>Also, I am not sure how much the testimony of the creator of the
>work of art is relevant here.
I'm a big death of the author fan, but, as you say, it doesn't mean that the creator's voice is irrelevant, but it is another voice to be considered in any critique.
>In everyday life we may actually show our love, but art often can let loose
>with our hate. Chase or Dostoevsky may create repulsive, engagingly hateful
>characters embedded in compulsive stories in their art, and yet still "love"
>the people who those characters are based upon.
That's what I was getting at, the thin line between love and hate and all that, especially with family. That's one reason I love the Sopranos so much. It portrays the tension of family life so well.
And I'll say it one more time, it's funny as hell.