A review by beccamarriner
Monsters: What do we do with great art by bad people? by Claire Dederer

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

4.0

At the beginning the author mentions a fictional calculator that could help us determine whether or not it is acceptable to consume the art of monsterous people. I was looking for this book to give me the answer instead as it’s a discussion I’ve been involved with since I was a music student. I loved the way it was written, sharing personal experience helped me feel less alone in the emotional conflict I feel, especially with artists I’ve grown up with. I think some chapters were misplaced, primarily about abandoning mothers, purely because I think the space could’ve been dedicated to female monsters with more harmful natures. It didn’t give me a definite answer as to how to approach the artworks but it made me feel like there was a safe space to share any feelings of guilt. 
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