Every year there are many attempts by individuals and groups to have books removed from libraries shelves and classrooms. For varied reasons, they claim these books aren't fit for reading.
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Here are the top ten books, in no particular order, that have been frequently challenged and questioned for their content. Read on to find out why and read the books to find out where you stand on the matter.
The Bluest Eye and Belovedby Toni Morrison
Morrison began writing The Bluest Eye when she realized that the novel she wanted to read didn't exist. Published in 1970, this hard-hitting story of a black girl who longs for blonde hair and blue eyes has regularly been the subject of controversies. Earlier in 2015, objections were raised again that the novel was 'sexually explicit', 'unsuited for age group' and 'contains controversial issues'.
Beloved by the same author has also been surrounded by controversies. This book that tells of the horrors of slavery, something that people who've never lived it cannot fully understand. Reasons for attempted bans on this book include sexual material, violence, bestiality, language, and other "inappropriate topics".
The Perks of Being A Wallflower
by Stephen Chbosky
Inspired by the late J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, the book, first published in 1999, tells the story of a teenager, "Charlie" who writes a series of letters to an anonymous friend. Being a teenager, Charlie goes to great lengths to describe his introversion, teenage sexuality, abuse, and his drug use. It has frequently been challenged since 2004, facing complaints over its depiction of 'drugs', 'alcohol', 'smoking' and its 'offensive language'.
The Kite Runner
by Khaled Hosseini
This 2003 bestseller tells the story of a betrayal which shatters a friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his servant in war-torn Afghanistan. Issues started being raised earlier after its film adaptation and the novel has suffered complaints of 'offensive language' and 'violence'. Issues are also raised time and again because the book includes a passage that describes the rape of a young boy by an older boy.
The Lord of the Rings
by J.R.R. Tolkien
The classic trilogy, along with The Hobbit, has been banned in many schools and public libraries across America. These works have been celebrated around the world as benchmarks of fictional literature, and for inspiring the work of several modern fantasy and science fiction authors around the globe; yet some claim that there is a darker, more menacing side to these childhood standards – those relating to witchcraft and irreligious sentiments.
Gone with the Wind
by Margaret Mitchell
Did you know that the Nazis banned Gone with the Wind, claiming it inspired the French Resistance? They were afraid it would give people hope, and the will to survive under occupation and tyranny. The Russians later banned GWTW throughout the Soviet Empire. Scarlett O'Hara was not a fan of war, and that made her dangerous.
Catch-22
by Joseph Heller
Catch 22 is a novel that is based on World War II. Critics tended either to adore it or despise it, and those who hated it did so for the same reasons as the critics who loved it. Considered "dangerous" because of objectionable language, Catch 22 was banned and challenged in various schools throughout the United States.
1984
by George Orwell
1984 written in 1948 by George Orwell, tells the tale of a society in the year 1984 that is under constant war, and ruled by a dictatorship that uses tight surveillance and mind control to police its populace. Some of the novel's themes include nationalism, sexual repression, censorship, and privacy. Many of those subjects, and various scenes within the story, strike a chord for its close parallels to actual events today. And for that reason it frequently ends up being one of the most commonly challenged classics.
Slaughterhouse-Five
by Kurt Vonnegut
Since it was published, Slaughterhouse-Five has been banned or challenged on at least 18 occasions. Many call the book just plain filthy and accuse the novel of being "depraved, immoral, psychotic, and vulgar." In 1973, a school board in North Dakota immolated 32 copies of the book in the high school's coal burner. Vonnegut ridicules everything that the ordinary American family believes in, including heaven, hell, religion and sin and that doesn't go down too well ever so often.
For Whom the Bell Tolls
by Ernest Hemingway
The New York Times called it 'The best book Hemingway has written', despite that he remains today one of the world's most-banned creative minds because of some cuss words and for showing us the dirty, hard truth about the depravity of war. For Whom the Bell Tolls tells the story of a young American volunteer who is sent to blow up a bridge behind the lines of Franco's army. In the mountains he finds the dangers and the intense comradeship of war – and he discovers Maria. This book was banned in Spain during Franco's rule due to its pro-Republican views.
