What Are You (Not) Reading Wednesday

[shipperx]

Not doing the Meme because I'm not reading anything at the moment, but seeing a few things on the sign-in page brought to mind a question.

While scrolling through my Amazon recs, I saw Marion Zimmer Bradley's books pop up and shuddered.

So my question is, how does the knowledge about the real-life person behind a book influence whether or not you read their books?

I admit that though I once read a Scott Orson Card book before I knew anything about him, I now find that I refuse to read anything that he has written.  Now, despite Mists of Avalon, the same applies to Marion Zimmer Bradley.  I just can't read her work.  Ever.  I won't.  ::shudder::

Is this a strange reaction?  (I hope not)

Should the author's real life invalidate their work?

If so there are tons of past artists that this standard could apply to.  Or is it perfectly okay to be so disgusted with someone's real life* such that you discard their work out of hand without even examining it because... ew.  And because they don't deserve the consideration.



*  Issues with Scott Orson Card are explained here and here  

Issues with Marion Zimmer Bradley here. (I cannot find the original article that gave me shudders and chills, so that'll have to do) 

Comments

[flake-sake.livejournal.com]

Interesting statement, because of course Plato is usually put in the context of his times, when misogyny and pedophilia were commonplace and accepted. It's appalling and disgusting to modern Western people, but he's usually given a pass because, well, ancient times.

There were also contemporaries of Plato that had a high regard for women, so I'm not inclined to let him off the hook. But still, Plato is nothing I'd read to lose myself in it. And of course he is not getting any money from my reading him.

I guess I would read political texts by pretty much everyone, even if it is just to be disgusted by them.
But fantasies? I'd rather hang in the head of people I don't find to have been horrible.