10.04.2007

BTT: Decorum

Do you have “issues” with too much profanity or overly explicit (ahem) “romantic” scenes in books? Or do you take them in stride? Have issues like these ever caused you to close a book? Or do you go looking for more exactly like them? (grin)

I guess you could say that I have issues, because I generally tend to avoid books that I know will be too steamy or have too much profanity.

For example, I've never read Jackie Collins, and I don't feel like I'm missing anything.

Wait ... I did start The World According to Garp and closed it because of the profanity. Oh, and Catcher in the Rye.

I'm more likely to be offended by a book that's boring or poorly written than by its morality (or lack thereof).

7 comments:

Chris said...

I'm offended by bad writing too ;)

Jodie Robson said...

I would probably be offended by a book if I thought it was immoral, but I don't necessarily think that "steamy" scenes or profanity would make it so. If the steamy stuff was exploitative, or profanity there solely to offend, then I would question the morality of the whole work.

Goodness, my comments today are being terribly serious, but the question touches on some stuff I feel quite strongly about!

Donna said...

Hi Mei,
Thank you so much for visiting my site. I have to agree that Jackie Collins is not worth the time or trouble. Lady Chatterley's is definitely full of shocking stuff. I loved the book in spite of all the naughty parts. There is definitely strong language and adult content. Oh, but I did love the story.
Donna

pussreboots said...

I loved Catcher in the Rye. Once I started it I couldn't put it down. I read it in about 2 or 3 hours.

Happy BTT and thanks for stopping by.

Anonymous said...

Soppy writing offends me more than erotica. I never touched Jackie Collins!

Jane said...

Funny...I never read Jackie Collins either. It always seemed liked she tried too hard. I don't care for overly done sex scenes. Never have. But I think there is a huge middle ground of acceptability amongst intelligent people. Erotica being at one end and total removal of any hint of profanity and sexual content at the other. I don't like either extreme and as I read people's posts, most don't fall in those.

Petunia said...

I am more upset by faulty morality than by language, violence or love scenes, especially if that morality is the main "lesson" in the book. But I don't think I've ever put a book down because of any of those issues, though I wish I did with a few of them.

 

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