The Monsters Behind The Masterpieces

Literary genius doesn't always come with morality, even if that's what they write about. Some of history’s greatest writers penned words that changed the world while living lives that were anything but admirable. From fascist sympathizers to violent abusers, here are five authors whose terrible actions in life cast a dark shadow over their legacy forever.

Alvin Langdon Coburn on Wikimedia

1. Ezra Pound

Ezra Pound was a brilliant poet and a major figure in the early modernist poetry movement; however, he was also an unapologetic fascist sympathizer. He openly supported Benito Mussolini's regime in Italy and expressed admiration for Hitler. He was even charged with treason for a pro-Axis radio broadcast during WWII.

Walter Mori (Mondadori Publishers) on Wikimedia

2. H.P. Lovecraft

H.P. Lovecraft's imagination reshaped the horror genre. However, he was extremely racist. His letters and stories reveal openly xenophobic, antisemitic, and white supremacist beliefs that continue to tarnish his legacy.

Unknown author on Wikimedia

3. William S. Burroughs

William S. Burroughs was a Beat Generation icon who wrote some of the most candid, boundary-pushing books of the 1950s. However, he also "accidentally" murdered his wife during a drunken game and was a heroin addict.

Chuck Patch on Wikimedia

4. Norman Mailer

Norman Mailer was one of the US's most acclaimed novelists of the postwar era, but he was also a notorious misogynist with a violent temper. He stabbed his wife at a party, nearly killing her, and spent years defending his actions.

Gotfryd, Bernard, photographer on Wikimedia

5. Jean-Jacques Rousseau

One of the most prominent Enlightenment voices and the philosopher behind The Social Contract, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, preached about virtue and morality. This is incredibly ironic considering he abandoned all five of his children at orphanages.

Maurice Quentin de La Tour on Wikimedia