Literature Suppressed on Political Grounds (Banned Books)

The aim of this four-volume set is to spotlight some 400 works that have been censored, banned, or condemned because of their political, social, religious, or sexual content. The entries, which include a summary, censorship history, and brief bibliography, range widely from Aristotle through Galileo and on up to Adolf Hitler and Judy Blume. Such well-known prohibited works as de Sade's 120 Days of Sodom, the Communist Manifesto, and Huckleberry Finn are included here, but so are many other works that are now less controversial, e.g., Milton's Areopagitica and Uncle Tom's Cabin. Some of the censorship histories are several pages long, but others are very short; Born on the Fourth of July gets only 50 words. Though most of the works are worth notice, too many describe fairly vapid objections: Fail-Safe was challenged by a school librarian who thought the book would undermine "America's confidence in their defense system." But as one might expect, many of the entries, such as the one for The Satanic Verses, are harrowing. Prepared by well-qualified scholars who have written and lectured extensively on censorship, the set is a very readable gathering of much useful information. It provides more depth and is more current than either Anne L. Haight's Banned Books (1978. 4th ed.) or ALA's Banned Books Resource Guide (1995). (Index not seen.)APeter A. Dollard, Alma Coll. Lib., Mt. Pleasant, MI
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description
Throughout history, tyrants, totalitarian states, church institutions, and democratic governments alike have banned books that challenged their assumptions or questioned their authority. Even today, attempts by school boards, local governments, and religious fanatics to restrict our freedom to read continue. The four-volume Banned Books collection focuses on more than 400 works that have been censored for their political, social, religious, or erotic content -- in the United States and around the world -- from biblical times to the present day. Works have been chosen for their literary or historical significance, including their role in the history of censorship. Most are read in middle- and high-school curricula as well as in university courses; some have been the focus of major national or international campaigns; and all were either written in English or are available in English translations. Banned Books: Literature Suppressed on Political Grounds makes a special contribution to the understanding of political censorship, which results largely from a fear on the part of public officials that citizens may have access to information or ideas that governments would rather restrict or retain in the presumed interest of national security. Censorship may also result through private intervention by nongovernmental agencies, such as school boards or libraries, by the removal of materials that are deemed offensive to a group or constituency. This volume illustrates the extent and frequency of political censorship. Works covered include: -- Animal Farm, George Orwell -- Born on the Fourth of July, Ron Kovic -- Burger's Daughter, Nadine Gordimer -- Bury My Heart at WoundedKnee, Dee Brown -- Cancer Ward, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn -- The Case for India, Will Durant -- Das Kapital, Karl Marx -- Doctor Zhivago, Boris Pasternak -- El Senor Presidente, Miguel Angel Asturias -- The Fugitive, Pramoedya Ananta Toer -- The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck -- Gulliver's Travels, Jonathan Swift -- The Jungle, Upton Sinclair -- Les Miserables, Victor Hugo -- Mein Kampf, Adolf Hitler -- The Rights of Man, Thomas Paine -- Slaughterhouse Five, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

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Product Details
Hardcover: 584 pages
Publisher: Facts on File (May 1998)
Language: English