ionabookortwo 's review for:

Monsters: What Do We Do With Great Art By Bad People? by Claire Dederer

3.0

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Monsters by Claire Dederer is a biographical collection of some of the best artists, and worst people of our time. The book takes us through several notable “artists” - from Hemingway and Picasso, to J.K. Rowling and Virgina Woolf and contrasts their beloved and revered works with their moral failings. 

I found this book an incredibly interesting read. It really made me consider my own “deal breakers” when it comes to the artists and writers whose work I want to consume. In particular, it made me consider where my “red line” was - which crimes could artists commit which I would excuse? Which crimes blacklisted them for me? 

Claire also makes a great point about the way gender shapes the “monster”. For women in history, she considers, the greatest, most monstrous thing a female artist can do is to put her pursuit of artistic greatness above her children and family. Of course, the same cannot be said for male artists, whose abandonment of family life is seen as essential and necessary in the pursuit of greatness. 

If you are looking for practical answers on what to do about the art you consume, well you won’t find it here. Instead, Claire almost rejects the notion that there is actually any point in trying - to her, your individual decisions as a consumer will make very little impact.

This is where the book loses me a bit… I think for me, I still want to consider that tiny impact that my consumption will make.

However, I do agree with this book that we are all hypocrites when it comes to decisions about which art we consume - or rather, we are all human, much like the monstrous artists that the book features. 

The decisions and feelings we have about art and the artist are deeply personal, and are shaped by our life experiences. While I personally will never buy another Harry Potter branded item again, this book helped me have some semblance of understanding for those who still consume her work - even in my identity as a lesbian, married to a nonbinary person. Who is to say that my “red line” is any better than theirs?