"When people say there is too much violence in my books, what they are saying is there is too much reality in life"

Joyce Carol Oates is recommending that the violence in her books is a reflection of the reality of life. She is suggesting that individuals who criticize her books for being too violent are actually criticizing the reality of life itself. Oates is suggesting that the violence in her books is a reflection of the violence that exists worldwide, which it is not her books that are too violent, however rather the world itself. She is recommending that individuals should not be so fast to slam her books for being too violent, however rather ought to take a step back and assess the truth of life and the violence that exists in it. Oates is suggesting that her books are just a reflection of the truth of life, and that it is not her books that are too violent, however rather the world itself.