“Censorship ends in logical completeness when nobody is allowed to read any books except the books that nobody reads.” — George Bernard Shaw
If you thought book censorship was a utopian concept in the modern world, think again. There are a considerable number of classics that were banned in the last 100 years. What appears poignant to some readers might appear to be a diabolically corruptive influence to others. So some fellows use censorship like Damocles’ sword to cut-off seemingly volatile ideas. Here are some highly controversial books, which a few bright people thought were unfit for public reading:
Ulysses – James Joyce
What’s it about?
This modernist novel follows Leopold Bloom around Dublin on 16 June 1904.
Why on earth they banned it?
Ah, it’s sleazy, and blasphemous. Joyce’s masterpiece was banned in UK, USA, and Australia. Copies were burned even after the book got critical acclaim and was recognized as one of the most important works of modern literature.
Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov
What’s it about?
A French scholar Humbert Humbert starts having a relationship with a 12 year old girl. What’s more, he marries her mother to continue the relationship.
Why on earth they banned it?
“..the filthiest book I have ever read”, said the editor of The Sunday Express and his opinion was shared by many others. The book was banned in France, UK, Argentina, New Zealand, South Africa, and Canada.
Animal Farm — George Orwell
What’s it about?
Animal Farm is an allegorical and satirical take on Communism. In the words of Orwell himself, it fuses “political purpose and artistic purpose into one whole”.
Why on earth they banned it?
Orwell wrote the book at a time when USSR was a close ally of Britain (WW II). He struggled to find a publisher, and when published, Animal Farm was banned in the USSR and other communist countries. It is still banned in Cuba, North Korea, and China.
Mein Kampf — Adolf Hitler
What’s it about?
It’s an autobiographical manifesto by the Nazi Supremo Adolf Hitler and documents his political ideologies and plans for the German state.
Why on earth they banned it?
Some European countries like Austria and Russia banned the book due its extremist ideas. Re-printing is banned in Germany.
Tropic of Cancer — Henry Miller
What’s it about?
Fluctuating between the past and the present, Tropic of Cancer, revolves around Miller’s struggle as a writer.
Why on earth they banned it?
For sexually explicit content and vulgarity. The book was banned in the US and South Africa.
Few others that caused a lot of ruckus
The Book Haven 
Reblogged this on Beacon of Aquarius.
Interesting post – I happen to own many of these, but I never thought of them as ‘banned’ books particularly!
I think we have become more mature as readers over the years. It takes a lot of effort to shock us these days. So banned books of the past decades do not really look like “banned” in spirit.
I absolutely love that George Bernard Shaw quote! I’d never heard it before… 🙂
GBS is the master of cool twisted quotes. Never disappoints whenever you look up to him 😀
I wonder if I can find a book of his quotes…
Hey Annie, I found this one for you:
Memorable Quotations: George Bernard Shaw and Oscar Wilde [Kindle Edition]
Awesome! Thank you. 🙂
welcome 🙂
Best way to guarantee your book will be read? Get it banned! 😉
Sure, nothing better than negative publicity 😀
Plus this makes a unique reading list…though Mein Kampf is tough to get through. Lord of the Flies is amazing.
yeah Mein Kampf is a difficult read, but I guess Ulysses is even harder to get through.
Really? I haven’t tried it yet.
yeah, I’m embarrassed to admit that it took me one whole year to finish it.
Wow. At least you got through it!!!
Yup, at last I got through it; seemed like a world tour on a bicycle, something that won’t end. But it did, and I was really happy.
I bet! Did you learn any “life Lessons” from reading it?
Just that Joyce’s “stream of consciousness” can be even deadlier than Rushdie’s “magic realism”. On a serious note, Ulysses, in spite of its apparently simple story, is so scholarly and has so many allusions to literature, religion and philosophy, it will take a re-reading to learn life lessons. My first impression is that Joyce is trying to make you feel; he is not trying to send a message.
Interesting. Maybe I’ll pick it up someday and give it a whirl!
Do give it a try. Reading Ulysses is an “experience” you won’t forget easily.
Sounds like!
Perhaps if we banned all book, people may be more inspired to pick them up if they have that illicit feeling. Power to books!!!!
Right, things lose value when they are easily within our grasp. May be I love vintage rare books because they are hard to get.