Monsters by Claire Dederer
Dederer begins with the almost insurmountable task of examining the notion of separating the art from the artist by throwing up Roman Polanski as the first under the microscope. But very quickly, and with intention, we turn to Woody Allen, German composer Wagner, and Pablo Picasso, whose tanned torso is featured on the cover. The short detour to David Bowie or Michael Jackson. Time spent talking about Miles Davis or Ernest Hemingway. Bill Cosby. And then there are the men she doesn't mention, but who clearly spring to mind. You probably have your own list.
Dederer also covers female monstrosity, and what that — more often than not — means and looks like, especially when the woman is a mother. How that compares with male monstrosity. How and where history and society draws the lines that dissect these artists from their darker acts.
Monsters delves with an unflinching voice into the validity of looking at the artists' works through a squeaky clean lens. Is this a disservice in any way? Who gets to decide what's acceptable and what isn't? In a world now subjected quite quickly and quite easily to a cancel culture of hard lines and soapbox voices, are we forgetting to look at the darker aspects of human beings as the creatures they are? The same human who created some of the greatest films in cinematic history is the very monster who raped a 13-year-old girl in the 70s and has lived abroad ever since to avoid prosecution in the United States.
This undeniably complex topic, with no true correct or incorrect answer, is honestly and doggedly examined in Monsters. Dederer asks important questions, posits possible answers, and tries to harvest the moral wisdom from a hard look at where facts and honesty bump up against the completely subjective intake of everything art. In the end, Monsters sets up a clearer path for determining what you have to work out for yourself and what you're willing or unwilling to overlook.
Audiobook, as narrated by the author: Going with the author here was definitely a win. Dederer, who should most obviously have a firm grasp on the topic, also delivers her message in a strong voice. As with most memoir made up of essays, or pieces of essays, if the author is a good speaker, they should read their own words.
