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Should you read a book even if the author is terrible?
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Knight
(last edited Jun 10, 2020 08:43AM)
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Jun 09, 2020 05:19PM
I've seen this discussion pop up time and time again. Some say it's okay to read books from them as long as you don't support them financially while others insist you shouldn't read them at all. I'm asking because there are some books I want to read but their authors weren't good people.
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sometimes writing makes people feel better about themselves which is something i always do when am feeling stressed or anxious.I just think that being a bad person doesn't mean your writings are bad or influence people to do bad stuff.i believe in second chances because this is what makes the world a better place.
I also agree with Heba. You can also borrow a book from the library instead of buying it so the author won't get commission or profit off of it. And I don't really like to bring this up, but please read the Harry Potter series even though JK Rowing isn't a very good person. It's worth it, I promise.
A couple of months ago, I found out something about Mackenzi Lee, author of Loki: Where Mischief Lies, that weren't that great. However I already owned the book and have for nearly a year. So, I'm still going to read it. No use leaving a book go unread just because the author did something I didn't agree with.
@Evelyn I’ve waited to read the HP novels for so long, finally borrowed the first one from an online library last month, only to debate now if I should... Thanks for your input!
I think everyone has something to teach us. "No life is wasted. There is always a bad example."
Additionally, some books are like living history. They provide a snapshot into a time or a mindset. We read them to not repeat past mistakes.
From a further more intellectual thought process: there is an author--> perceived author --> narrator --> perceived narrator ---> reader with personal biases. It's more about how you read, interpret and understand the text than it is about the author nearly five levels removed.
That being said, if you dont wan't to financially support an author that you perceive to be a terrible person, don't.
@Knight Of Yeah, I've had the same dilemma. I've been wanting to read Ender's game, but I heard the author didn't really support the LGBTQ+ community and was actually donating money to organizations that "cured" you from being gay. I didn't know what to do then, because I didn't feel like supporting a person that did things like that. But as someone said earlier, I could just borrow it from the library or read it online, so the author doesn't get commission. I just don't think it's fair to us readers to deny ourselves the pleasure of a good book just because the author is a bad person. We can still read it and not support the author. Hope that helped;)
It depends. If their bad life reflects in their writing, then yes! Bit if it doesn’t, then no.Examples:
I still Joshua Harris even though I disagree with his recent divorce, renunciation of Christianity, and new lifestyle
I have quit reading Phillipa Gregory due to her avowed liberalism and her inclusion of graphic sexual scenes and infanticide in her books.
I have quit reading Beth Moore and Jen Hatmaker due to their unbiblical stances on some cultural issues.
I still read Karen Kingsbury but skip over her unchristian kissing scenes.
@ClaraBelle yeah I totally agree ...and I don't know why but as soon as I saw this question one person comes to my mind...yean none other than JK ROWLING I mean I know she have been horrible lately but please HARRY POTTER is a master piece.
How do you define "terrible"? One person's "terrible" is another person's "OK." If you find the author's "offenses" so "terrible" you can't stand him or her, then don't read the book. Otherwise, go ahead and read it.
Just because a person is "terrible" doesn't mean they can't write good stories.
I read good books, regardless. They have to do much worse than disagree with my opinion to make me boycott them. A lot of the older (including dead) authors I've really enjoyed have turned out to have scandal of one kind or another.
I know this is a HOT topic these days because of J.K.R. But, I do believe Harry Potter is a masterpiece and one of my favorite series. I'm not going to stop liking the book, the characters and the story, just because the author decided to share her opinion about certain topic and people don't agree...
I don't know about you, but when I go to buy books, I look at the cover, I read the plot and If I'm interested in the story, I buy the book...if I read it and love it, I want to have merchandise related to the book... but not once I made my decision based on the authors name... I just don't care who wrote it... I care about the story.
I don't follow authors for their lives, I follow some of them for their books... Even now I don't know anything about J.K.R. or any famous author. I know their work, because I want to read those books and that's enough for me.
Find free ebooks/audiobooks of the internet (only for authors that you don’t want to give your money to) don’t deprive yourself of the work. Try to separate the artist and the work.
I'd recommend going to the library. Most "free" versions of books on the internet (that aren't on amazon or ibooks) are pirated. Even if you dislike an author, you shouldn't pirate their work. Plus, libraries are amazing places. You can even borrow ebooks!
My country unfortunately doesn't have many libraries. The one closest to me takes about 3 hours to go and get back from, and doesn't have ebooks. I guess I can't feel bad over pirating a transphobes work.
Most pirating doesn't hurt rich artists (authors, musicians etc)... it hurts the editors and cover artists.. the hundreds of other people that work on these projects.I just don't read the books of authors I can't/won't support.
I think that there are two main things to consider when dealing with this topic. supporting the author and unintentionally adopting their bias.Supporting the author:
If the author has done something that you would feel bad enough contributing to their financial gain, then you can read the book by checking it out from your local library (libraries often have ways to check out ebooks too!). Sometimes ebooks are available for free online through give aways or digital libraries. You could also borrow it from some one you know who owns it. You should also keep in mind that authors will get cuts of movies, official video content on YouTube and official merchandise. They also will usually make ad revenue from their websites. These are all things to consider - personally how I react depends on what the author did that I consider bad.
Unintentionally adopting their bias:
This is what I think is most important to consider, especially when what makes the author problematic is political in nature. Many people I know believe that it is possible to separate the author from their writings but I don't think you can entirely. This isn't to say you shouldn't read their works but while you read, be aware of the author's biases. Reading someone's writings is taking a glimpse into the lens through which they view the world and if you are not careful you will end up wearing their glasses.
Dalila wrote: "I'm not going to stop liking the book, the characters and the story, just because the author..."Exactly! Some of my old favorite stories were written by authors with far worse scandal coming out years later, but the worst of them, Marion Zimmer Bradley, was dead when it all came out and I'm not burning my Darkover books!
R.R. wrote: "I'd recommend going to the library. Most "free" versions of books on the internet (that aren't on amazon or ibooks) are pirated. Even if you dislike an author, you shouldn't pirate their work. "I agree with this! And even if the library charges a small fee to order in a book you want to read, that goes to the library, not the author.
I’m sure everyone has skeletons in their closet that not everyone knows about.
Jennifer wrote: "I’m sure everyone has skeletons in their closet that not everyone knows about."So true... and when they get found out - it's a can of worms! :-)
Marion Zimmer Bradley's case is complicated, though. This isn't about disagreeing with her stance on religion or politics. Her children came out and stated very clearly that she'd abused them. Would you support a convicted rapist because they were a good writer? I agree with the people who say that getting a book from the library is fine because you're not contributing to their estate, but I would never actually buy another MZB book again, even from a third party.
This is a hard one for me, because I tend not to know much about authors' personal lives unless it's something I've seen going around on twitter or booktube. So if I've already purchased their books in the past or can get them from the library, I'll probably still give them a shot one day. Most controversial authors are people whose books I'm not interested in anyway, with the exception of Cassandra Clare, who I started reading not knowing about the plagiarism allegations, etc. I still love her books, but I no longer preorder them or get that excited for them.
I wasn't planning on reading anything from authors like Orson Scott Card, Nicholas Sparks, and Meredith Russo just because they aren't my thing to begin with, and I'm happy to continue NOT giving my money to JKR because I've always felt like she was a bad person and the Harry Potter series is ridiculously overrated anyway. At least the other authors are trying to keep their skeletons in the closet; it's like she's going out of the way to offend as many people as possible.
Farren wrote: "This is a hard one for me, because I tend not to know much about authors' personal lives unless it's something I've seen going around on twitter or booktube. So if I've already purchased their book..."Why is J.K. Rowling a bad person? I haven't heard anything about this so I'd appreciate it if someone would tell me what she's done. Thanks!
Rachel Adiyah wrote: "Why is J.K. Rowling a bad person? I haven't heard anything about this so I'd appreciate it if someone would tell me what she's done. Thanks!"J.K. Rowling (and the Harry Potter Series in general) have said/done a lot of insensitive and politically tone-deaf things in regards to race and the LGBT community. The most recent scandal was in regards to her tweeting transphobic things and associating with known transphobes. This isn't her first scandal regarding her saying problematic things, and there are several issues within the books themselves as well, which is why I always just emphasize being aware of bias when you're reading. These types of conversations I think are best had one-on-one due to them being political in nature and knowing not everyone has the same opinions I would hate to rustle some feathers in the forums. I'm more than happy to discuss it more with you (or anyone else curious) over DM if you would like.
This is something that I have been thinking about lately. I generally don't know to much about authors personal lives and I must admit that I make no effort to find out. I have made the decision to no longer read James Patterson given his recent remarks, nor would I read them from the library.This is a really personal choice and it is really interesting to see what other people think.
Personally I try not to let authors actions determine what I read. Every book has a lesson in it, even the older you get you still learn. Even if the lesson is how a "terrible" persons imagination is. Now what I will not do is read a book that is pro whatever the author is against. They are not be truthful at that point. I have known several different kinds of horrible human beings in my lifetime, but I learned something from all of them. How not to be, is the best lesson to learn and only the most terrible of us can teach that.An example, I had a surgeon once, his bedaide manner was horrendous but he was an amazing surgeon. Would I go back to him for another mandatory surgery? Yes, I definitely would. His bedside manner does not effect his surgical knowledge.
Read, read, read but learn also. Know that some of the things you may read may represent who they wish they were instead of who they have unfortunately turned out to be.
But I also say this while I refuse to read anything about sexual abuse of a child. Really sexual abuse period. And the reason behind that is, what is that author secretly hidding, to be able to write and feel comfortable enough to put that into words and send out into the world.
Yh I agree with crystal..sometimes reading isn't just a hobby; you can learn so much too
What did Mackenzi Lee do? I haven't heard.
Also, what was it about Meredith Russo?
It depends on whether or not they promote their badness in their books. If they do, then personally I think it’s wrong to read. If they don’t, no.
I suppose I didn't ask clearly enough, sorry. People in this thread mentioned that Mackenzi Lee and Meredith Russo did something "terrible". I haven't heard that before. What did they do?
