Banned Books

[Ashi]

I hardly read (I'm a slow reader because English isn't my first language, and I read between lines a lot), but I've watched a lot of them in movie format. If there is not a note saying I read it, then I watched it:

 

1. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald - Read it in high school. I quote it sometimes (e.g., it takes two to make an accident), but I don't like this book. Why is this book banned?

2. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger - Read it on my own. One of my favorite books of all time. Still can't believe it describes a business man who cross-dressed in private, and the teacher was suggested to be gay (the book was published in 1950's!).

4. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - Read it college.

5. The Color Purple by Alice Walker

8. The Lord of the Flies by William Golding

9. 1984 by George Orwell - After couldn't finish reading Animal Farm, this book is still sitting in my room. Watched the film.

12. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck - Watched the John Malkovich movie. Didn't give me much impression.

15. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

16. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

17. Animal Farm by George Orwell - Read half of it then gave up. It's an allegory of Stalin and his rival. Too political for my liking.

39. A Room with a View by E. M. Forster

40. The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien

41. Schindler's List by Thomas Keneally

42. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton - Couldn't finish the movie (Daniel Day-Lewis/Michelle Pfeifer).... Found the movie to be boring and pretentious.

49. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess - Watched the Stanley Kubrick classic. May revisit it again. Found it to be too rebellious at the time (I was kind of young when I watched it, and I was really straight-laced), but maybe I have overlooked some important messages.

52. Howards End by E. M. Forster

53. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

54. Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger - Never read it, but it's on my to do list.

71. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

74. Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh

75. Women in Love by D. H. Lawrence

98. Where Angels Fear to Tread by E. M. Forster

 

Stuff I can't find on this list:

 

East of Eden by John Steinbeck - Watched James Dean version. He is over-dramatic as usual, but it's my favorite Dean movie.

Adventure of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain - Read it in high school

Maurice by E. M. Foster - Merchant/Ivory production. Very dry, but a classic.

 

Was "The Sweet Bird of Youth" by Tennessee Williams ever banned? Love the movie though (Paul Newman was really handsome I thought).

Edited September 18, 2009 by Ashi

[Krista]

I've read 10. Some of my favorite books are on that list.

[oneoftheguys]

Banned books are the only ones worth reading.

 

I couldn't agree more

 

 

 

If I were to have anyone in the world, it would be Holden Caulfield.

 

 

He was pretty awesome wasn't he?

 

So I've only read about 7 of them, I really need to step up my game. I think I just found a way for me to pass the free time that I've been given. This should be fun since I'm such an avid reader.

 

Aaron

[David McLeod]

If I were to have anyone in the world, it would be Holden Caulfield.

 

 

 

Have you seen the movie, "Chasing Holden"? It's absolutely wonderful: a significant story line and a really hot, in a different way, guy.

[Arpeggio]

I counted 12

 

To Kill a Mockingbird, Lord of the Flies, and Charlotte's Web are my three favorites

[Y_B]

Holden was an alright guy, but I'm uncomfortable with the fact that he'd been basically put on the pedestal for modern day teenage representation.

 

Holden Caufield described one type of pubescent boy, and all of a sudden he becomes the beacon for illuminating the secrets of adolescence? This shows a complete lack of teenage representation in effective literature. Hamlet is not every adult and Holden not every teenager. In fact, the writing truism

[Toast]

I've read over thirty. But wasn't Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein banned? That book hit me hard in the sixties.

[David McLeod]

Didn't know "Stranger..." was banned, but not surprised. A good addition to the list.

[David McLeod]

Since when are these book banned.

 

Louisiana Writer

 

 

The original list is one of many similar lists that float around from time to time; this one came from the Americal Library Association site. I think, however, that the additions various readers put up in their posts are probably more telling.

[scotchirish87]

how ironic, I come from a very conservative town, central Texas, very church influenced, and a great many of those books were required reading throughout my middle school and high school career

[darkfirewolf]

Lord of the flys shows the true nature of mankind, such as most other books named and therefor they tried to ban them.

Most people dont want to be shown there inner self in such a direkt and entertaining way, because they want to be better than others and have false ethiks and moralism.

[Jack Frost]

2. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

7. Beloved by Toni Morrison

9. 1984 by George Orwell

13. Charlotte's Web by E. B. White

32. The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

Ha... Three of them were required for school reading. o,o

[David McLeod]

how ironic, I come from a very conservative town, central Texas, very church influenced, and a great many of those books were required reading throughout my middle school and high school career

 

Kind of makes me believe in miracles. Seriously, it is interesting to know that what one group bans, another demands.

 

Lord of the flys shows the true nature of mankind, such as most other books named and therefor they tried to ban them.

Most people dont want to be shown there inner self in such a direkt and entertaining way, because they want to be better than others and have false ethiks and moralism.

 

I think you've identified an element that is common in many of the banned books--this list and others--and that is, the uncomfortable truth about us.

 

Ha... Three of them were required for school reading. o,o

 

I'd sure like to go back to my grammar and high school libraries, and see how many they had then...and now.

[Rizan]

I counted 26, and at least 10 that I've wanted to read but have been too 'busy' to do.

 

 

 

 

my favorite 3 are To Kill a Mockingbird, Animal Farm, and 1984

 

I read 1984 last year, To Kill a Mockinbird as a freshman, and Animal Farm in 5th grade

 

 

 

 

I'm surprised Fahrenheit 451 isn't on here, I read that one in 5th grade too

[Johnathan Colourfield]

our bible school (yes i'm forced to go to a jesus school) let us read "Of Mice and Men" For GCSE Exams. They didnt complain. Then again they reccomend "Regeneration" at A Level which about bisexual psychologists in the 1910's... LOL

[Librent]

I' ve read 8 of them and most of them were required reading when I was in School, I loved 'To kill a mocking bird'. Yeah I would have thought 'Stranger in a strange land' would have been on the list too.

[David McLeod]

...I'm surprised Fahrenheit 451 isn't on here...

Another excellent addition to the list...and isn't the movie excellent!

 

our bible school (yes i'm forced to go to a jesus school) let us read "Of Mice and Men" For GCSE Exams. They didnt complain. Then again they reccomend "Regeneration" at A Level which about bisexual psychologists in the 1910's... LOL

 

I never understood how "Of Mice and Men" could both be banned when Lennie is often held up as an example of a "Christ figure" in literature. Perhaps it was because Lennie was developmentally challenged.

 

I' ve read 8 of them and most of them were required reading when I was in School, I loved 'To kill a mocking bird'. Yeah I would have thought 'Stranger in a strange land' would have been on the list too.

 

Check out the school required reading shelves in any major bookstore in the USA to see what's required now...I haven't heard of half of them. Sigh.

[Librent]

Check out the school required reading shelves in any major bookstore in the USA to see what's required now...I haven't heard of half of them. Sigh.

 

HEHE A bit hard I'm from Oz.