by Warren Adler @WarrenAdler
The
recent flap over a romance novel titled For Such a Time whose plot
features a concentration camp inmate falling in love with her Nazi captor has
aroused the wrath of various critics and readers on grounds that it is too
discomfiting and disturbing to have been published.
While
I can understand why some readers are offended by the premise, it smacks of
political correctness gone awry. The problem is that it has invaded an art form
that can be dangerously compromised by the basic tenets of political
correctness, which posits that any expression or attitude that discomfits
others must be excised from all forms of public communication.
In
its basic concept, what makes the novel unique is that it is a fictional
portrayal in which the author not only relates the actions but imagines the
thoughts of his or her characters. As they say, actions speak louder than words
but actions in real life do not always mirror one's true thoughts and
motivations. Those of us who assiduously follow the oral antics of politicians
need no further explanation.
