What do you think of these "banned books"?

Question: What do you think of these "banned books"!?

Here's a link to borders website - they have a special offer of 40% discount on these books that have at one time or other been banned!.

http://www!.borders!.co!.uk/discount/banner!.!.!.

Let me know what you think of these books, whether you think they deserved banning, and whether banning books is a good or bad thing!.

Plus, it's a pretty nice deal to get 40% off! Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

I've read 1984 and Animal Farm -- requirements in school, actually!.

No, they don't deserve banning!. It's just a show of ignorance!. People were trying to get Harry Potter banned because they were afraid children would start worshipping the devil!. Please!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I haven't read any of those books!. I'm not a big book reader!. Some books don't keep my attention, but I will be honest, book banning is a crying shame and it's wrong!. History has had book banning for years!. If you don't approve of the book don't read it, that's all!. If you think it's wrong, or will "mold" people's minds the way you don't want it to, then you're molding a mind to begin with!. Book banning has never been an answer or solution to whatever problem and the books, records, movies, etc that have been banned always find a way of coming back!. It's not different than the Prohibition of the 20's when you had to go to a speak easy for a drink!. The same thing happens with book reading, religion and anything else "taboo"!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

Oddly, both Conservative Republicans and Liberal Democrats have tried to "remove" books from school reading lists, and from public libraries!. Conservatives tried to ban Harry Potter books, because today's Neocon Born-again, nut-job Christian fundamentalists think that it glorifies Satan worship! Magic is evil, after all, just ask any bishop from the 17th Century!

Liberals have tried to remove books like "Huck Finn" and "To Kill a Mockingbird" because of the use of the word n*gger, where an "i" is used!. I guess the do-gooders felt that children may think that it's OK to use the word if they see it in print!.

The most evil aspect of book-banners, and they are evil, my friends, is that they feel that what they propose is the right thing to do for your family and your children, but not for theirs!. Look at Sarah Palin: she's all about abstinence-only for other kids, but in her own family!? No way! We trust our kids! Right!?

The US Constitution is NOT a collection of quaint ideas from the distant past; it is how we live in the US of America, and to have the very first Amendment to our Constitution trampled by a bunch of "right-thinking, God-fearing (white) people" is beyond immoral, it is evil!. The Nazis are a perfect example of what you get when you throw away, or give to the President, the power of the people!.

Beware book banners!. They hate liberty and freedom; they hate you!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I have read the majority of these!. Unless someone is a throwback from Nazi Germany I don't see how they can advocate the banning of books like these that have mild sex scenes, or a political leaning!. You might as well ban people from having an opinion!.
(It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest to find out that The Communist Manifesto is still banned in the US though!.!.!. they really hate those commies don't they!)Www@QuestionHome@Com

i don't know why they would have banned some of those titles!. we read books like to kill a mocking bird, catcher in the rye and animal farm in english classes in school!.
as far as banning books, i think it's an absurd practice!. a person should be able to choose what they want to read or not read!. if people are concerned about what kids read then put an age restriction on buying or borrowing certain books, or parents can get involved with what their children do!.besides, kids are more likely to SEE something on tv or in the movies that is worse than what they may read in a book!.
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I am never sure of the logic used to ban books!. It can range from misunderstanding to fear!. On the list below The American Heritage Dictionary (!!!) was banned, first in Eldon MO, and then in Anchorage AK!. I suppose the 'objectionable words' kept the citizens safe, but what about all the other words in the dictionary!.

Here is a list of books banned in the U!.S and who tried to ban them:

http://www!.banned-books!.com/bblista-i!.ht!.!.!.

http://www!.banned-books!.com/bblistj-z!.ht!.!.!.

I have read The Satanic Verses, Catch-22, Catcher in the Rye, Lady Chatterly's Lover, Clockwork Orange, Naked Lunch, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Communist Maifesto, Lolita, Naked Lunch, The Grapes of Wrath, Ulysses, Animal Farm, 1984, Slaughterhouse 5, The Color Purple!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

I think I have read some of them!.

