Let's Talk Banned Books #3
This is my third installment in a series where I discuss banned books which I have read or are well known. Two of the posts have discussed classics as well as modern books that many didn't know were banned. If you like this sort of thing, be sure to check those out as well. This post focuses on banned books that make at least a little more sense. If you look at the chart in the infographic it will explain the basic reason each of these books was or is banned. You may find that you read several of these in high school or college.
The Adventures of Alice In Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Look, everyone has had speculations that this book is really about a bad trip, and no I don't mean on a plane. However, look into the history of the author and it becomes clear it is much more innocent than that. It is about the imagination of a young girl who he was friends with in his life. From the eyes of a child, it is an adventure of epic proportions. If you look a little closer at the infographic, though, you will see that the reason it was banned in China in 1931 was because they believed the content of anthropomorphic animals was inappropriate. I am not sure how long being a furry has been around in China, but it must have made a debut near the beginning of the 20th century for this to be an issue. If you don't know what a furry is, ask someone and be prepared for a pretty sickening answer. It's not something I am going to explain in my blog. On a high note, though, I am pretty sure Lewis Carroll had zero impure intentions with the creation of his talking animal characters.
Animal Farm by George Orwell
This is one of those you are often forced to read and watch in high school, and it was the bane of my existence. All in all, this book is pretty annoying. However, it does serve a purpose. That purpose is exactly why it was banned by the USSR from 1940-1990. This was a heightened time politically between Russia and the western world because of the scare the growth of Communism was for westernized peoples. This book was supposed to educate the American people and beyond about Communism's flaws, which the USSR obviously didn't take a liking to. It makes a good political lesson, but it is a bit disturbing to learn Communism in the context of a bunch of farm animals.
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
I remember this book being so controversial among everyone at the time of its release. I was barely in high school at this point, and everyone from teachers, to religious leaders, and parents seemed to have an opinion about this novel they believed to be blasphemous. Due to its content following a mystery that ends up revealing that Jesus Christ had a child with Mary Magdalene and therefore a direct bloodline, Christian churches went into a tizzy. Today, this book is still banned in Lebanon. In my opinion, this is just a fun work of fiction as long as you can separate that in your head. Could the author possibly believe these things and have given false facts about the Christian church and religion; sure. Though, I am not clear on this, and it doesn't seem the Internet is either. So, I would not want to meet or be friends with the guy. But as a work of fiction, this book and the movie are pretty cool, when you think about it. Who doesn't love an epic mystery spanning centuries?
I hope you enjoyed this one, and feel free to explore more banned books below. Watch out for my next installment in this blog series, coming very soon.
Iris Sweetwater is a paranormal romance and fantasy author. Her second book, the first in a werewolf romance series, will be released on May 2. Find out more about her and her work at the following links:
