Can you enjoy the work of an author if s/he is a total jerk?

[AshleyShaniceM]

That can be a tough one because you can love the artist and the art is not good. You can repect the art and not respect the person It all depends on your personal emotional strength can you see what the writer is trying to say without the part of the personally that you dislike getting in the way?

[bonnie75]

It really all depends on what the author writes about. If it is something I like I probably would if he did not bring his "jerkiness" into his writing. I don't know this is a good question. Gives you something to think about. Never thought about this.

[tjshortt]

Great question! I met one of my favourite authors, that I won't name, and he was a sexist jerk. Basically he insinuated that women couldn't handle his scary books. He pretty much lost a fan.

[zeldas_lullaby]

Great question! I met one of my favourite authors, that I won't name, and he was a sexist jerk. Basically he insinuated that women couldn't handle his scary books. He pretty much lost a fan.

Snort. That's hilarious. I personally am a woman who can't even read a child's scary story without being terrified, but still.... to generalize like that? Good grief.

[Wizzy56]

Mein Kampf immediatly comes to mind. Yes, I can "enjoy" the thinking behind an author even if that person is a jerk or in this case, evil. I believe everyone should have the right to be heard especially if they write a book.

[Carusursi]

I do my absolute best to separate the artist from their art (I'm another guy who deeply enjoyed Ender's Game but hates Card's political views), but sometimes the knowledge that they aren't/weren't the best of people affects me all the same. Best example for me is Hunter S. Thompson. Super interesting guy and I readily recognize his contributions to the literary and journalistic world, but after reading Gonzo, his biography, I found out how abusive he was to his first wife and a number of other people he knew. I try and enjoy his work otherwise, but his misdeeds cast a bit of a shadow on my heart every time I read something he wrote.

[mich2491]

I have made it through a few books then found out more about the author afterwards and have not gone back to read another book of theirs. I mean Hitler wrote a book really goes to show that anybody can do it and you might never even know you read A book from A jerk of a person.

[Circling Turtle]

I try to seperate a writer/artist from their views, otherwise I would have to discount so many people... T.S Eliot, for example, was a raving anti-semite, but he is still my favourite poet! And artists like Gauguin and Picasso, well... Total jerks. Gauguin was a misogynistic, colonialist paedophile but he did have a major impact on art history. Although come to think of it, I enjoyed his art a lot less once I found out details about his personal life... And as for Orson Scott Card, an example used several times on this thread, he used to be one of my favourite sci-fi authors before I found out about his political views. I still appreciate his work but I can't help picking up on the subtext now. So I guess my answer is it depends. Not much of an answer.

[johappy]

I prefer to read a book without knowing anything about the author. If I do, the book seems tainted by their views and such. Lol.

[DennisK]

Our sensitivities have changed over time. I don't think it would be realistic to judge someone from the past using our current standards of behavior. For example, those of us who enjoy a good steak dinner, today, may be thought of as something of a cannibal by those who will be living in our future. For those authors living today, I would hope that their works would be judged on their own. There is a message with each work, and with each message comes the old adage: Don't shoot the messenger!

[laurelinarien]

I think too many authors would fail the "have you ever been a dick?" test, so no, it doesn't bother me. The work is like the baby of the writer, a separate entity to me.

[Seabrooke78]

Actually, there is an author that I loved once upon time that I no longer read because of her personal beliefs. She took a very offensive stance on an issue of tremendous importance to my family, and I refuse to spend my money on her books. I wish she hadn't said the things she said because I really did enjoy her books, but I can't get past her attitude.

[DennisK]

A old adage: “Out of the mud grows the lotus.”
Should I put that beautiful flower under the heal of my boot because mud doesn't share my values or my prejudices?

[Melissa-C-Water]

I don't really keep up with the lives of novelists really. There are very few I know much about. I enjoy books for their content but don't keep up with the media.

[Thebookwonderland]

While reading a book, I try to focus only on the novel alone instead of the author. However, sometimes personal qualities of an author are brought into the book, which may then make me dislike the book. For example, if a really rude and egotistical author wrote a novel in which the main character was exactly like him/herself, it would not be enjoyable.