I’ve read more than half of these, though most so many years ago that I barely remember what they were about. I also suspect that I recognize some titles because I saw the movies, rather than having read the books. I did read Lady Chatterley’s Lover purely because it was banned in South Africa, where I grew up. Someone had smuggled the book in following a trip overseas, and it was passed around like a sacred artifact. Likewise, a book called Be Ready with Bells and Drums, about a love affair between a sensitive Black man and a blind young white woman who ignorantly carried her family's racist attitudes, and didn’t know that her lover was Black. So many books were banned in South Africa. Once, for a while, the censorship authorities banned Black Beauty, until it was brought to their attention that the protagonist was a horse.
I've read over half of these. Some were assigned to me in school, some I read because I liked the movie version and some because I felt like they were subversive and radical. I did read Animal Farm probably too early. I was in 4th grade and didn't exactly catch all of the allusions to communism but I knew it was saying something important about our current way of doing things. I recall my mom asking me when I was done what I got out of reading that particular book and I said something like "Well, I think Snowball is a very bad pig." Not a bad assessment for an 11 year old.
I don't believe in banning books. Even if the material goes against the ethics of a cohesive and egalitarian society and promotes nasty ideals of misogyny, racism, anti-semitism, eugenics, nationalism, or things of that nature. I believe that we should have the freedom to read (or NOT read) what we choose. Sometimes reading material like this doesn't convert the readers values but perhaps can help one to understand how/why someone might promote this kind of thinking, as awful as it is. Banning a child's book about a pair of male penguins hatching an egg because it teaches children that's it's "ok to be gay" is horrible. Teaching kids that having same sex parents, or that themselves being queer, is shameful, is the real abomination.
Oh, Jenn, we live in strange times when Love can be made to seem perverse and people are so afraid of any form of love different from theirs that they try to make it go away. And that is the perversion. But they--that ubiquitous, anonymous "they"--don't get it. So we have to keep reading and keep spreading love and joy and keep trying, as you said, "to understand how/why someone might promote this kind of thinking, as awful as it is." That IS the whole point of not banning any books. We are still, so far, free to choose. God help us.
Wow, I've read a lot of these, but not as many as I expected. Gotta get on that! (Except for the Faulkner, I think.) Meanwhile, I see that the SF Public Library is having an event called "Banned Book Tasting -- for teens." Excellent concept, especially for kids who might not want to ask for those books (the teen ones being a little more personal than, say Hemingway), but would do a "tasting" if they're all out on display.
Verna, I so agree that fear drives this panic to ban books. I'm heartened to read that it's only small minority that's doing this. But the majority must make their voices known.
I've read 21 of these books. I'm wondering: who actually does the banning? Looking at this list of brilliant books, I'm incensed that someone (the "royal someone?" the "government?") has decided that we are not allowed to read them. But hasn't this been the case forever, "someone" deciding what we can or cannot do, see, say, read....Lots to think about here, Verna!
The most banned books these days are books for children and teens, the efforts led by parents. There's lots of info out there about the history of book banning, and I've been lax about digging deeper.
I’ve read more than half of these, though most so many years ago that I barely remember what they were about. I also suspect that I recognize some titles because I saw the movies, rather than having read the books. I did read Lady Chatterley’s Lover purely because it was banned in South Africa, where I grew up. Someone had smuggled the book in following a trip overseas, and it was passed around like a sacred artifact. Likewise, a book called Be Ready with Bells and Drums, about a love affair between a sensitive Black man and a blind young white woman who ignorantly carried her family's racist attitudes, and didn’t know that her lover was Black. So many books were banned in South Africa. Once, for a while, the censorship authorities banned Black Beauty, until it was brought to their attention that the protagonist was a horse.
Ahhh, Wood, your last line is a perfect example of the ignorance that drives book bans. And it made me laugh out loud. Thank you!
I've read over half of these. Some were assigned to me in school, some I read because I liked the movie version and some because I felt like they were subversive and radical. I did read Animal Farm probably too early. I was in 4th grade and didn't exactly catch all of the allusions to communism but I knew it was saying something important about our current way of doing things. I recall my mom asking me when I was done what I got out of reading that particular book and I said something like "Well, I think Snowball is a very bad pig." Not a bad assessment for an 11 year old.
I don't believe in banning books. Even if the material goes against the ethics of a cohesive and egalitarian society and promotes nasty ideals of misogyny, racism, anti-semitism, eugenics, nationalism, or things of that nature. I believe that we should have the freedom to read (or NOT read) what we choose. Sometimes reading material like this doesn't convert the readers values but perhaps can help one to understand how/why someone might promote this kind of thinking, as awful as it is. Banning a child's book about a pair of male penguins hatching an egg because it teaches children that's it's "ok to be gay" is horrible. Teaching kids that having same sex parents, or that themselves being queer, is shameful, is the real abomination.
Oh, Jenn, we live in strange times when Love can be made to seem perverse and people are so afraid of any form of love different from theirs that they try to make it go away. And that is the perversion. But they--that ubiquitous, anonymous "they"--don't get it. So we have to keep reading and keep spreading love and joy and keep trying, as you said, "to understand how/why someone might promote this kind of thinking, as awful as it is." That IS the whole point of not banning any books. We are still, so far, free to choose. God help us.
Wow, I've read a lot of these, but not as many as I expected. Gotta get on that! (Except for the Faulkner, I think.) Meanwhile, I see that the SF Public Library is having an event called "Banned Book Tasting -- for teens." Excellent concept, especially for kids who might not want to ask for those books (the teen ones being a little more personal than, say Hemingway), but would do a "tasting" if they're all out on display.
Bless San Francisco for this!
Verna, I so agree that fear drives this panic to ban books. I'm heartened to read that it's only small minority that's doing this. But the majority must make their voices known.
I've read 21 of these books. I'm wondering: who actually does the banning? Looking at this list of brilliant books, I'm incensed that someone (the "royal someone?" the "government?") has decided that we are not allowed to read them. But hasn't this been the case forever, "someone" deciding what we can or cannot do, see, say, read....Lots to think about here, Verna!
The most banned books these days are books for children and teens, the efforts led by parents. There's lots of info out there about the history of book banning, and I've been lax about digging deeper.
I’ve read all but the Upton Sinclair! I’m teaching all week and intend to mention Banned Books Week to each of my students.
Oh, those lucky students to have you teaching them!