touts on her program each week. "It's also uncomfortable to enjoy a celebrity lovefest on Oprah after I've spent an hour competing my reading assignment for A New Earth. Oprah's Book Club selection focuses on separating ourselves from our ego and learning to connect with people on an authentic level rather than a superficial one. I don't see how a segment on the show glamorizing Mariah Carey's lingerie closet supports the work Oprah's asked us to do." pg 72. Robyn comes to the conclusion that if Oprah's viewers followed all of Oprah's advice, they quickly wouldn't need her anymore to live their best lives. Part of Oprah's draw is that she has viewers convinced there's always something more to be improved upon, tweaked, de-cluttered or examined. It is a never-ending process of evolution. That is why Oprah's built her empire and also why women don't stop watching. And sometimes it's the promise of 'infotainment' that keeps viewers coming back: "Oprah frequently reminds her guests and audience that her tell-all shows are not pulp entertainment, they are for our education. I do take her warning to heart but think that if this is something we must constantly be reminded about, maybe a different format is in order." pg 57-58 I've never been a huge watcher of Oprah (or any tv for that matter), but I still enjoyed this book for it's honest examination of hero worship, popular culture and the self improvement industry. I think Oprah viewers may enjoy this book even more.

Review # 2 was written on 2010-04-04 00:00:00 Chris Hallum Okay here goes a really harsh review... I did not understand the purpose of this one-year experiment. After finishing the book, I did not gain any insights into anything. At least Oprah wants viewers to have a better life etc. What was this book for us readers? What am I to get out of this reading experience? The author just went through all the advice from Oprah without giving much thought to the purpose of each advice. She would kiss her husband for ten seconds because she was told to. Without even trying, I could have told her that it would be useless because she didn't seem to understand why she was doing it. She wasn't trying to improve her life or her marriage. She was just going through motions. It was sometimes unpleasant to read because she wasn't enjoying "Living Oprah," and neither was I as a reader. What a waste of a year. And what a waste of my time reading this book. Worst of it all, it wasn't even funny. It didn't flow nor make sense at a time. My advice: don't read it. If you are still curious, read the last chapter and be done with it.