Oprah

A Biography

De: Kitty Kelley

Narrado por: Kitty Kelley

For the past twenty-five years, no one has been better at revealing secrets than Oprah Winfrey. On what is arguably the most influ¬ential show in television history, she has gotten her guests—often the biggest celebrities in the world—to bare their love lives, explore their painful pasts, admit their transgressions, reveal their pleasures, and explore their demons. In turn, Oprah has repeatedly allowed her audience to share in her own life story, opening up about the sexual abuse in her past and discussing her romantic relationships, her weight problems, her spiritual beliefs, her charitable donations, and her strongly held views on the state of the world.

After a quarter of a century of the Oprah-ization of America, can there be any more secrets left to reveal?

Yes. Because Oprah has met her match.

Kitty Kelley has, over the same period of time, fear¬lessly and relentlessly investigated and written about the world’s most revered icons: Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Frank Sinatra, Nancy Reagan, England’s Royal Family, and the Bush dynasty. In her #1 bestselling biographies, she has exposed truths and exploded myths to uncover the real human beings that exist behind their manufac¬tured facades.

Turning her reportorial sights on Oprah, Kelley has now given us an unvarnished look at the stories Oprah’s told and the life she’s led. Kelley has talked to Oprah’s closest family members and business associates. She has obtained court records, birth certificates, financial and tax records, and even copies of Oprah’s legendary (and punishing) confidentiality agreements. She has probed every aspect of Oprah Winfrey’s life, and it is as if she’s written the most extraordinary segment of The Oprah Winfrey Show ever filmed—one in which Oprah herself is finally and fully revealed.

There is a case to be made, and it is certainly made in this book, that Oprah Winfrey is an important, and even great, figure of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. But there is also a case to be made that even greatness needs to be examined and put under a microscope. Fact must be separated from myth, truth from hype. Kitty Kelley has made that separation, showing both sides of Oprah as they have never been shown before. In doing so she has written a psychologically perceptive and meticulously researched book that will surprise and thrill everyone who reads it.

Good. Felt a bit negative overall

This was an overall great listen. Really good if you want to see the “controversy” side of Oprah. I wish it was a little more balanced. It felt really weighted around the negative sides of her life. It didn’t feel malicious just unbalanced.

Proceed with caution if you like Oprah

I’ve been a huge fan of Oprah my entire life. When she stopped doing her daytime talk show I missed her so much! As of 2023 I am still a huge fan and interested in what she’s up to and still love her magazine.

Because of how much I have always liked Oprah, this audiobook was really unpleasant to listen to. The narrator did a fine job. The more I listened to this book the less good feelings and thoughts I had about Oprah. This book does not paint over in a good light at all!

Kitty Kelly does her research and does not print gossip she goes to great lengths to know what she is writing is the truth. In this book you will sometimes hear Oprah’s family and other people talking about Oprah and then Oprah giving her side and wondering who was telling the truth. After listening to the book for a while, you realize that Oprah herself doesn’t really tell the truth about much of anything. Oprah is really good at telling people what she thinks they want to hear.

I listened to bits and pieces of different chapters, less than two hours total, and returned the book.

I prefer to think of Oprah as the person I’ve grown up loving for the past few decades.

I was afraid if I listened to the rest of the book that I wouldn’t even like her anymore.

I’m stopping the book and returning it, remaining a fan of Oprah and hoping that I can forget most of what I heard here.

lost my attention

I'm a huge Oprah fan. And was excited to hear this book. But there seems to be a lot of people who are bitter about Oprahs success. And claiming she bleached her skin over and over is just silly. I am lighter than I was as a child because I'm not out in the sun constantly. I wish I didn't use my credit on this. Don't think I will finish listening.

Oprah, a Biography

Kitty Kelly is known as a writer of tell-all books, unauthorized biographies. This one is no exception. While she gives us a thorough review of the Oprah show, and what everyone thought of her, friends and foes alike, it did feel a little like being a voyeur, but of course I enjoyed it. Kitty Kelly narrated her own book, and she did quite well. It is said that people talk to her because she seems like such a benign grandmotherly type person. You could hear that in her voice as a narrator.

We all ready know it.

What disappointed you about Oprah: A Biography?

I am a fan both of kitty and Oprah. In most of Kittys'other books which I have read three others I found very interesting because I have learned a lot of new information. However with this book there was not much-new that had not already been seen , heard. Or written about.

What could Kitty Kelley have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

New information

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Kitty Kelley?

I enjoy. Kitty as a narrators.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

For a reader who may not have been formliar with Operah.