7 Books That You Never Knew Were Banned
It is quite fascinating that some of the most famous books that we hail today were, in fact, banned when they were released. While some may be justified and make sense, you might even be more stunned to know about the reasons behind these bans. While most of these books were taken with a grain of salt because of the choice of words that infuriated a few people in the name of religion but it is still exciting to find out what wrong could a book commit. Let’s find out.
Fahrenheit 451 — Ray Bradbury
“There must be something in books, things we can’t imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You don’t stay for nothing.”
Ray Bradbury’s revolutionary dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451 is quite startling to be on this list. The main theme of the book was centered on Book Censorship and the possible world conditions due to its consequences. The book has, hence, been challenged and banned for the offensive language used in it and the description of bible burning also fueled these notions leading to a ban on the book in certain countries.
A Wrinkle in Time — Madeleine L’Engle
“To love is to be vulnerable; and it is only in vulnerability and risk — not safety and security — that we overcome darkness.”
Despite being a children’s book, A Wrinkle in Time was banned because some parents claimed the plot of the book to be complex for children. They argued that it presented mixed signals about what is good and what is evil, which should not be the case in children’s books. Witchcraft being presented in the book also added to its negatives by the parents. It is also recorded that someone challenged the book because, it mentioned Jesus Christ along with artists, philosophers, and scientists.
Of Mice and Men — John Steinbeck
“His ear heard more than what was said to him, and his slow speech had overtones not of thought, but of understanding beyond thought.”
Of Mice and Men is a novella set in the time of the Great Depression in the United States. Due to excessive use of violence and sexual content, the book was heavily criticized and was banned mostly because of the use of racism and vulgarity. Feminists still challenge the book because of its treatment of women. The book also had stark opinions on African- American women and on mentally disabled people that many people thought that this book should be banned.
1984 — George Orwell
“Doublethink means the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one’s mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them.”
1984 is another one of those dystopian novels that faced problems in public just like Fahrenheit 451 yet remained a classic nevertheless. This book has been challenged, censored, and later on banned from its political standpoint. The challengers argued about how pro-communism made its entry in the book. The sexual content and controversial social problems that were brought up in the light on several occasions contributed to the ban as well.
The Golden Compass — Philip Pullman
“That’s the duty of the old, to be anxious on behalf of the young. And the duty of the young is to scorn the anxiety of the old.”
Philip Pullman’s treatment of religion in his book The Golden Compass brought him in trouble time and again. The book not only suggested rather also tried to promote atheism. In this process, it bashed Christianity in a crude manner. Several interviews bear witness of Pullman’s beliefs in the existence of god and how it affected his writing of the book.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower — Stephen Chbosky
“There’s nothing like deep breaths after laughing that hard. Nothing in the world like a sore stomach for the right reasons.”
Even after being banned eleven times since 2002, The Perks of Being a Wallflower remains one of the most read and most loved books by people in the book community. It was mostly challenged by a section of readers who thought it was unfit for the target age group as it had explicit sexual content, masturbation, homosexuality, offensive language, and description of drugs and smoking. The book still is and will always be at a threat to land back in the ‘Banned’ list.
The Grapes of Wrath — John Steinback
“Our people are good people; our people are kind people. Pray to God some day kind people won’t all be poor.”
The Grape of Wrath is one of the greatest proletarian novels ever written. Even though it has been severely criticized by all sorts of people, from politicians to teachers to parents. The book was instantly banned upon its release as it exposed a very graphic portrayal of California’s working-class people and their working conditions. Some readers even went as far as to call it “libel and lie”.
Despite all these troubles, these books and their authors have proved their importance on our shelves and hence, they are widely read and equally praised by the community. Of course, the authors should keep in mind the age of their target audience and their maturity before describing certain scenes, at the same time, society should realize that banning a book because it hurt your sentiments or beliefs is not acceptable, only something that is really offensive should be considered to be banned. So next time, you decide to take a book with you on a trip, be careful, what if the book is banned in that place.
