Banned Books

[ladymacbeth]

I'll be actively encouraging Xan to read the likes of Harry Potter when he's a little older. In fact, I may even read them to him!

 

Good for you Kell. I hope I have some kids to read to one day.

[Janet]

Oh yes I had forgotten about the controversy around Harry Potter which existed mostly in Christian circles. Some of my friends refused to let their children read it because if was about witchcraft (sarcastic gasp!)

I think this was more a case in the USA than the UK, wasn't it? I don't recall their being many problems about the books here.

 

I think it's perfectly possible to be a Christian and still enjoy the Harry Potter books for what they are - a bit of fun escapism. I certainly haven't heard any tales of children becoming evil or going to the dark side after reading them!

[Lucybird]

I remember The Onion did a story on it, and loads of anti-HP people used it as evidence

[Angel]

Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy was widely banned - in fact the church and the local authorities burnt it publicly. I so love that book, one of my all time favourites

[poppy]

Oh yes I had forgotten about the controversy around Harry Potter which existed mostly in Christian circles. Some of my friends refused to let their children read it because if was about witchcraft (sarcastic gasp!)

 

 

I have several family members who feel this way about Harry Potter books and they are entitled to their beliefs. What I find hypocritical is that they are quite happy to let their children read The Lord of the Rings books and CS Lewis, which all contain wizards and witchcraft, just because they were written by Christian authors. I really enjoyed Harry Potter although the later ones become quite dark and I don't think they are appropriate for small children.

[chesilbeach]

Is it just me, or does anyone else feel like they want to read the books simply because someone says you can't? Maybe it's because I'm still a kid at heart, and don't like people imposing their authority on me, but I actually want to go out of my way to read some of the banned books, just so I can say, "Well I've read it, and it hasn't corrupted me!" Although, actually, I've probably read quite a few of them anyway

[Kell]

I'm the same. I'm more inclined to try and get hold of it just to see what's so bad about it that it got banned in the first place. I'veyet to read a banned book that has shocked or corrupted me in any way.

[ladymacbeth]

I think this was more a case in the USA than the UK, wasn't it? I don't recall their being many problems about the books here.

 

I think it's perfectly possible to be a Christian and still enjoy the Harry Potter books for what they are - a bit of fun escapism. I certainly haven't heard any tales of children becoming evil or going to the dark side after reading them!

 

 

I'm in New Zealand so I've no idea about the UK although that is where I read the first 3 books.

 

I am a Christian so I know alot of Christian people which is why I've heard all the anti-HP opinion. I thought most of it was ignorance by people who hadn't bothered to read the books (yep some of those people are my friends). And yes, I thought those views were hypocritical when the same themes can be found in the Narnia books and Tolkien books but these are considered ok simply because they have a Christian author.

And no I didn't manage to convince any of said people that HP wasn't evil!

 

Ah well. It takes all sorts.

[Chrissy]

The website Belief Net had some pretty interesting articles regarding Harry Potter a while back. It was interesting to read them. I'll have to dig out a link.

[nursenblack]

I read an article on The Huffington Post website that listed surprising banned books. One was the Merriam Webster dictionary. Also, Little Women, James and the Giant Peach, and Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? just to name a few. Some of these were bans that occured this year.

[mtjm]

There was a book released a few years back here in the united states, that they stopped publishing after a few weeks because everyone opposed it so much. I'm not sure if people in the UK know about O.J. Simpson. He was a terrific Running Back in american football. record setter even. well he retired in the 1979, as the 2nd best in his time. (Now I believe he is 17th or 18th.) Years later after his wife and he divorced She was murdered in his front yard. It became one of the biggest trials in the history of the U.S. because everyone in america though he was guilty and he got off.

 

In 2006 Simpson released a book titled "If I Did It." A book he depicted if he had killed his ex wife, this is how he would have done it. It was banned less than a month after itsd release and there are only a few hundred thousand copies available today.

 

"Although the original release of the book was canceled shortly after it was announced in November 2006, 400,000 physical copies of the original book were printed and by June 2007 copies of the book had leaked online." - Wikipedia

[nursenblack]

There was a book released a few years back here in the united states, that they stopped publishing after a few weeks because everyone opposed it so much. I'm not sure if people in the UK know about O.J. Simpson. He was a terrific Running Back in american football. record setter even. well he retired in the 1979, as the 2nd best in his time. (Now I believe he is 17th or 18th.) Years later after his wife and he divorced She was murdered in his front yard. It became one of the biggest trials in the history of the U.S. because everyone in america though he was guilty and he got off.

 

In 2006 Simpson released a book titled "If I Did It." A book he depicted if he had killed his ex wife, this is how he would have done it. It was banned less than a month after itsd release and there are only a few hundred thousand copies available today.

 

"Although the original release of the book was canceled shortly after it was announced in November 2006, 400,000 physical copies of the original book were printed and by June 2007 copies of the book had leaked online." - Wikipedia

 

I had forgotten about that book, but it did stir up a lot of controversy at the time.

[Chrissy]

We definitely got to hear about OJ and his trial over here, and I do recall hearing something about this tasteless and offensive book. I cannot imagine how Nichole Brown and Ron Goldman's families must have felt about it.

[Peacefield]

I'm thoroughly confused. Don't the people who've put forth the idea of banning/challenging certain books know that all they are doing is drawing more attention to these said corrupt books? I don't mean to sound overly judgemental, but what kind of person doesn't realize that they are in truth making the author more money by spouting off about how bad their book is?

 

Also, one person/organization has absolutely no right to tell me what I/my children should and shouldn't be reading. If I don't want to read a book on a topic that offends me, I'll decide that for myself, thank you very much! Sorry, but things like this that infringe on my personal freedoms really get under my skin.

[Devi]

I was browsing facebook when I cam across this site - https://www.worldswithoutend.com/lists_banned_sff.asp

 

It's on the sf/fantasy page but they have all genres. You can click on thee book for more information, some even have excerpts. It also mentions if there was a tv/film made of the book. Thought it was really interesting.

 

Sorry if it's been linked already.

Edited September 26, 2014 by Devi