Forbidden Books!

My local library is great. Despite my previous local being Zadie Smith's old haunt, by the time I got to use it the variety of the books in both fiction and non was lacklustre, the noise from resident mother and baby groups distracting and the local area inundated by groups of loud teenagers uninterested in bookings or in 'keeping it down'. So, although I was firmly against the libraries being shut down after more than 200 closed in 2012, I have to admit I'd long stopped going to the any that weren't attached to my universities. And this is despite being an avid fiction reader and longing for a way to get my hands on good books without spending 60% of my paycheck at Waterstones. I moved house four years ago and, shortly after, the local library had a make over. I popped in to have a look, joined on the spot and, for stretches at a time, practically live there now. It's not perfect by any means but it's books on offer are fantastic. The selection stretches from the classics to bestsellers, cook books, history, self-help manuals and tons of poetry and some plays. I've not always found what I wanted but they do have cheap reservation and ordering services. I've picked up loads of books I probably would never have come across or spent the money on elsewhere including Anna Funder's Stasiland and Joanna Limburg's The Woman Who Thought Too Much. I've never attended any of their talks or workshops but I'm a big fan of the time the staff take to make displays of recommended books, highlighting specific genres or tying them in with world events. My favourite display was 'Forbidden Books' last month to coincide with Banned Books Week. I thought I'd share some snippets of it with you because I found it a pretty interesting addition to that day's visit. Hopefully you'll think so too!

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Published in 1939 and banned and burned in many places in the US for its social and political view.

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
Banned in the Lebanon by Christian leaders as an attack on the Roman Catholic Church and for historical and scientific inaccuracy.

1984 by George Orwell
Banned in the USSR until the 1980s for its allegorical depiction of the rise and fall of socialism and Stalin's totalitarian regime. Ironically it was also banned in the US for having communist text in the introduction.

The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien
Banned in various areas for being satanic and burned by members of a church in New Mexico in 2001. Tolkien however was a devout Christian and scholars note many Christian themes in his work.

The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank
Banned in the Lebanon for portraying Jews in too favourable a light.

The Wonderful World of Oz by L Frank Baum
Banned by libraries in many US states - in the south because of witches being referred to as 'good' and under McCarthyism for its perceived socialist values.

The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera
Banned in Czechoslovakia until 1989 due to its depiction of life under Communist rule.

Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
Banned by the South African government during Apartheid because of the word 'Black' in its title.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling
Banned and burned in many US states for promoting witchcraft , and also banned in some Christian schools in the UK.

A Prayer for Owen Meany  by John Irving
Banned in some US states for its views of religion and criticism of the US government for the Vietnam War and Iran-Contra.