BTT: TMI

Suggested by Simon Thomas:

Have you ever been put off an author’s books after reading a biography of them? Or the reverse - a biography has made you love an author more?

Short answer: No and no.

Long rambly answer: I've never read a whole biography of an author but if I really like a book I'll probably have a quick look on the net to find out a bit about the genius behind it. I've learned a lot of things about authors that have made me think, 'man, he/she is cool!' I'm probably a bit selective about what I remember though - I'll pay more attention to things I find particularly awesome or things I have in common with the author (I have the same birthday as George R. R. Martin!).

I can still enjoy a book when there are things about the author I don't like. Sometimes it's older writers who had views that I think can be excused (to an extent) as being a 'product of their time.' Contemporary writers don't have that excuse so I'm sometimes a tad disappointed to find out an author whose books I love holds a political or moral position I disagree with but it doesn't really bother me that much. I certainly haven't learned anything horrifying enough to warrant boycotting books I like!

Things that make an author awesome don't help me to like their books. Everything I've heard about Terry Pratchett makes me think he must be pretty awesome but his writing just isn't my cup of tea. On the whole, authors seem to be a pretty wonderful bunch of people. I can think of quite a few who sound really cool although I don't really like their books.

I think that even without doing any extra reading about an author you learn a lot about them through their books. I often learn things about authors that don't surprise me at all (although the opposite happens too occasionally too). Anybody else find this?

I would guess that you're more likely to enjoy a book if you and the author are on the same 'wavelength' to a certain extent. Stories come from minds so it makes sense that if you love and really 'get' a story, you probably have a few things in common with the person who wrote it.

Happy BTT everyone! :-)

Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren't very new after all. Abraham Lincoln