Trash?

Someone left a comment on my soap box blog entry a while back, asking whether I would say whether there are novels that I consider trash.


I hadn't forgotten about it, and I wasn't avoiding the question. I just wanted to think a while before answering. (And, of course, I'm a bad blogger. hehehe) So here are some of my thoughts on that.


As a novelist, I know how much time and blood and sweat and tears and hair-pulling goes into writing a book. To actually finish a book is an accomplishment, no matter how badly written. So I'm not sure I would use the word "trash" to describe another book. Many books published by secular publishing houses still have many great qualities. Justice. Hope. Beautiful stories of life and love and values and patriotism and a bunch of other wonderful things.




Insert a BIG "however" here. There are many novels filled with things that should not be read. Some that leave you with a feeling of darkness or hopelessness, that put foul language into your head, that give a scewed view of love, etc. Words have power. Stories can have an influence on the way you look at things. So I do think you should be very careful what you read, because some novels are full of trash...

Whether or not that makes them trash is up to you. Just don't dump every novel into the same garbage heap, please. :-)