I've read 1984, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Lady Chatterly's Lover, The Colour Purple, To Kill a Mockingbird, Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China, and Aninal Farm!.

Lady Chatterly's Lover disappointed me-I kept waiting for it to get raunchy and IMO it never did!!! I guess our opinion of what's obscene and the prevalent opinion when it was written is very different!.

Censorships is ridiculous-people should be able to read what they like, but then, banning a book is the most guaranteed way to make sure that everyone reads it!

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I read: 1984, Lolita, Fahrenheit 451, The Catcher in The Rye, To Kill A Mockingbird, Master and Margarita, Animal Farm!.

I think banned books are great- it shows how much power a good book can have (though To Kill A Mockingbird, apart from the 'n' word, is very tame)!. I heard that one published rejected Lolita not because it was paedophilic but because it was offensive to America!Www@QuestionHome@Com

i have read most of these!. I think the reason these books were so important and infamous is because they were banned! i wonder how many of them might have faded into obscurity if nobody had made a fuss about them!.

A teacher in my school wanted to get 'forever' by judy blume banned from our library!. She didn't succeed but because she made such a fuss about 'the overtly sexual nature of the book' everyone was queing up to read it! idiot!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

from the ones that I have read:

1984 - great story about how life could have ended up - should be read by all fans of big brother to get the reference!.

lolita - yes this is a story about a 30 ish man and 12 year old in a relationship but it is really well written

colour purple - why was this banned!? great story about growing up in america as a black person - watch the film for some great acting

flowers in the attic - does contain scenes of brother and sister far to close and underrage - also really badly written

catch 22 -this book concerns american soldiers during WW2 and is very fragnmented but worth a read

well of loniliess - reading this at the moment - main theme is lesibians but in the first world war and not at all explicietWww@QuestionHome@Com

I have read 1984, Lolita, The Grapes of Wrath, American Psycho, Fahrenheit 451, Catch 22, The Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mockingbird, Ulysses (but not finished it yet), Wild Swans and Animal Farm!.

Banning books is a bad thing!.

Some of the listed books were good, others not so goodWww@QuestionHome@Com

animal farm and 1984 are both subversive but dont need banning unless by a paranoid goverment
catcher in the rye was banned but dont know why,its supposedly a book that if you buy in america it gets a note sent to the cia,
american psycho is very violent but is a brilliant book!.
ulysees is anti goverment and pro drugs which is prob why it got banned!.

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Ah,many thanks for bringing this up!.It sounds indulging and idiosyncratic when they are banned,it is sold in such a CHEAP captivation price and I will INEVITABLY buy them!.Penguin classics' books should not be banned!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I've read; slaughter house 5
lolita
the grapes of wrath
american psycho
naked lunch

nice link, interesting!Www@QuestionHome@Com

Lol that fahrenheit 451 was banned, how ironic considering the whole premise of the book was the government burning books to stop people from reading!.

Though to be honest I'd ban 1984, I thought It was rubbish!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Banning books is bad!. its taking away from someone trying to expand their mind!. Some of the book titles were required in English classes when I was in high school!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Having read about half of the titles, I'm a bit bewildered as to why they're banned!. Maybe they think we'll all become subversives, well in my case they were right!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

ive only read to kill a mockingbird and animal farm required by the school but i liked them!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

It is mental to ban a book!. Besides the gross use of censorship, it only makes people want to read them more, really!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

lolita's sweetly seductive!Www@QuestionHome@Com

At least a third of your list is required reading in American high schools, lol!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Catch 22, Naked Lunch

Catch 22 was banned!?!? get out of hereWww@QuestionHome@Com

Gone with the Wind was banned!?!?!? Did I miss something!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

haha ive only read to kill a mockingbird which i loved, i understand that they do ban books but i think thats so lame!. The fact that they are now banned makes me want to read them that much more!. were reading 1984 this year,cant wait!.

people who ban books are scared of change and free thinking

like farenhight(sorry i butchered the spelling) 451!. i absolutley loved that book! and if you read it youll understand why people ban books because in the story the burn books so people cant read!.

