September 29th, 2009 / 5:19 pm
Random

Banned Books Week

Jim_and_ghost_huck_finnIt’s finally here, and I’m ashamed to say that, of the top ten most challenged books in 2008, I have only read one (some Scary Stories book I got off the Bookmobile when I was a child which, while it maybe should not be banned, did haunt my dreams for many years with its tales of chicks whose heads fell off when they undid their scarves). But we all know books are dangerous, and can warp fragile, gelatinous minds with their subversive ideas. The thing is, by forbidding access to something, you’re only going to give it that much more power to smite the reactionary forces of good (evil). Like, I’d be upset if someone banned Going Rogue, because that thing is going to be awesome for everyone. However, if you did have the power to ban one book for all eternity though, which would you pick?

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12 Comments

  1. davidpeak

      “Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz
      Reasons: occult/satanism, religious viewpoint, and violence”

      The illustrations in those books still haunt me. Especially the one about Harold the scarecrow.

      Jesus.

  2. davidpeak

      “Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz
      Reasons: occult/satanism, religious viewpoint, and violence”

      The illustrations in those books still haunt me. Especially the one about Harold the scarecrow.

      Jesus.

  3. Ben Brooks

      “The Kite Runner”

      ahahahahahahahahhaha

      Ban light boxes.
      Reasons: religious viewpoint, violence, anti-ethnic

  4. Ben Brooks

      “The Kite Runner”

      ahahahahahahahahhaha

      Ban light boxes.
      Reasons: religious viewpoint, violence, anti-ethnic

  5. Matt Bell

      I love those books. Scared me as a kid, still do now.

  6. Matt Bell

      I love those books. Scared me as a kid, still do now.

  7. Jamie

      Gossip Girls
      I run the young adult section at Half Price in Seattle and I am continually tempted to just “donate” them practically every day
      (and by donate I mean burn)

  8. Jamie

      Gossip Girls
      I run the young adult section at Half Price in Seattle and I am continually tempted to just “donate” them practically every day
      (and by donate I mean burn)

  9. daniel bailey

      i read those too. i was about to comment the same thing. i’m surprised that someone would consider it offensive. though, i guess the reason anything is scary is because it “offends” your sense of safety. but really, there was nothing tasteless about those books.

      i only ever read those with the lights on, sitting on the floor next to my bookshelf so that if i got too scared i could just put it back and pick out another book.

      and fuck…those drawings.

  10. daniel bailey

      i read those too. i was about to comment the same thing. i’m surprised that someone would consider it offensive. though, i guess the reason anything is scary is because it “offends” your sense of safety. but really, there was nothing tasteless about those books.

      i only ever read those with the lights on, sitting on the floor next to my bookshelf so that if i got too scared i could just put it back and pick out another book.

      and fuck…those drawings.

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