To answer the general part of the question, rather than specifics about that book and author, authors, are often problematic because they’re just people, and people will have all kinds of views, or do all kinds of things, that are bad to some extent. Some worse than others of course.
In the end it’s up to you to decide if that taints their book too much for you to read.
Angel Clare in Tess of the d’Urbervilles. Screw Angel Clare. I’m still mad at him 30+ years after reading that book.