King Arthur Movie Tristan

This Weekly Geeks post is actually last weeks topic, which I missed. I think this is a really interesting topic. It's about our reactions to our favorite authors private lives and opinions:

So I have been pondering the issues of whether it is possible to separate an author's non-writing life from the books they produce and thought I'd throw these questions over to you. Feel free to answer one or more of these and give examples if you have them.

Does an author's politics matter to you? Do you have a favourite book or series written by someone you know to be your political opposite? Or have you stopped reading works by a particular author after discovering that their politics was radically different from your own?

What about their personality? Have you ever stopped reading an author's work after seeing or hearing them talk because you didn't like what you saw or heard?
And how about that secret past? How would you feel if you found out your favourite author was a murderer or some other kind of criminal?

I do like to google the authors I'm currently reading to find out a bit more about them. And sometimes the information I find isn't all too appealing, but other times I find out a favorite author seems to be really nice person. I do tend to be put off by an author who comes across as being mean or arrogant. I really don't mind if they have different political views, to each his own. And secret pasts intrigue me! I haven't read an author who was once a criminal. If I did find out that a favorite author was a criminal, I don't think I would stop reading their work, but it would depend on the crime of course.





When I started reading H.P. Lovecraft, I googled and discovered he was a racist, which he shows through some of his works, such as The Call of Cthulhu and Herbert West–Reanimator (i've read both and did find some offensive lines). His personal letters also include racist remarks. Did I stop reading Lovecraft? I did finish the short story collection, but I haven't picked him up since.


Then there's Dean Koontz, who is one of my favorites and who grew up having a traumatic childhood living with an alcoholic father.
He lived past all that and is now a well loved and respected author. He and his wife actively donate to a charitable organization that provides service dogs for people with disabilities called Canine Companions for Independence. I think that's really nice.


Jane Austen didn't conform to social expectations of her time. She had a mind of her own and she didn't want to stay at home raising children married to a man she didn't truly love. All of this shows through her work and to this day she is an author who is loved by many and whose work stands the test of time.




I haven't read Lewis Carroll, but have heard some not so nice rumors about him. And I do think that's the main reason I haven't picked him up yet even though his work is loved by many. But maybe the rumors are not true, and I'm missing out on reading something fantastic.




What about you? How do you react to an authors private lives and opinions? Do you care or does it not matter?