Click for Source Image By Emma Raymond
Across the world, books are banned for many different reasons which vary from country to country. Today, we shall be looking at my top 10 books that have been banned around the world.
Across the world, books are banned for many different reasons which vary from country to country. Today, we shall be looking at my top 10 books that have been banned around the world.
Click for Source Image 10. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (1999)
What’s it about? A sensitive, introverted teenager named Charlie enduring the universal trials and tribulations of his freshman year in high school, whilst also having to cope with the deaths of his best friend and aunt. It sounds bleak, but it’s also wryly amusing.
Why was it banned? It has been withdrawn from libraries all across America because it depicts drug and alcohol use, as well as sexually explicit scenes.
Why it deserves a spot in the top 10: Chbosky said it is ‘for anyone who’s felt like an outcast’, and the book perfectly captures the misery, elation, insecurity and abandon of adolescence.
What’s it about? A sensitive, introverted teenager named Charlie enduring the universal trials and tribulations of his freshman year in high school, whilst also having to cope with the deaths of his best friend and aunt. It sounds bleak, but it’s also wryly amusing.
Why was it banned? It has been withdrawn from libraries all across America because it depicts drug and alcohol use, as well as sexually explicit scenes.
Why it deserves a spot in the top 10: Chbosky said it is ‘for anyone who’s felt like an outcast’, and the book perfectly captures the misery, elation, insecurity and abandon of adolescence.
Click for Source Image 9. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (1884)
What’s it about? A daring rapscallion of a boy, his friend Jim, (a run-away slave), and their exploits whilst voyaging down the Mississippi river by raft.
Why was it banned? An American (again) library banned the novel in 1885 on grounds relating to its ‘offensive’ language. Its frequent use of racial slurs satirised the deeply racist society in the deep south of the USA, but many have interpreted the book as derogatory towards African Americans.
Why it deserves a spot: It’s an occasionally moving and often hilarious book whose real focus is far weightier and more profound than its whimsical style and childish focus would suggest.
What’s it about? A daring rapscallion of a boy, his friend Jim, (a run-away slave), and their exploits whilst voyaging down the Mississippi river by raft.
Why was it banned? An American (again) library banned the novel in 1885 on grounds relating to its ‘offensive’ language. Its frequent use of racial slurs satirised the deeply racist society in the deep south of the USA, but many have interpreted the book as derogatory towards African Americans.
Why it deserves a spot: It’s an occasionally moving and often hilarious book whose real focus is far weightier and more profound than its whimsical style and childish focus would suggest.
Click for Source Image 8. The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie (1988)
What’s it about? Two Indian actors called Gibreel and Saladin who miraculously survive a plane hijacking over the English channel. The novel then traces their contrasting lives subsequent to this event.
Why was it banned? Not only was this controversial novel banned in India, but it earned its author a death sentence. Ayatollah Komeini issued a fatwa on Rushdie because the book contained references that were deemed blasphemous by many muslims.
Why it deserves a spot: Though the most notorious of Rushdie’s novels, and full of his thrilling trademarks: magical realism, vibrant language and themes of cultural difference; Rushdie’s genius is most clearly displayed in another great novel, Midnight’s Children, a book oft paralleled with its setting, India, for its intense richness, stylistic diversity, and sprawling size.
What’s it about? Two Indian actors called Gibreel and Saladin who miraculously survive a plane hijacking over the English channel. The novel then traces their contrasting lives subsequent to this event.
Why was it banned? Not only was this controversial novel banned in India, but it earned its author a death sentence. Ayatollah Komeini issued a fatwa on Rushdie because the book contained references that were deemed blasphemous by many muslims.
Why it deserves a spot: Though the most notorious of Rushdie’s novels, and full of his thrilling trademarks: magical realism, vibrant language and themes of cultural difference; Rushdie’s genius is most clearly displayed in another great novel, Midnight’s Children, a book oft paralleled with its setting, India, for its intense richness, stylistic diversity, and sprawling size.
Click for Source Image 7. The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka (1915)
What’s it about? A guy called Gregor Samsa who wakes up one morning having transformed into a hideous, monster-sized insect,*shudder*, and must come to terms with being repulsive to even his closest relations.
Why was it banned? Kafka refused to write in Czech, choosing German instead. As a result his work was banned by the totalitarian regimes of Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia.
Why it deserves a spot: It’s a tale that explores the nihilistic and despairing mindset of an outcast, believed to be based on Kafka’s own feelings whilst he suffered from insomnia. The specific type of creature that Gregor turns into has been much speculated on; Vladimir Nabokov concluded that it is a beetle with wings under its shell whilst other suggestions include cockroach and dung beetle. Whichever, the beast is a compelling amalgam of skin-crawling and tragic.
What’s it about? A guy called Gregor Samsa who wakes up one morning having transformed into a hideous, monster-sized insect,*shudder*, and must come to terms with being repulsive to even his closest relations.
Why was it banned? Kafka refused to write in Czech, choosing German instead. As a result his work was banned by the totalitarian regimes of Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia.
Why it deserves a spot: It’s a tale that explores the nihilistic and despairing mindset of an outcast, believed to be based on Kafka’s own feelings whilst he suffered from insomnia. The specific type of creature that Gregor turns into has been much speculated on; Vladimir Nabokov concluded that it is a beetle with wings under its shell whilst other suggestions include cockroach and dung beetle. Whichever, the beast is a compelling amalgam of skin-crawling and tragic.
Click for Source Image 6. Animal Farm by George Orwell (1945)
What’s it about? In a dystopian world where farm animals revolt against the cruelty of Mr. Jones the farmer, two pigs by the names of Napoleon and Snowball assume responsibility. Initially the commandment “All animals are equal” governs their actions, but soon the pigs begin to resemble the depraved humans they despised so much.
Why was it banned? Perhaps due to its portrayal of corrupt political leadership, or perhaps because of Orwell’s own political agenda, the novel has faced many challenges and bans since its publication in 1945. As recently as 2002, Animal Farm was banned in the UAE for contradicting ‘Islamic values.’
Why it deserves a spot: It’s a highly entertaining and disturbing criticism of Stalinism and an excellent piece of satire in which Orwell by his own admission fuses “artistic purpose” with “political purpose” to an exceedingly readable and enjoyable result.
What’s it about? In a dystopian world where farm animals revolt against the cruelty of Mr. Jones the farmer, two pigs by the names of Napoleon and Snowball assume responsibility. Initially the commandment “All animals are equal” governs their actions, but soon the pigs begin to resemble the depraved humans they despised so much.
Why was it banned? Perhaps due to its portrayal of corrupt political leadership, or perhaps because of Orwell’s own political agenda, the novel has faced many challenges and bans since its publication in 1945. As recently as 2002, Animal Farm was banned in the UAE for contradicting ‘Islamic values.’
Why it deserves a spot: It’s a highly entertaining and disturbing criticism of Stalinism and an excellent piece of satire in which Orwell by his own admission fuses “artistic purpose” with “political purpose” to an exceedingly readable and enjoyable result.
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