100 Banned Books: Censorship Histories of World Literature

Dare to Think For YourselfDedicated to the unpopular constitution principles of free speech and a free press, this fascinating anthology details the enormous efforts to prevent 100 controversial books from finding readers. Each book receives a quick plot summary, plus excerpts, so readers can receive a solid overview of important works in Western culture. For me, it was like a seminar in great literary works I wanted to read, but have never found the time to encounter. Fascinating and valuable.Yet I found the detailed chronicles of censorship efforts - along with the censor's subtle arguments and elaborate justifications - far more educational. Why would someone want to censor love stories (Dr. Zhivago, An American Tragedy, Women in Love, The Scarlet Letter)? How could great religious works, from the Bible and the Talmud to the Koran and the Kama Sutra be targeted for the flames? How did Mark Twain, John Steinbeck, Anne Frank, James Baldwin, Aldous Huxley, Harper Lee, Ray Bradbury, Stephen King and Walt Whitman "earn" the wrath of censors?Read this book and discover the zeal to control thoughts and limit freedom. Thomas Jefferson, our philosopher of freedom, wrote, "the price of liberty is eternal vigilance." This book names the names of censors, identifies dangerous trends, remembers the popularity of censors, and celebrates the struggle of free spirits to live as free thinking individuals. "Banned Books" proves telling the truth and creating great stories can be dangerous to your health and reputation. Voltaire's advice, "dare to think for yourself" often carries a heavy social price. Every library, and school library, should have this vital work on their shelves. Just in case.Plus 100 Banned Books makes an ideal gift for high school and college graduates preparing to live as adults. I consider 100 Banned Books to be one of the best books my Dad has ever bought for me!

If you are a wholehearted proponent of the First Amendment to theConstitution of the United States, this is a book you will find itabsolutely essential to own. Nicholas Karolides, Margaret Bald andDawn Sova have compiled censorship histories of 100 books that havebeen suppressed on political, religious, sexual or social grounds, andthey are truly eye-opening. Many of these books have been censoredwithin our own country, where freedom of speech is supposedlyprotected by the First Amendment. Under the category of religiouscensorship, not only have documents challenging the major worldreligions' accepted beliefs come under fire, but these religions'essential works -- the Bible, the Koran and the Talmud -- have alsobeen supressed at some point in history. Works suppressed on sexualgrounds run the gamut from mild language or situations to depictionsof explicitly violent and humiliating sexual acts. While I find thelatter absolutely abhorent and choose not to expose myself to thistype of content, "100 Banned Books" is a valuable reminderthat, regardless of your personal opinion of what is not appropriate,it is all to easy to cross over the line and try to deny others accessto these materials. Read this book to familiarize yourself withpast instances of censorship, and then look in present-day society forexamples of ongoing censorship attempts. The results will truly beeye-opening.

100 Banned Books is essential reading for anyone concerned about censorship and freedom of expression. The amount of research that Karolides, Bald and Sova have compiled is remarkably thorough. A fairly brief but highly illuminating summary is provided for each listed "objectionable" work, and the list is divided into four different categories of grounds for suppression: political, religious, sexual, and social. The reader is given insight into the mentality of the self-appointed dictators of public knowledge and cultural taste. Fear and ignorance; political and religious intolerance; outright bigotry. It is such un-enlightened mentalities, we discover, that at one time led to the suppression of such great books as The Bible, "All Quiet On The Western Front", "The Rights of Man", "Lady Chatterly's Lover", "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest", "Leaves Of Grass", "Anne Frank: The Diary Of A Young Girl","Black Boy", "The Canterbury Tales" just to name a few. Ultimately, this book cultivates an appreciation for the freedom to express and exhange ideas, however controversial or unpopular some of those views might be. It also arms the reader with a vigilance to defend that freedom should they find it challenged by a political authority, religious institution, school board or a group of zealots. 100 Banned Books is destined to become a classic!

Karolides, Bald and Sova have produced one of the most informative books regarding censorship. The format of their chapters is clear and concise. They separated the various sections on "Literature Suppressed" into four parts: "Political," "Religious," "Sexual" and "Social". After a brief summary of the book in question, they provide a history of the text's censorship, and a list of further readings. If there is an interesting and informative reference book on censorship that you want to add to your shelf, I would highly recommend this one.