I recently read A Yellow Raft in Blue Water by Michael Dorris, a novel that deals exclusively with a Native American family and their various internal and external struggles. There was one instance of pedophilia in the book.
Dorris himself professed to be part Native American, though there is little proof of this claim. He committed suicide during a scandal in which he was accused of sexually abusing one of his daughters.
That being said, how much does your knowledge of an author's life contribute to your reading? Could you still enjoy this book, given Dorris' questionable actions? Can you separate the work from the artist?
3 comments:
I have a hard time separating what I know about the author from his work. Had I not read about his life beforehand, I think I would have enjoyed the book more.
Honestly, I try not to read too much about an author until after I've read their book, in part because I am lazy but also for this reason. I find that it influences my experience of a book.
Even "safe" authors may cause some rethinking. I read a biography of L.M. Alcott in which I found out that she disliked writing the sweet "girl" novels she's known for (for example Little Women) and much preferred writing thrillers. She did not particularly like "Little Women" herself. I'm glad I didn't know this before I read it! But it still makes me look at the book differently.
I'd have to say that reading a book will lead me to learn more about the author's life - IF I liked the book. Otherwise I don't think I would bother reading about the author. Although, I did read about Wilkie Collins before I read A Woman In White, mainly because it was there on PAGE 1.
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