Banned Books Week 21-27 September

Books containing erotica, content about illegal drugs, and end-of-life issues are frequently attacked on the grounds that they are offensive. Historically you could add to this list books that contained minority views on politics, religion, sexuality and morality. Controversy on whether books should be censored or banned has been around as long as books have been banned. 

When a book provokes and enlightens, or even horrifies it is usually a great read. Books like this open up our perspectives to on what it life is like for others from different backgrounds and in different contexts. Consider the following classic books; should they be banned, have some censorship or should anyone who wants to, be able to read them?

• Grapes of Wrath (in the CSU library) 
• Animal Farm (in the CSU library)
• Lady Chatterley’s Lover (in the CSU library)
• The Trial of Lady Chatterley’s Lover (banned from sale at Australia Post outlets in October 2009 as it didn’t fit in with the the “theme of their stores”) 
• The Peaceful Pill Handbook 
• Forever Amber 
• Lolita (in the CSU library)
• The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland (in the CSU library)

For a more comprehensive list of some books banned in Australia browse this website

More recently in the USA the following titles have had complaints lodged against them :

1. Captain Underpants (series), by Dav Pilkey
   Reasons: Offensive language, unsuited for age group, violence
2. The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison
   Reasons: Offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, violence
3. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
   Reasons: Drugs/alcohol/smoking, offensive language, racism, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
4. Fifty Shades of Grey, by E.L. James
   Reasons: Nudity, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
5. The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins
   Reasons: Religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group
6. A Bad Boy Can Be Good for A Girl, by Tanya Lee Stone
   Reasons: Drugs/alcohol/smoking, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit
7. Looking for Alaska, by John Green
   Reasons: Drugs/alcohol/smoking, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
8. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
   Reasons: drugs/alcohol/smoking, homosexuality, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
9. Bless Me Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya
   Reasons: Occult/Satanism, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit
10. Bone (series), by Jeff Smith
    Reasons: Political viewpoint, racism, violence

Currently The Peaceful Pill Handbook by Philip Nitschke and Fiona Stewart is banned from sale or import in Australia by the Office of Film and Literature Classification, because of its content on assisted suicide.