Thank you so much Helen for creating this post to be featured on my blog! Banned books are so important and some of the best!
Blast From The Past- Which Books Were Banned And Why?
At different times for some reason or another, censorship did not let certain books to be printed and published. There are many such cases in the history of humanity. In this way, both ecclesiastical and secular authorities tried to protect an ordinary person from the “harmful” influence of education and, in particular, that knowledge that was considered as “unacceptable.”
At first, people were not allowed to study literacy. Then, once this process became irreversible, authorities began to impose a ban on books. The first censorship restrictions concern the list of unacceptable Apocrypha (the texts that were not included in the Bible) created in 494 AD. Almost a thousand years later, in 1557, the “Index of forbidden books” (“Index Librorum Prohibitorum”) was issued for the Inquisition Tribunals. It is interesting that this list was canceled only in 1966. However, the traditions of prohibiting “inappropriate books” have spread far beyond the Vatican, and it is still possible to fall out of favor for storing certain publications in several countries of the world. Luckily, thanks to the Internet, all these prohibitions can hardly be called effective. In this post, I will tell you about some of the best books that have been banned during different periods in our history!
The Best Banned Books
This post is something like a blast from the past. Below you will find a list of masterpieces that were prohibited at different stages of the humanity’s history with brief explanations on why are books banned.
- Lolita, by Vladimir Nabokov
This novel is the most famous work of the author that has caused many contradictory opinions all around the world. It tells the story of a mature man and his painful passion for young girls. The novel caused a real shock. Many publishers have considered it phonographic and refused to publish it, and thus, Lolita has joined the ranks of the banned books in France, England, South Africa, New Zealand, and Argentina. However, it was never prohibited in the US. Besides, sometimes higher educational institutions require students to write reviews on this text, and if you have faced such an assignment, you can look at this assignment helper for some expert assistance!
- Slaughterhouse-five, by Kurt Vonnegut
The story depicts an American soldier, who is an alter ego of the author, and who was captured by the Germans during the Battle of the Ardennes in the World War II. In the text, Vonnegut conveyed all the horror that he experienced during that time, and the plot turned out to be so grim that it became one of the banned books in America. What was the reason? The gloomy and severe plot is not the only reason. Another reason is the fact that Vonnegut has highlighted that the bombing of the city was a senseless step of American soldiers and introduced German soldiers not as enemies, but as tired and tortured from the war people. In fact, even today this work is among the 100 works that most often fall under the restrictions on extradition to the population in the Association of American Librarians.
- The Satanic Verses, by Salman Rushdie
This is another banned book. The plot is closely intertwined with religion, and the Muslim community considered this attitude to Islam as blasphemy, and a week after the publication in England, people from all around the world started requiring the ban. As a result, reading this text in Venezuela leads to 15 months in prison, in Japan – selling it can cause fines, and even in the USA, many stores refused to sell this work.
- American Psycho, by Bret Easton Ellis
This work of American author tells a story of a maniac, whose killings were driven by greed, envy, and hatred. The novel was limited in edition in Germany, and until recently, it was also banned in Canada and Australian Queensland due to its cruelty and shocking content.
- The Perks Of Being A Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
The story is about a teenager and his life, which is full of drugs, harassment, and bullying. The plot contains so many scenes of an outspoken nature that the book is constantly included in the list of banned by the Association of American Librarians.
Author’s Bio: Helen Birk – a writer and passionate book lover. Helen has always enjoyed discovering new publications and authors, and in this post, she decided to tell us about her personal top-five list of the best editions that were banned and prohibited in certain countries at a certain period of time.
Twitter: @HBirk12