When Peyton Place was first published in the late 1950s it was immediately perceived as at best a sensational expose of small town life, and at worst a gratuitously graphic portrayal of immorality that was itself immoral. It was probably not a coincidence that the book was also a best seller. Peyton Place was notorious, banned from libraries and even countries (an introduction recounts how the book was at one time banned in Canada), and roundly condemned in many circles as having no artistic or moral value. The point must be made here that the strongest words in the book are "bitch" and "crap", there are no explicit narrations of sexual activity, and no one is murdered. It's certainly true that the book's inclusion of an abortion, not to mention the fact.....
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