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In the book, "The Expansion" by Christoph Martin, suggestive language is used in the book.

Should authors be restricted from using bad language in books?

Do you think explicit language in books encourages the increase of potty mouths?

I do not think bad language should be restricted. There is a surprising number of curse words in this book compared to most others, but it wasn't so bad that it would stick with me weeks or even days after reading the book.

When talking about language in books, I can't help but think of Philip Roth. His books are notorious for language (among other things), and he has been nominated for or won numerous National Book Awards.

I also don't think bad language should be restricted. Especially if the target audience for the book are adults.

Books are probably not the reason for language, I think. There are a very wide range of external influences that affect such a thing, but books have a comparatively positive impact, in my opinion.

I never agree with censorship so I don't think bad language should be banned from books. Besides, the potty mouths in real life are reflected in the bad language in books so it's the other way around.

Restricted? No. But I would prefer books without it. I can tolerate it a lot more in movies, but in books the profaneness of it just sticks out more.

AliceofX wrote:Restricted? No. But I would prefer books without it. I can tolerate it a lot more in movies, but in books the profaneness of it just sticks out more.

I agree with you on this. I am not sure why it bothers me more in books than in movies, but it really does.

Izesicle wrote:I never agree with censorship so I don't think bad language should be banned from books. Besides, the potty mouths in real life are reflected in the bad language in books so it's the other way around.

That is a nice way of looking at it

If I have to choose, I prefer not to find any cursing word in the books I read. However, I know that's going to be impossible, so when reading, I just skip/ignore the words when I find them.

Kalin Adi wrote:If I have to choose, I prefer not to find any cursing word in the books I read. However, I know that's going to be impossible, so when reading, I just skip/ignore the words when I find them.

I find myself doing the same thing … or I will use the edited term in my mind. ?

In real life some people use "blue" language. I'm put off if a character that would typically use harsh language doesn't. That's not to say that every *criminal, construction worker, drunkard, etc.* has to, just that it takes a very talented author to tackle one who doesn't (and it actually be readable (in my opinion)).

It would be like an author writing about an MD who never sees a patient, or a prostitute who never sees a client.
That Very Talented Author could likely pull it off, but most would come across as inacurrate and contrived.

So, yes, I think authors should include this language. Preferably only in dialogue (and the written equivalent, i.e. letters), and preferably in an organic manner.

I don't think that authors should have to worry about censoring their books. It all depends on the subject of the story and the general crowd that they are writing for. If they are writing for a young adult/teen crowd then the language should be cleaner of course. For adults, I don't see the problem because we all know that we all curse and swear. To remove that from some would be to gloss over the situation when it calls for an intense reaction, and we all know yelling, "GOSH DARN" just isn't going to have that desired effect. Some prefer with and others without, it's just all in how you look at it for me.

BunnySTx wrote:I don't think that authors should have to worry about censoring their books. It all depends on the subject of the story and the general crowd that they are writing for. If they are writing for a young adult/teen crowd then the language should be cleaner of course. For adults, I don't see the problem because we all know that we all curse and swear. To remove that from some would be to gloss over the situation when it calls for an intense reaction, and we all know yelling, "GOSH DARN" just isn't going to have that desired effect. Some prefer with and others without, it's just all in how you look at it for me.

This is all very true. I edit the foul language in my own head while I am reading (although I could not tell you why. It does not bother me in movies or even in my own speech), but I would not want the book censored. I acknowledge the need for the choice of words and what that adds to the characters and situations, and I am also just simply against censorship, I think. That is why there are specific publishers and such for "clean reading."

I thought there was very little truly strong language in this story. In fact, I'm trying hard to remember any, but I may have just missed it. But I guess that depends on what a person considers "strong language".

I don't think there should be any kind of censorship in writing books but I do think less of an author when there is significant strong language. I can understand an expletive in an intense situation but when a character says the F word five times in a casual sentence it feels sloppy and childish.