Quote:
Originally Posted by MGlitch
So here's a question.
If, as Issy seemed to imply, no good deed such as a book that people get enjoyment from reading, can act as a means of redemption for that author why allow them to be members of society if they're still among the living? They've already doomed themselves to a life of condemnation and shame with no hope of redemption/reformation.
Personally I believe that redemption is possible, while no act can totally wipe away acts such as child abuse, especially if it's of a sexual nature, humans are not just a single aspect of their lives. And while a book, or several books, will certainly not wash their hands clean it should still be taken as a measure of the person they were/are.
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I believe the same. Not that I read books by problematic authors because I believe that it's specifically these books which redeem them. I read the books because in my mind the person of the author and his/her creation are two separate things. One influences the other, of course, but they're not the same to me.
Speaking of redemption, a mystery author Anne Perry comes to mind. I admit I didn't read her books before becoming aware of her history; I came upon an article mentioning her and bought a few of her novels after learning about her crime (historical mysteries being one of my favorite genres). Do I think her novels redeem what she did? No. But they're still good books, in my opinion.