6 Banned Books You Should Be Reading
Stories so powerful, governments and societies tried to keep them hidden forever.
Stories so powerful, governments and societies tried to keep them hidden forever.
Banned Books Week is an annual awareness campaign that celebrates the freedom to read books written by and representing diverse cultures. Promoted by the American Library Association and Amnesty International, this campaign aims to draw attention to banned and challenged stories and highlight the plight of persecuted individuals.
But why ban books in the first place? As Douglas Perkins writes, “The purpose behind the banning of books comes down to one premise — What I do not like or what may offend me should not be read by others.”
Held during the last week of September since 1982, the Banned Books Week campaign “stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them.” It’s based on the concept that all material should be made publicly available so that readers don’t have to think like they’re told to think by the authorities. They are free to develop their own conclusions and opinions.
Since we at Books Are Our Superpower always aim to highlight diverse and suppressed voices, why not add at least one book out of your comfort zone to your TBR?
Here’s my list of six of the most influential and controversial banned books. This post talks about when and why these books were banned and what they’re all about.
Pick these books up to expand your thinking. Happy Reading.
(Note: The links mentioned in this article are affiliate links. If you choose to purchase these books through them, it will help me earn a small amount — at no extra cost to you. Thanks!)
1. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
When was it banned
Published in 1970, this book has been heavily ostracized for having extremely explicit sex scenes describing rape, incest, and pedophilia.
It was first banned in 2006 from the curriculum and library shelves of Littleton, Colorado.
This decision was executed after the incestuous relationship between an eleven-year-old girl and her father sparked complaints all over the area.
What it’s about
The novel is set in Lorain, in the years following the Great Depression. It chronicles one year in Pecola Breedlove's life, a dark-skinned girl with low self-esteem because of her complexion and color of eyes. She believes that to be praised and admired; one has to have blue eyes.
Why you should read it
The Bluest Eye deals with issues of abuse against women and children. It takes a brutally honest look at the damaging impact insane beauty standards can have on a woman's self-confidence.
It’s a heart-wrenching look at how far women can go just to fit societal standards. How sometimes, trying everything still doesn’t mean you are beautiful enough.
2. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
When was it banned
Two school districts in the US banned the book from their curriculum in 2004, five years after it was first published.
The main concerns regarding this book were explicit sexual content, particularly the homosexual aspects, frequent references to drugs, alcohol, and smoking, offensive language, mentions of “masturbation and date rape.”
What it’s about
A coming-of-age novel told from Charlie's point of view writes the book in a series of letters to an unnamed friend. Being a teenager, the protagonist has no qualms describing his teenage sexuality, introversion, abuse, and his drug use; in all too vivid detail.
Why you should read it
If you’re someone who has felt the desire to be invisible because you couldn’t fit in well with the crowd, this book is for you. If you feel people know your name, but that’s all they know about you, this book is for you.
Poignant and insightful, the letters will feel as if you’re the one writing them.
Every teenager should read this book. While Charlie isn’t exactly the ideal role model, he shows that being different is alright as long as you’re true to yourself, that friends come in all kinds of packages, and that’s okay.
3. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
When was it banned
The book was believed to be culturally insensate, anti-family, and blatantly portrayed the use of drugs, alcohol, smoking, and gambling. It’s also considered controversial for the use of affronts related to homosexuality and mental disability.
Published in 2007, the book earned a fair share of censure in the first year of its publication, until it was banned in some countries from publication in 2008.
What it is about
The book is about 14-year-old Junior, whose physical disabilities ostracize him from his friends. Used to being a misfit always, the teenager tries to break free of stereotypes surrounding him since birth. Sadly, all his life does is take a downhill turn from then on.
Why you should read it
This is a powerful book I’d recommend to anyone looking for a glimpse into contemporary life on an Indian reservation. It makes for a great story to share at home in the evening or on a long car ride with the family.
Funny, poignant, and heartbreaking, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian is a must-read for everyone. Alexie is a gifted writer. I look forward to reading more of his work.
4. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
When was it banned
Banned almost as soon as it was published, in 1955. The editor of the Sunday Express called Lolita ‘the filthiest book I have ever read.’ It was banned in France in 1956 because it was pornography.
There were no such restrictions, however, in the US.
What it’s about
It tells the story of a scholar born in Paris, Humbert, infatuated by young women, or “nymphets,” as he fondly calls them. After shifting to a small New England town, he becomes obsessed with the 12-year-old daughter of Charlotte Haze. Humbert marries the mother, hoping to woo the daughter in the process.
Father and daughter later elope, running from town to town in an attempt to shield the true nature of their relationship from the world.
Why you should read it
On the surface, Lolita is a pretty straightforward novel. But beneath its skin is a multiverse of clever wordplay, depictions of intense moral dilemma, and a deep delve into the human psyche.
It’s a must-read for adults with a penchant for something out of the ordinary. This book portrays the darkness humans are capable of and shows us to what extent people are willing to stoop to satisfy their basic desires.
5. The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie
When was it banned
First published in 1988, The Satanic Verses angered many Muslims, and Rushdie was accused of blasphemy.
In 1989, the Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran issued a fatwa against the author, ordering him to be killed on sight.
The anger against the book was such that it resulted in a spree of killings, attempted killings, and bombings among Muslims worldwide. Accused of being blasphemous and anti-religion among the Muslim community around the world, several countries reacted quite violently against the publication and distribution of this book. Even in the US, a few bookstores refused to sell it after many death threats were received.
What it’s about
The book is about how a plane crash alters the lives of the two protagonists. An emigrant Saladin Chamcha has his life torn apart, while the other survivor, Gibreel Farishta, a Bollywood superstar, builds his world anew from scratch.
Why you should read it
This novel's core idea is centered around the need to understand one must create their own ideas. Often people tend to be so consumed by the worldviews thrust on them by their conditioning that they learn to ignore the question “What are my own ideas?” “Who am I apart from these things taught to me from childhood?”
Salman Rushdie’s take on identity and the insightful look at the importance of thinking critically before blindly believing any doctrine is a must-read for every person.
6. The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
When was it banned
The content of the book was apparently too bold to digest for the Indian masses because many scenes portrayed sexual relationships between people of two different castes, and more importantly, sex between an upper caste lady and an untouchable.
This book was initially banned for a year. Then, the author took the issue up with a court that eventually overturned the ban on the grounds that a valuable piece of literature should not be banned just because of some social issues.
What it’s about
Published in 1996, the debut novel of Arundhati Roy went on to win the Man Booker prize in 1997. A heartbreaking tale of love and loss written with spell-binding beauty.
Why you should read it
Roy’s debut novel that went on to win the Man Booker Prize in 1997 is a must-read for any literature lover. The characters are well-crafted, and the writing is beautiful. It will feel as if Roy has disguised poetry as prose.
You can read it like a social commentary on the caste-based discrimination prevalent in India, or you can read it like a heartfelt love story. Either way, this is going to end up as one of the best books you have ever read.
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