Tiffany wrote: "I suppose I didn't ask clearly enough, sorry. People in this thread mentioned that Mackenzi Lee and Meredith Russo did something "terrible". I haven't heard that before. What did they do?"Wondering that too??
Rachel Adiyah wrote: "Farren wrote: "This is a hard one for me, because I tend not to know much about authors' personal lives unless it's something I've seen going around on twitter or booktube. So if I've already purch..."She tweeted harsh things about transgenders.
Joanne wrote: "This is something that I have been thinking about lately. I generally don't know to much about authors personal lives and I must admit that I make no effort to find out. I have made the decision to..."What did Patterson do? I haven’t heard.
Crystal wrote: "Personally I try not to let authors actions determine what I read. Every book has a lesson in it, even the older you get you still learn. Even if the lesson is how a "terrible" persons imagination ..."Didn’t understand your comment. Are you saying you won’t read the little girl’s testimony about disgraced sports doctor, David Nasser?
Bax wrote: "Rachel Adiyah wrote: "Why is J.K. Rowling a bad person? I haven't heard anything about this so I'd appreciate it if someone would tell me what she's done. Thanks!"J.K. Rowling (and the Harry Pott..."
Don’t like or read Harry Potter so don’t really follow what JK Rowling says or does.
ClaraBelle wrote: "It depends. If their bad life reflects in their writing, then yes! Bit if it doesn’t, then no.Examples:
I still Joshua Harris even though I disagree with his recent divorce, renunciation of Chri..."
I agree with you on these authors
Tiffany wrote: "I suppose I didn't ask clearly enough, sorry. People in this thread mentioned that Mackenzi Lee and Meredith Russo did something "terrible". I haven't heard that before. What did they do?"I have no idea either…?!
Rachel Adiyah wrote: "Marion Zimmer Bradley's case is complicated, though. This isn't about disagreeing with her stance on religion or politics. Her children came out and stated very clearly that she'd abused them. Woul..."Thank you for the warning. I won’t read MZB then.
So I looked up those authors I was wondering about(Mackenzi Lee and Meredith Russo) and here's what they did (in case someone else was curious too.)Mackenzi Lee signed the books of authors of color as if they were her own books, sometimes crossing out the names of the actual authors.
Meredith Russo physically and sexually abused her ex-wife and lied about it.
Tiffany wrote: "So I looked up those authors I was wondering about(Mackenzi Lee and Meredith Russo) and here's what they did (in case someone else was curious too.)Mackenzi Lee signed the books of authors of col..."
Thanks, I won’t read them then!
I'm getting Meredith Russo's book out of my To-read shelf immediately, but I like Mackenzi Lee's works. Her book The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy is one of my favorite books. But I won't support such behavior. I just have to hope that I can get the third book to the one I mentioned at the library so I don't financially support the author.
I've read books written by terrible people or people with whom I don't share much of their opinions and I don't regret it. La ciudad y los perros is a really nice novel and I've learnt a lot from it. It's always the same with other examples as HP. I think we should separate person from author from book.They are who they are. They show themselves and are perceived differently, as any other public figure. The art they make is different each piece from another and these are perceived differently by each person and each moment. That's what's wonderful about literature, isn't it?
Eco said "a novel is a machine of different interpretations", why should we hold back from playing the game fully?
So, read anything you want. And if you don't want to support that author, borrow the book (and upload it so anyone can read it for free).
I said I intended to read one of those authors' books from a library. The other author I didn't want to read all that much anyway, and what she did is so disgusting I am not touching her works. I'm not trying to start a fight, Aurora, but if you were addressing me in particular, I feel you were talking down to me and telling me to do exactly what I said I would do.
I don't understand the bit about uploading a book. Is that even legal?
No! I’m definitely a reader that doesn’t want to read any books written by problematic authors. Sorry, I’m just one of those people unable to separate fiction creations and the writer behind them. If I’ve read something in the past by a problematic author (ie something comes to light) I withdraw my support for those books immediately. However, it’s very important that no one is SHAMED because of having this mindset as a reader.
I agree with Alice-Elizabeth more than I do Aurora. I just can't stand the thought of reading a book by a really horrible author, but I won't withdraw support from a book I read in the past by a problematic author. So I'm sort of in the middle.
For me, if I have already read a book by an author not knowing if they are problematic or if they are problematic after I read the book I can separate book from the story, however in my reviews I will mention the authors problematic.If an author is problematic and I know about I won't read the book unless I really want to because I am not interested in supporting a problematic author when there are so many other authors I can support.
I don't actually research authors and their personal lives. Just because i don't care. I choose a book based on premise and reviews. Never once i have looked up author and his/hers personal life choices. They never factor in my choice of what to read. Heck, for most part i don't even know the gender ,nationality or home country of authors. If a book i read is particularly good, i may look up author by name to find out other works. Or if the book is bad or contains unsavoury views for me, i make note for myself to avoid accidentally choosing another work of that author. That’s basically the full scope of my interests in authors. Why should authors personal life choices impact mine?
I don't find out stuff about authors...I rarely even remember what the name of the author for the book I'm reading is. It's just not something I check. If I enjoy a book I'll buy it and read it.
