[bartread]

> I usually find artwork that accompanies a text to be distracting. I love reading work that can stand on its own, invoking images in the mind.

But the images are a part of the work, not separate from it, no?[0]

You might have a preference against that, which is absolutely fine, but I think you're making an artificial distinction.

[0] There's obviously a separate conversation to be had about how much that part contributes or detracts with any such work, but the point stands that I tend to view such works as all of a piece including all constituent parts.