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jayisreading's review
2.0
Graphic: Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, and Antisemitism
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Death, Transphobia, and Suicide
vouija's review against another edition
3.0
Moderate: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, and Antisemitism
chelseadoherty's review against another edition
4.0
Minor: Mental illness, Pedophilia, Incest, Sexual assault, Addiction, Abandonment, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Antisemitism, Domestic abuse, Self harm, Drug abuse, Racism, Religious bigotry, Mass/school shootings, Pandemic/Epidemic, Misogyny, and Suicide
rustproofbottom's review against another edition
4.75
at the top is a helluva swing at examining what we should do about the relationship between art we love (in all form and genre) & artist & our consumption of it in context of artists (overwhelmingly mostly men) that end up doing horrible things are could righteously be called gigantic pieces of sh+t... they are, monsters.
This is a topic that I've talked with friends about and never landing anywhere near anything that resembled a satisfying answer.
I feel like this could be 10,000 page book easily. Because this book is so much more than a take down of these people or a simple guide to rationalization. It's an open invitation to consider how your consumption of art can be a mirror into who you are. Not as a "we" or "us" that resents a broader group, culture, or society. But as individuals.
you are taken through a series of analyses and reflections that invite you to reflect on the intersection of the art that is being consumed, the artist's biography AND your own biography, not the idealic, sanitized version, the real, raw, warts and all version. The whole story - stains and all.
you're also invited to think broadly about the role of societal norms & expectations, pressures of late-stage capitalistic systems, and morals and virtues that are constantly evolving. How do they contribute to your own definition of self? How does art help inform that definition? How are your own beliefs & behaviors influenced by, caused by, supported by, identified with all of those?
Part philosophy. Part critical analysis. Part history lesson.
I love it because I was left with a ton of things to think about within myself. There's also not a prescriptive answer. There's not an empirical rubric to give a pass/fail too.
It is not a purity test. It's not transactional. It's not simple. It's relational, subjective, and evolving.
It's messy and complicated and terrible and beautiful.
Just like the human experience.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Rape, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Antisemitism, Addiction, Alcoholism, and Sexual harassment
This book examines dark, horrible behavior by people who caused a lot of harm to others sometimes with extreme violence. It is not presented in a way that is gratuitous or dramatized or dwell on them. It states supported facts plainly - which can be difficult to hear / read but is critical to the understanding the plain context of the intent of the book.tvishashah's review against another edition
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Self harm, Rape, Antisemitism, and Alcoholism
flissbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Minor: Abandonment, Sexual assault, Rape, Physical abuse, Racism, Transphobia, Antisemitism, Alcoholism, Pedophilia, and Child abuse
larajgriff1's review against another edition
3.0
However, I cannot fault the author for the book not being what I hoped. It is written very well and does make some good points about how these moments and artists affect us. Though in the middle of the book she seems to be "existential crisis-ing" in circles and it doesn't feel like there is momentum again until the last few chapters.
Graphic: Physical abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Violence, Sexual violence, Suicide, Racism, Abandonment, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abortion, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Antisemitism, Rape, Transphobia, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
this is a book about people who do terrible things. It is hard to avoid anything, but I did skip a full chapter because I was so uncomfortable with the crimes of an artist.hanhantap's review against another edition
2.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexism, Adult/minor relationship, Antisemitism, and Racism
Moderate: Sexual assault, Rape, and Pedophilia
kchamp's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Sexual violence, Rape, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Antisemitism, and Misogyny
jainabee's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Rape, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Self harm, Child abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Infidelity, Abandonment, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexism, Pedophilia, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Antisemitism, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Racism, Mental illness, Medical content, Gaslighting, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Alcoholism, Classism, Drug abuse, Cursing, Grief, Murder, Racism, War, Xenophobia, Genocide, and Hate crime
Minor: Drug use, Death of parent, Dysphoria, and Fire/Fire injury
I need to read this book again. And probably again.