I cannot locate any aestetic dignity in {Stephen} King's writing: his public could not sustain it, nor could he...Art unfortunately is rarely the fruit of earnestness, and King will be remembered as a sociological phenomenon, an image of the death of the Literate Reader.
Harold Bloom critiques Stephen King's writing, suggesting it lacks aesthetic value and is not sustained by King's audience. He implies that King's works do not elevate literature but instead reflect broader societal trends, indicating a decline in the appreciation for literary quality among readers. Bloom's perspective poses that King's popularity is tied more to mass appeal than to artistic merit.
Furthermore, Bloom argues that true art often emerges from deep earnestness, which he believes King's writing lacks. He concludes that King will be remembered not for literary greatness but as a symbol of the changing literary landscape, indicating a shift away from the traditional, literate reader towards a more casual and less discerning audience.
