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Actually the US has banned books from publication in the past: Tropic of Cancer was banned until the 1960s, Candide was banned in the 1930s, Fanny Hill was banned until 1961, Lady Chatterly's Lover was banned until 1959.
To my knowledge the UK hasn't banned anything since Spycatcher in the 1980s and that was because the author was a former MI6 employee who had signed the Official Secrets Act before deciding to publish his memoirs.
It was sort of a trick response that I did. I expected more responses in disagreement. Officially, the US government does not and cannot ban books because of the 1st ammendment. But the definition of "banned" can be stretched. Books in the US can be prohibited from sale, or from interstate trade, or violate customs rules..usually for obscenity, child pornography laws, etc. Citizens and publishers have a recourse - the federal court system up to the US supreme court. As we know however, books can be controlled and limited locally by libraries, school boards, local obscenity laws, etc ( I define those as "challenged", not banned, since they are local in nature).
The point it that written publications are protected in the US by constitutional law, not so in many other countries including Europe which does and still has bans on material for political purposes.
"Forever Amber" was banned in Boston when it was first published and it wound up being a favorite of mine. It was first published in the 40s I think so I can kind of understand how it was considered scandalous but by today's standards, it's laughable to think it was banned.
I'm sure I've read some classics in school which were once banned somewhere like Catcher in the Rye or Farhrenheit 451, but I was never hugely enthusiastic about them (actually, I HATE Catcher in the Rye).
Yes, I remember Forever Amber fondly, a great read. It seems ridiculous that it was ever banned now, but having lived in that era people were so incredibly sqwicky about almost everything that had to do with sex that it's not surprising.
I agree about Catcher in the Rye. I thought Holden Caulfield was a massive bore and that most of his weighty problems could have been cured by a few years of hoeing beans.
Well the Constitution has pretty much been shredded and one of my favorite books, 1984, is on the 'hit' parade as well as works by Mark Twain, Truman Capote, F. Scott Fitzgerald and many other inspired authors. I'm posting a link to the most challenged pieces of literature in the States (and yes I'm still technically a US citizen). Banning books, at least IMHO, is no better than decades ago when other countries were burning them. Disgraceful.
Well the Constitution has pretty much been shredded and one of my favorite books, 1984, is on the 'hit' parade as well as works by Mark Twain, Truman Capote, F. Scott Fitzgerald and many other inspired authors. I'm posting a link to the most challenged pieces of literature in the States (and yes I'm still technically a US citizen). Banning books, at least IMHO, is no better than decades ago when other countries were burning them. Disgraceful.
Do they even realize the irony of 1984 being on the banned book list? And whats so wrong with the Great Gatsby? You could turn on TV to Nickelodeon and see material more graphic than anything F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote.
The Witches was my favorite book growing up. Also, I find the randomness of this odd- do they dislike these books? Why isn't, say, Zombie by Joyce Carol Oates (quite possibly the most graphic book ever written) proposed to be banned?
If I ever ran into a book banner in person I'd call them an idiot to their face, no lie.
Well the Constitution has pretty much been shredded and one of my favorite books, 1984, is on the 'hit' parade as well as works by Mark Twain, Truman Capote, F. Scott Fitzgerald and many other inspired authors. I'm posting a link to the most challenged pieces of literature in the States (and yes I'm still technically a US citizen). Banning books, at least IMHO, is no better than decades ago when other countries were burning them. Disgraceful.
It isn't the government that seeks to ban books. It is local groups, and if you look at these cases a great many of them have evangelical christians in the forefront. And these are the same conservative religious folks who whine about the American constitution being violated!
The Christian Taliban is the greatest danger to American freedoms.
Well the Constitution has pretty much been shredded and one of my favorite books, 1984, is on the 'hit' parade as well as works by Mark Twain, Truman Capote, F. Scott Fitzgerald and many other inspired authors. I'm posting a link to the most challenged pieces of literature in the States (and yes I'm still technically a US citizen). Banning books, at least IMHO, is no better than decades ago when other countries were burning them. Disgraceful.
That is not a list of banned books, you misread or misinterpreted that article. It's a list of books "challanged". Basically, anyone can call in a complaint to a library, book store, grade school and say "hey I object to you carrying that book". People have that right to challenge, people have the right to complain if a store carries it, people have the right to picket that store. Likewise, a store has a right not to sell a particular book. Ironically, those rights are consitutionally guaranteed as well.
People do not have a right to pass laws to prohibit ownership of the book. So relax and lighten up, your consitutional rights have not been shredded. I can pretty much assure you (with an amusing laugh) that "1984" is not banned.
Even when books were banned by the federal government (i.e Fanny Hill), it wasn't really a complete ban. Federal laws only applied to that which they had responsibility for - customs, interstate trade, US postal. So a person could possess it, a person could read it out loud in public, a person could sell it locally, a person could in theory print and sell it locally. What was against laws was to mail it, sell it via interstate commerce, or bring it into the country (customs laws).
Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo. Sort of self-explanatory, it was an anti-war book published right as WW2 got started. Basically the story of a WW1 soldier horribly wounded. I think its a fascinating read.
And while its an anti-war book, its not so in that the protagonist is really pushing his agenda. Its just that his life afterward is so horrific that you can't help but consider both sides. Its a great read regardless of what your you personally think about war.
Have just started a new bookclub (my 5th now) and every time it is my turn I always include a "classic" or a book from the banned book list. Think next time all of my suggestions will be a banned book!
AHA! Perhaps some of you, like Pushing60, can help me with a selection for my own little neighborhood Book Club. We are a lovely, eclectic mix of readers, who meet monthly. I purposefully chose September, and want to choose a title from THE 100 Most Banned Books. I am, however, having some difficulty choosing one that will lead to a good discussion.
Because we are a group of women, all different ages and in various places in life, I was hoping to find one with some common thread for us all. Kate Chopin's The Awakening appealed to me, but there is too little there, and the ending is just too depressing. Fanny Hill might be a lot of fun, but I don't know if some of the sex scenes may be still a bit graphic -- I learned all sorts of things when I read it years ago!
Any titles come to mind for a Book Club like this?
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) and every time it is my turn I always include a "classic" or a book from the banned book list. Think next time all of my suggestions will be a banned book!
