What do I tell people who say Stephen King's are scary and (get this) morally filthy?

[Speedygi81]

After being away from the forums for quite awhile, I have decided to come back to my good friends here. I do miss you, guys, and love all of you.

A question that recently popped into my mind is a startling one, and is one I am not particularly fond of, but is something I care about deeply...

Why am I always branded odd for loving to read SK? I always hear people say that his books are "Moral Trash," are his books really supposed to be viewed as evil or bad influence ?

Please give you thoughts here and ideas on how to deal with such criticism too.

[kingricefan]

Well, for me anyway, at the core of any King novel stands love. They're always about love and the human condition. I don't get why people view his writings as evil. When someone says something negative about his works, I always tell them they don't know what they're talking about and/or missing.

[Speedygi81]

It's pretty hard to take a story like Duma Key or Pet Sematary and say it's about love though. It's such a stretch even I don't think I can justify convincingly.

[Sepia and Dust]

Why am I always branded odd for loving to read SK? I always hear people say that his books are "Moral Trash," are his books really supposed to be viewed as evil or bad influence ?

Please give you thoughts here and ideas on how to deal with such criticism too.

I'd say that you should start talking with a better class of people.

[Speedygi81]

I'd say that you should start talking with a better class of people.

Some who are open enough will be fine, they will know the nuances of these types of fiction. But most that I am referring to already have an adverse feeling towards fiction in general that there's just no point even discussing things of that nature to them.

[Sepia and Dust]

Some who are open enough will be fine, they will know the nuances of these types of fiction. But most that I am referring to already have an adverse feeling towards fiction in general that there's just no point even discussing things of that nature to them.

Exactly. There's no point in discussing it with them. Literary snobs aren't worth the paper their theses are written on.

[Kitten]

Stephen King writes about things that are sometimes hard to talk about. An English teacher once told me he went to a skarey movie. The person behind him was laughing. He couldn't understand why and it really started to bother him. He turned around to look at the person who was laughing. He had a very frightened look on his face. People react to things differently. Sometimes people find it difficult to talk about many of the topics Stephen talks about. I love Stephen's movies. Sometimes I dread watching them because I know I am going to be skared to no end. Well, that's why I cover my eyes in those skarey parts.

[charmed_one3]

That reminds me of a time when some woman asked me what I was reading, I showed her the book and said Stephen King. She then said to me that her niece liked SK and that her niece was "a little weird too". I simply told that woman that I'm happy to be a little weird. I've always been a bit eccentric, and I embrace it. If I'm weird for enjoying SK books, so be it.

Don't pay much mind to those who say such things. It's hard to tell what they read in the privacy of their own homes to begin with! There are so many things in reality that are scary and morally filthy, which they should take their time to complain about. Not Stephen King books!
To those who do find Stephen scary, I wish they would watch his interviews and lectures. They will find that he's completely opposite of that.

[mjs9153]

Well, for me anyway, at the core of any King novel stands love. They're always about love and the human condition. I don't get why people view his writings as evil. When someone says something negative about his works, I always tell them they don't know what they're talking about and/or missing.

EXACTLY what I was going to say,so..Ditto..
Also,where Pet Sematary is concerned,it is about love,love so hard you can't let go..and the epic fail of trying not too,resulting in disaster..and it is all human condition there too,who amongst us who have lost loved ones didn't wish they could cure them and bring them back?Things to think about for sure,SK does it more eloquently than anyone I've seen..

[Autumn Gust]

My husband's one of those who doesn't read Stephen King. It's not so much that he doesn't like his writing-- it's more like "life is short so I will only read books that I find most satisfying." He says the classics give him a bigger pay back for his time-- Shakespeare, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Hemmingway, etc... I know he respects Mr. King even though he doesn't read his books. Also, he's a good sport listening to me go on about them all the time.