Let's Talk Banned Books # 1

So, ever since this whole alternative facts scandal, there has been a lot of talk and purchases surrounding banned books. Every time society has been at a heightened state of chaos, the people have turned to literature to help them explain those feelings and sort them out, allowing for an outlet that won't get them in trouble as easily as rebellion. Literature is arguably one of the most important forms of expression, which is perhaps why it is also often a topic for controversy.

In my readings, I ran across some info-graphics discussing the many banned or almost banned books out there, and while many were those I already knew were out there, I found that some surprised me a great deal.

It has always been a goal of mine to read through this lists of greats, because let's be honest, if they didn't have an amazing story to tell, they wouldn't be banned. I am ashamed to admit that I have not made even much of a dent in the list, but the ones I have read I hold near and dear to my heart. So, I thought I would take this time to share with you a couple of my personal favorites as well as an info-graphic which explains why many of the books that have been banned in the past were so controversial. You might find it as interesting as I do.

Slaughterhouse-Five By Kurt Vonnegut

This has to be the very first book I have read to ever make me cry, which is a big deal because I don't cry at anything, not even movies where someone dies of cancer. I didn't even cry when she let go of Jack in Titanitc. For those who don't quite understand this book, let me give you a short run-down.

Kurt Vonnegut himself was a soldier in the U.S. Army during WWII, stationed in Europe. The man was taken by the Germans and interned in Dresden, imprisoned in a slaughterhouse with other POWs. He was still imprisoned during the Allied bombing of the city. In other words, he has seen some of the worst spoils of war and lived to tell his tale; that alone should make us want to read anything this man has to say. It is clear when the book begins that the character, who we assume is Vonnegut himself, is still haunted sometimes by the things he has seen in the war. Soon, the reader is taken out of his story and launched into a more satirical one about a man named Billy Pilgrim who can travel through time and eventually gets abducted by aliens. Through the whole thing there is an air of being against war on both ends and plenty of truths of life if you read closely enough.

Perhaps this book struck me so hard because I read it at another time where the world was in a bit of a nasty place, during the Iraq war when lots of people were having open souring opinions about the president, war, and America. I was also a teenager in high school and beginning to form my own opinions about these things. I had never read something so strong in my life. The message struck my heart, and I felt it matched a piece of me I had just barely discovered-the part of me that wanted better world, who wanted to make a difference.

The book was banned in 2011 for "an irreverent tone and obscene content." I was in my teens and not offended by any obscenity. However, I believe the irreverence this refers to has to do with a lack of respect for soldiers and countries. But remember that the author was a voluntary soldier for the U.S. army, and a satire isn't to be taken 100 percent seriously.

Harry Potter and the Philospher's Stone By JK Rowling

This is one of those that I would guess at least some of you are surprised about. Depending on your age, you may very well remember how this book defined many of our childhood's and renewed reading in children and young adults like no one had seen in decades. Known as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in the United States, this book was on the shelf of every young child I knew, and it was the gossip at every lunch table for years after.

Not too long after it became a bestseller, though, the story began to be demonized for its mentions of magic, witches and wizards. Religious groups wanted the book banned because they were afraid children were being taught witchcraft within its pages.

To me, someone who had grown up in a religious household, the controversy was even difficult to understand. I remembered asking my parents what the deal was, and I won't forget what they told me because it is one of the biggest arguments used in the current debate about the influence of violent video games. I learned that not everyone had a strong enough grip on reality to realize a fiction book was just that and would take the words too seriously, using it as actual witchcraft even though they were only mixture of Latin and French words used with the flick of a wand.

I can credit this book and its inspiring author with many things in my life, like solidifying the fact that I was going to be a writer, period, and I hope the renewal of the magic will happen with the latest Fantastic Beasts movie releases.

Check below for more interesting facts about banned books, and keep an eye out for my second volume of this post!