The only thing I’ve ever liked about banned books is that banned books always seem to sell better after being banned. Banned in Boston always guaranteed a bestselling book.
Throughout the years many books have been censored or banned for religious, political, and sexual reasons. With such a long list of banned books, it has been hard to keep up with them. Coming to the rescue is Printer Inks, who have compiled an infographic featuring some of these banned books in an easy-to-read timeline.
The Bible, first printed in 1440, is one of the most shoplifted books in the world. It has been banned in both the USSR and Ethiopia.
The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie has been banned in 16 countries (including Qatar, Kenya, Tanzania, Egypt, and Thailand). The book has been banned primarily because it offended many religious beliefs.
Ulysses, The Well of Loneliness, Lady Chatterley’s Lover, and Lolita are just a few of the books that have been banned in the United Kingdom. The primary reasons for such bans have been explicit sex and obscene language.
The Harry Potter and Twilight series have been banned in a number of Christian schools because of their witchcraft and vampire themes.
Parents in South Carolina called for banning William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet in their schools because of its teen sex theme.
George Orwell’s Animal Farm may be the most banned book because of its critique of Communism and its images that go against Islamic values.
Banned Children’s Books
Asha’s Mums by R. Elwin and M. Poulse was banned in British Columbia for promoting homosexual life.
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White was banned in Kansas because talking animals was seen as blasphemous.
Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss was banned in China for its negative portrayal of Marxism.
Where the Wild Things by Maurice Sendak was condemned for being too dark and scary.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum was banned because it encouraged children to be cowardly (according to the Detroit, Michigan public library).
So the question now is: Would you ban these books? What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below . . .
What is your favorite banned book? Green Eggs and Ham! Yum, yum!
Infographic courtesy of Printer Inks: http://www.printerinks.com.
About John Kremer
John Kremer is author of 1001 Ways to Market Your Books, the Relationships Matter Marketing program, and many other books and reports on book marketing, Internet marketing, social media, and book publicity. -- John Kremer on Book Marketing.