You can read more about it here.
In the meantime, what’s on the ALA banned and challenged list that you’ve read and loved?
1. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald
2. The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger
3. The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck
4. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
5. The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
6. Ulysses, by James Joyce
7. Beloved, by Toni Morrison
8. The Lord of the Flies, by William Golding
9. 1984, by George Orwell11. Lolita, by Vladmir Nabokov
12. Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck15. Catch-22, by Joseph Heller
16. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
17. Animal Farm, by George Orwell
18. The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway
19. As I Lay Dying, by William Faulkner
20. A Farewell to Arms, by Ernest Hemingway23. Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston
24. Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison
25. Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison
26. Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell
27. Native Son, by Richard Wright
28. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, by Ken Kesey
29. Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut
30. For Whom the Bell Tolls, by Ernest Hemingway33. The Call of the Wild, by Jack London
36. Go Tell it on the Mountain, by James Baldwin
38. All the King’s Men, by Robert Penn Warren
40. The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien
45. The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair
48. Lady Chatterley’s Lover, by D.H. Lawrence
49. A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess
50. The Awakening, by Kate Chopin53. In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote
55. The Satanic Verses, by Salman Rushdie
57. Sophie’s Choice, by William Styron
64. Sons and Lovers, by D.H. Lawrence
66. Cat’s Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut
67. A Separate Peace, by John Knowles73. Naked Lunch, by William S. Burroughs
74. Brideshead Revisited, by Evelyn Waugh
75. Women in Love, by D.H. Lawrence80. The Naked and the Dead, by Norman Mailer
84. Tropic of Cancer, by Henry Miller
88. An American Tragedy, by Theodore Dreiser
97. Rabbit, Run, by John Updike
Whenever I’m told what I can or can’t do, I’m inclined to get angry and do just the opposite. Forbidding someone to read these great literary books is an injustice to us all. Perhaps I need to recheck my bookshelves to make sure I have a complete set. They’re bound to become valuable collector’s items in no time. I suggest you do the same.
I’m amazed that any books on this list could even be considered to be banned. Though I can understand the “reasoning” behind some, their places as classic literature and historic landmarks of various cultures and time periods are obvious.
At first glance, I didn’t see Fahrenheit 451 on the list…but that might be a touch ironic here…
I don’t see Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo on your list. A difficult read, sad and terrible, but beautiful in its anti-war theme.
Johnny Got His Gun is a seriously intense book – I read it years ago, and had forgotten. Thanks for the reminder.
I have read, and loved, so many of these!
My faves on the list:
Farewell to Arms
Of Mice and Men
To Kill a Mockingbird
I still cannot understand why people still insist on banning books. It makes no sense! I suppose people can be intimidated by books such as Hunger Games and Lord of the Rings. Its a crying shame!
It would seem that being banned is a quick way to get both read and to become a classic. Perhaps my skills at offending others have simply been misused. (sly smile)
I can’t believe they are still banning books. This isn’t World War II era Germany! I have read and enjoyed many of the books on this list. What floored me was “The Lord of the Rings” is on that list! I guess three epic movies made from those books doesn’t count for anything.
I suppose “The Hobbit” will be next.
I wish I had the funds to buy a copy of these books before they disappear. :<