After Stephen King was presented with the National Book Award in 2003, many literary critics bemoaned the respected institutions decision to grant a writer of popular fiction such a prestigious honor. However, popular fiction is not always unintelligent or inartistic and can be literary in nature. Kings work should not be dismissed simply because of its popularity; in fact, by producing works that speak to the human condition and can be read on many levels, King may finally be bridging the gap between popular fiction and literature.
This study aims to demonstrate that Kings writing is worthy...