Saturday, October 3, 2015

Are Authors Paid to Embed Cigarettes in Their Novels?

The last two novels I read,  both Pulitzer-Prize winners,The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay and All the Light We Do Not See, gratuitously include lots of cigarette smoking, described in a neutral if not positive light. 

I'd welcome your posting a comment here to say whether you've noticed this in award-winning novels that you've read.

I cannot help but wonder if the tobacco companies paid the authors to embed that. If so, how hypocritical that these authors, who take pains to write with antiseptic political correctness, encourage people to smoke cancer sticks merely to make more money. It feels especially reprehensible because they're already wealthy and write disparagingly about the wealthy.

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1 comment:

  1. Laurie MannOctober 4, 2015 at 3:15 AM

    I don't smoke and I don't like smoking. I'm glad that smoking now is generally restricted to people's homes and that the smoking rate is declining in America.

    That said, it is important in books and movies to accurately reflect the period in which they take place. Kavalier and Klay was set in the 30s and 40s, a time when people were smoking in public routinely.

    Also, even now, some nice, decent people smoke. I hate seeing smoking only done by criminals because while fewer people smoke, all kinds of people still do.

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