Recently I've been thinking about "problematic" books, specifically the ones I have owned and read. I've been thinking about what I should do with them. I wanted to discuss my feelings on the matter and if I think I should chuck them or keep them.
It's very easy for something to become problematic. More often than not, it is because the book or author is problematic. But what do you do when you have bought these books or read them? When I read A Gentlemen's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee, I don't think it was considered a problematic book. There was definitely content in it, that at the time due to my age and lack of awareness, I didn't pick up on as being problematic. However, since then, Mackenzi Lee has become to be known as a problematic author, partly due to her signing other people's books during the pandemic and accusations of using trans people as plot devices. I loved AGGTVAV when I read it. I thought it was a really good, fun book. I didn't enjoy the sequel, which is why I never carried on with the series. However, since all the accusations against Mackenzi Lee came out, I haven't felt good owning these books. It's only in the last month, I've decided that when I can get rid of my copies, I will.
It was partly this decision that sparked this blog post. Is it wrong to keep problematic books? Is it wrong to have enjoyed them in the first place, if you were unaware of them being problematic? The same goes for Call Me By Your Name. Since the film adaptation, a lot has been pointed out why this book is problematic. I've also decided to get rid of my copy, despite enjoying it at the time and enjoying the film. I don't feel good owning it. I also didn't like the sequel. I'm partly getting rid of it because of the problematic nature of it and because I really don't see myself reading it again. It can be so easy to just decide that something is problematic and severe ties with it. But that doesn't stop it being problematic. I think you can enjoy these books, as long as you realise what is wrong with them.
My most recent experience of this was reading Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. I had no idea that it was problematic at the time I purchased it, having picked it up because I saw it everywhere. Once it was brought to my attention, and I hadn't read it before I learnt this, I let it impact my reading experience. I felt wrong reading this book. A lot of this boils down to I felt wrong reading or keeping these books. I wanted to cleanse myself of them. Forget I ever owned or was associated with them. Harry Potter made me think about this a lot. I will always treasure my memories of Harry Potter, they were some incredible moments in my life and I'm not about to throw them away. However, I feel uncomfortable being associated with them. I barely talk about them or feature them on any of my platforms anymore. I will be getting rid of some of my merch pieces, but that's because I don't have space or a need for them anymore. I could very easily have packed up all my HP things and thrown them away.
I'm aware this post is very rambly and truthfully I'm not sure I have an answer to my own question. Is there a right way to handle problematic books? I think as long as you acknowledge they are problematic and make an effort to speak out against that, then you are doing something good. The books I am getting rid off, it is because I no longer have a strong attachment to them and because they are problematic, it's time for them to go. If you fail to acknowledge something is problematic, that is where the harm comes in. Sometimes it can be through pure lack of understanding. I had no idea of the problematic content when I was reading Gentlemen's Guide and Call Me By Your Name, partly because of my age and partly because discussions around these things were only just starting to happen. It's a question of morals and opinions. By no way, does it make you a bad person if one of these books is your favourite books. It shouldn't taint your feeling or experiences of them. Taking the time to acknowledge and educate yourselves on these issues takes time. I'm not trying to defend problematic books, but in an age when it becomes so easy for something to be deemed problematic, where do we draw the line? My advice would be to do what you think is best. If that's distancing yourself from them and getting rid of them, that's fine. If that's holding onto them, so long as you are able to understand what is wrong, that is also fine.
Carenza :) x
