And anyway, many books already have age appropriate recommendations.

I think one of my fears regarding this idea is deciding who’s values dictate the rating system. And would too many parents simply rely on others to decide what their children are ready for? I love how you, Dew and Chartroose, decide what is appropriate for your children based on your values. As a former English teacher, I definitely took into consideration the age of my students when designing my curriculum, but I also expected parents to be involved in their children’s education.

Of course, as an adult, we have the freedom to simply stop reading something that makes us uncomfortable!

Again — great debate!

B. G., Yes, I think we’ll have to agree to disagree, although I concede to you about publishers being more forthcoming about explicit content. Like you, I also don’t think it will happen. Publishers think about the bottom line and the rest is all incidental.

Interesting comments, and we may have to agree to disagree…but I did find one quote that I wanted to emphasize in your comment. In responding to Maw, you said:

“I think your idea about publishers taking some responsibility for warning the reading audience about mature content is a pretty good one”

this is the main point I was making…I know the debate has clouded my main purpose for my post, but I was originally positioning the opinion in the context of public relations, or how book publishers can build relationships with their publics (i.e. consumers, readers, reviewers, etc.). I think a book publisher who “takes some responsibility for warning the reading audience” is being socially responsible, and thus doing good public relations. How many publishers will actually do this? Few, if any…(I’m a pessimist)

But reading, at least as far as I’m concerned, is an intellectual exercise, where the reader can emphasize things however they want to. I don’t want someone else deciding that a book with a certain number of offensive words is not for the general reading public.

Besides, I think anyone who would spend time counting offensive words has bigger problems …

You’re also right about knowing your genres. I don’t read bodice rippers because of the silly sex in them and I don’t usually read serial killer novels because they often make me sick.

Reviews are another good way to find out about the whole sex/violence thing, but there are occassions when a novel will smack you right between the eyes with some unexpectedly graphic sex or violence. When this happens, it’s up to you to determine whether you want to continue reading (either that part or the rest of the book).

I don’t normally have a problem with content, unless it’s something really disgusting. I’m much more likely to be appalled if there is animal cruelty involved. You just have to know your limits, I guess.
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Hi B. G., I think you have some valid arguments, and I agree that some novels, like some movies, contain too much gratuitous sex and /or violence. But, in spite of seeing your point of view, I’m going to stick to my guns.

Rating novels smacks of “big brother” to me, and I think we have enough of that already. Also, since I’m a librarian, I am opposed to censorship, and this seems like a precursor to censorship.

People are always wanting to suppress books because of their content. If I were an author, I would be severely offended if some semi-literate official on a review board were to slap a “mature” rating on the novel I worked so hard to complete and get published. There goes a portion of my audience who may have really enjoyed my work, and all because it has some sex in it.

Don’t you think having a rating system would stifle creativity? Books are not movies and they are not music. They arise entirely from the author’s imagination. Think of all the great works that could be lost if our authors feel too constricted by the system to write the way they should be allowed to.

I’m really glad we still have free speech!