Many of the best books have been banned worldwide due to different reasons. Those books which show vulgar content, sexual abuse, profanity, violence, and false political overtone are then banned.
Books are something to be trusted by all. They are thought to have a better impact on a person’s personality. But when these books become a source of violence and sexual abuse, then they are reported by teachers and parents to be censored in schools and libraries. While some books are banned by governments due to their wrong political statements.
Here in this blog, we will discuss the top 10 most famous banned books of all time. Thenumbering given to these books is randomly taken from the internet.
1. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Reason: Nude content, offensive language, religious conflict.
Brave New World was published in 1932. It is a dystopian novel based on the future world which shows major advancements in reproductive technology and brainwashing of people. The book was banned by many countries due to its bold language and religious conflicts. It was also banned in America several times due to racist content and being sexually explicit. This book is also among the top hundred most challenged books between 1990-1999.
Huxley in this novel encourages sex from a younger age which people thought to be against culture and family. And shows the brave side of a society that is so used to the comfort of its artificial world which turned out to be unpleasant to this non-courageous world.
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| Brave New World |
2. 1984 by George Orwell
Reason: Crime, sexually explicit content, and Rebellion.
1984 is a dystopian novella by George Orwell published in 1949, which follows the life of Winston Smith, a low-ranking member of ‘the Party, who is frustrated by the omnipresent eyes of the party, and its ominous ruler Big Brother. ‘Big Brother controls every aspect of people’s lives. The protagonist, Winston Smith, begins a subtle rebellion against the party by keeping a diary of his secret thoughts, which is a deadly thought crime. With his lover Julia, he begins a foreordained fight for freedom and justice, in a world where no one else appears to see, or dislike, the oppression the protagonist opposes. This story and theme represent the communists due to which it was banned. Another reason was the sexual intercourse shown in the novel.
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| 1984 |
3. Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller
Reason: Bold language and porn content.
Tropic of Cancer was published in 1934 but soon it was banned by United States Customs Service due to the cheap sexual scenes framed in the novel. It was prohibited in all English-speaking countries. The novel depicts Miller's early life as a fictitious autobiography. It is remarkable for enthusiasm, and spoken sincerity, a quality of joy discovered somewhere on the other side of hopelessness. In the 1960s, it was hailed as a work of sexual liberation. But others said it was verbally extravagant and there was a lack of art. At any rate, this had made Henry Miller a familiar name in America. It is therefore an unusual and very notorious bestseller of its time.
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| Tropic of Cancer |
4. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
Reason: Violent, Immoral, and sexual assault.
This novel is notable due to its unique and controversial topic in which a professor is obsessed with a 12-year-old girl, Dolores Haze, with whom he becomes sexually involved after he becomes her stepfather. The story shows so many cheap sexual scenes which can have a horrifying impact on the reader's mind. Due to this storyline, it is banned several times in France, America, and many other countries.
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| Lolita |
5. Ulysses by James Joyce
Reason: Obscenity, difficult language.
Ulysses was published in series in an American journal “The Little Review” between 1918 and 1920 until the magazine was alleged to have distributed obscene material. The ban was rescinded in 1934, and parts of the novel appeared in The Egotist journal but it also faced accusations of obscenity and prohibition. It has been a controversial novel and was also banned which made the novel more popular due to which it was also sold in black. The major reason for its censorship was that in some chapters the characters were found masturbating which was against the cultures of that time. The language was also difficult and confusing to understand. The book was completely banned in the US for several years, and even copies of the book were burned. But was never banned in Ireland and was available for its readers.
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| Ulysses |
6. All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
Reason: Unpatriotic and horrors of warfare.
This book was published in 1928. The story is of a man’s experiences in the world war who was wounded several times during the war. It is the harsh and bitter reality of Germany while the war. There is no imagination or fiction in the novel. All the scenes seem to be realistic and true to the war. The compelling theme of the book became the reason behind its banning. It was thought to be anti-war propaganda and unpatriotic due to which it was banned in many military libraries and the soldiers were not allowed to read this book. The book was also banned in several European countries. The book was also under the book burning bonfires of Nazis in 1933.
Another major reason behind its censorship was the absence of medical care during the war. A cruel side of doctors and the absence of front-line action is shown in the novel. Which gives a wrong impression to the outside world about German people. Because of these two reasons, the book was banned but besides this, it is a must-read book for all and is a new experience of reading to the readers.
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| All Quiet On The Western Front |
7. Animal Farm by George Orwell
Reason: Reflects some political events and religious conflicts.
The story novella is about a group of an animal who is fed up with their farm owner because he did not treat them well and didn’t feed them. So they decided to rebel against their owner. And the fable tale goes on.
Now if we talk about its banning. So it is prohibited due to the satire used in it on the Soviet Union and other political events. UAE banned the book due to the illustration of a talking pig which is against Muslim values. The book is still banned in North Korea, Cuba, and Kenya for its criticism of corruption.
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| Animal Farm |
8. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Reason: Harsh representation of Depression-era.
The Grapes of Wrath is a very famous novel from the 19th century. The story is about a poor family and their struggles for a good living. This book is a representation of the difficult working conditions in California during the depression period. It was so rough and harsh that it was banished to the country. However, historians confirm that Steinbeck's portrait was true to life. There are many political and social events illustrated in the novel that are bitter realities of that time. Local civil servants in Kern County persuaded the workers to burn the book. Thus after this, it was banned in the US.
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| The Grapes Of Wrath |
9. The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger
Reason: Vulgar language, blasphemy, and rebellion.
The Catcher in the Rye is a very famous novel published in 1951. It is the story of a rebellious teenage boy who is kicked out of school and is now roaming around the city. Here are his experiences about life as he interacts with different types of people.
The book is quite controversial as at first it was the most banned book in the US and now it is the second most taught book in US schools. It was banned as people thought that this book will produce rebellious teenagers. The story also promotes sexual abuse, smoking, drinking, and lying. The language is also offensive and adult language but is used by a teenager. All this made this novel unacceptable content.
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| The Catcher In The Rye |
10. The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall
Reason: Immoral, homosexuality.
The Well of Loneliness is a lesbian novel by British writer Radclyffe Hall which was published in 1928. Soon after its publication, the book was in the eyes of critics and it got a lot of criticism due to its sexual inversion content shown in the novel. The story is about a girl who fell sexually connected to another girl but got a rejection and hated by the people which ends in the isolation and depression of both. The thing that was more unacceptable to society was that the author considered sex inversion as a natural state and is fine in her eyes. This book received great hate and many writers run campaigns against the book and its censorship.
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| The Well Of Loneliness |
Conclusion
Books are meant for learning and pleasure. They leave a great impact on readers' minds. So reading a healthy and good book is very important. To ensure the availability of good books, from time to time there is a check on the newly published books. So those who have immoral, sexual, or other unacceptable content are banned in the countries. The above was a list of some of those books which are banned due to their content.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the no# 1 banned book?
1984 by George Orwell is the most frequently banned book of all time.
What is the most controversial banned book?
The Catcher in the Rye is the most controversial book of its time as the book was banned due to vulgar language and immoral content. But soon after this, the book was taught at the secondary level in schools in the US.
What is the most banned author of all time?
J.K Rowling is the very famous writer of the world-famous novel series Harry Potter. But she has also been banned many times due to her this famous work.
Why was Harry Potter banned?
Harry Potter was banned for some time because it was thought that the book promoted anti-family themes and witchcraft.