i read gone with the wind! omg i loved that book to!. what was it banned bc it mentions slavery and shows the south at its worst!? my familys from the south and im not affended that we made mistakes!.

and btw thank you, i have to buy some of these books for schoola nd i had no idea that they were 40% off!. is this a new thing or something thats always this way!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

I am disgusted to hear that these books have been banned!. One or two of them, could perhaps have been kept out of reach of younger readers, but to ban them is an outrage!. One of the major tenets of democracy is freedom of speech and of the press!. The books I've read:

Slaughterhouse 5 - (A brilliant book, often ranked in the top 5 or 10 novels of all time!. Reason for banning must be because of its setting, which is the bombing of Dresden in world war 2!.)

1984-(The irony is sweet!. what more can i say)

the satanic verses (maybe it's the name that has caused it to be banned!. A long and tedious read that didn't catch my fancy!. Not a fan of Rushdi)

lolita (Along with Ulysses, this book is most often ranked in top 3 or 5 novels of all time!. A remarkable story, brilliantly told (almost unparalleled in this regard) of a middle aged man who falls heavily for a young girl (12 or 13)!. A very depressing story, and unfortunately it's become something like the pedophiles' bible!.

american psycho (This book should be kept well out of reach of any unsuspecting reader!. I had to study it is my final year of English major in South Africa, and it is a shocker!. You simply cannot begin to imagine how bad it is until you read it!. I did find it very interesting though!. Ellis uses a strange form of conditioning a sexual response in the reader, followed immediately by obscene violence!. Time and time again, the reader is aroused by highly pornographic content, and then abruptly and suddenly exposed to gruesome scenes of horrific violence!.

catch 22 (Fun book; I guess the war setting is reason enough for these buffoons to ban it)

catcher in the rye (enough already said on it)

to kill a mockingbird (a simple book with a good message!. Should be widely read, rather than banned)

tropic of cancer (a strange book, can't really remember much about it)

one day in the life of ivan denisovich (Solzhenitsyn's tale of one man experiencing the hardships of a siberian concentration camp!. Famous line: "a warm man can never understand a cold man!." Gripping tale!.

wild swans (this is a must read for every mature reader!. Although violent at times, it is the Iliad or odyssey of modern China!. A hugely important book, and surprisingly well written!. Reason for ban: probably a hint of communism to be read between the lines!.It's raw factual truth, well as much as it can be anyway!.

the master and the margarita - (very strange story!. one of the main characters is the devil, so to speak!. a talking cat!., and a bizarre plot!. no reason to ban in my opinion)

the unbearable lightness of being (a good book!. it does contain one or two strange sex scenes, and is set during the war, but otherwise it is a very insightful story!.

animal farm - there seems to be an endemic fear of a resurgence of communism in the USA!. Ever since senator McCarthy had his little salem witch trials in this country, people have been scared of the commees!. i think that with the China's rapid rise in becoming a super power (noted by the recent olympics), the usa is becoming more fearful of terrorism and communism than ever before!. Our country reminds me of a pitbull who will go into the red zone at the first whiff of adversity or threatening presence!. the irony is that many pitbulls are being put down because of the unwarranted viciousness!. (I fear that the FBI might come knocking on my door any minute because of this blurb!. I'll get the kettle on, lol!. :D

In summary, don't ban important books!. Just keep the inappropriate ones out of reach of reach of unsuspecting and immature readers
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Ok I can guess as to why and when some of these books were banned, were they banned only in certain countries!? I have read 'one day in the life of Ivan D' (sp), I'm assuming that was only banned in communist countries but can think of no real reason in its contents to merit this!. also 'Catch 22', why was this banned!? i'm pretty sure we read 'animal farm' at school over 25 years ago!.

I have read 'The Gas', for the life of me cant recall author, this book was banned at one point also, there is a lot of explicit sexual content, may actually still be banned!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

banning books is a good thing but not in this case!. I think all this books are just perfectWww@QuestionHome@Com