Random Thought About Banned Books.

[beccatoria]

So apparently it's banned books week and I got linked to this list of 2007's most challenged books as compiles by the American Library Association.

Two novels on that list really surprised me. The first being The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman. I knew there was some controversy regarding its thinly veiled anti-Catholic sentiment but it surprises me it was to the point where it made number 4. I mean that's just...weird. (For the record I haven't read those books. I started reading the first one but didn't like it).

The other novel was The Color Purple by Alice Walker. I suppose, thinking about it, that oughtn't shock me at all, but I studied that novel in high school. It was one of my set texts for my English Literature A-Level. I mean, in 2000 this was on the British National Curriculum. It was a set text on one of the major national exam board's papers (Welsh Joint Education Committee, for info).

I guess it was a bit of a surprise - even though I should have known better - to realise that that book probably wouldn't get taught in American high schools. I still find the conservative aspect of the US catches me off-guard, even though I know it's there. Because my own experience of Americanness via my mother and the people I know and love and the places I've lived and stayed, are all like...the opposite of that.

But the States is nothing if not divided these days.

Also I received my Federal Ballot by email yesterday. I AM ALL VOTED UP, BABY.

Comments

[spiralsheep.livejournal.com]

Two novels on that list really surprised me. The first being The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman.

It's anti-theist (and arguably pro-magic, e.g. miracles of human origin) and therefore An Abomination Unto Nuggan.

The other novel was The Color Purple by Alice Walker.

Are there swears for the racists to use as an excuse to pretend their challenges have some basis beyond racism? I can't remember (I is not a long memoried woman, apparently).

I AM ALL VOTED UP, BABY.

Well done, you unfaithful voting slut!

[spiralsheep.livejournal.com]

Ok, I checked and I see there is Language and scary infectious gay germs in TCP.

[madenglishbloke.livejournal.com]

im worried at the fact that mark twain is one of the most challanged authors, and huck finn one of the most challanged books.
seeing as twain dealt fairly sympathetically with racial issues, surely the fault is more with the prevailing attitudes at the time he wrote - his black characters are ill-educated, not stupid, and probably in the main more honourable than most of his white characters.
and the racist views of many of his characters accurately reflect the prevailing views in the area he was writing about at that time.
stoopid americans!

[nomoreanonymous.livejournal.com]

"Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Violence"

Sign me up!

I was reading an interview with Salmon Rushdie about the 20th anniversery of the Satanic Verses and he saying how certain contriversal book fail to find publishers in The USA. Which he said was Censorship through Fear.

I find it so hard to understand how groups can find works of fiction so offensive.

kind of related but more fun :P

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaY16HkiTkw

Good gal for flexing your political muscle. Just watching the Vice President debate. Biden Really seems to know his stuff IMHO. Palin just seems to say John is a Maverick every other minute. Where do your alligances lie now that Hillary is out of the fight?

[beccatoria.livejournal.com]

It's anti-theist (and arguably pro-magic, e.g. miracles of human origin) and therefore An Abomination Unto Nuggan.

Yes, I know you must be right. I'm just surprised that when faced with so many more shocking' subjects, anti-theism can launch an otherwise inoffensive book to number 4 on that list. It's just sort of weird. Like TCP, the shock was mostly because I associate the novel with school and my adolescence so it was weird to have to think about it in that light, but once I did I was like, "Oh, yeah, okay, I can see people getting all weird and stupid and 'ist' about it."

And yes, as you looked up, it's got explicit language, sexual content and violence. Because we can't possibly have novels that deal with all the fact that sexually explicit violence happens, now can we?

Plus, I hear it can turn you into a middle-aged black lesbian JUST BY READING IT.

Well done, you unfaithful voting slut!

It won't be as awesome as the year I managed to vote in the UK general election, the US general election and the Welsh National Assembly election (though that one might have been a by-election; I fail to recall exactly).

Still, hooray for voting sluttery!

[beccatoria.livejournal.com]

See, here you have the advantage on me - my dirty secret is that I've never actually READ Mark Twain. Though my great-grandmother did work as a maid for his daughter. /randomness.

[beccatoria.livejournal.com]

On a (vaguely) similar note - I remember reading recently that one of the reasons Hellboy I didn't do so well in the cinemas in the US is that a lot of cinemas were still showing the Passion of the Christ and wouldn't put show a film called 'Hellboy' at the same time, or showed it but wouldn't put the name up on the marquee to advertise it next to a film with "Christ" in the title.

Time differences here prevent me from watching the VP debate so I'm going to go get caught up via the internet. But I'm supporting Obama. It will be a cold, cold day in hell before I vote for a Republican. ;)

Plus while not as good a candidate as Clinton, I do actually think that Obama is a good candidate and could make a good president. So while I would have voted for the democratic candidate whoever that was because I'm utterly terrified of the Republican party's position and policies, I'm relieved that I don't have to feel like I'm voting in someone incompetant just to keep the other guy out.

[nomoreanonymous.livejournal.com]

lol I hid my dislike of McCain just incase you were a fan :P

I really do hope Obama wins. The simple fact that he seems ten times smarter and more articulate whenever he speaks put him head and shoulders above McCain for me.

I wont pretend to know half as much as id like to know about the political differences between the Republicans and the Democrats. But every other sentance from McCain seems to be about how he fought for his country. As if its thats any sort qualification for being president.

Palin just seems to rant on about "how we did things back in Alaska" and attending kids soccer matches. She does win small points for looking a tiny bit like a young Roslin which is even more bizzare with McCain looking like an older version of Tigh.

By the way have you watched Hellboy and its sequel. I really loved the first film but thought the second film was way too indulgent on the part of the director. Perhaps i just missed the clockwork nazis and Lovecrafty bits from the first one. I still think the Hobbit will be in good hands when it comes to him though but still fear why they are making another film set between the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. Must be Money :P

[nightxade.livejournal.com]

Compass probably recently moved up because of the movie. It was only recently banned from Catholic schools here when the movie appeared, therefore it existed in their libraries before. The movie also brought to light the other two books, the third of which is no longer thinly veiled. The story is basically a war against God.

[grav-ity.livejournal.com]

Man, the Book Cabal classifies "The Chocolate War" as a kid's book!

I realized after reading about the Golden Compass on the internet, that I had ENTIRELY MISSED THE POINT and Phillip Pullman would hate me because I thought his books were about finding "god". I tend to do that a lot with books like that.

I read "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" when I was nine. I am pretty sure it scarred me for life, but it was so beautiful! I don't know that can be a person's life (and not even the largest portion of their life!) and they can still be sane.

[beccatoria.livejournal.com]

That's true. It did blow up majorly recently didn't it?

And perhaps that's why TCP is up there too. If it is a frequent set text for high school students that puts it in a position to be challenged that it otherwise wouldn't be.

Did you enjoy the Northern Lights series? Because I trust your opinion, and I've heard a bunch of people saying it was good, but...I really couldn't get into the novels and I'm wondering if I gave up too easily? :/

[beccatoria.livejournal.com]

I now reveal my awful lack of education - I've never actually read "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings." I'm mainly familiar with Angelou through her poetry (which: wow, ow). But yeah, that sounds like it would have been a pretty transformative experience at that age. I really, really ought to read that novel.

If it makes you feel better, I don't think you missed the point of the novels, whether or not Pullman would. A novel changes in the mind of every reader. Sure the acts of creativity we bring to the text as readers aren't the same as the process that goes into writing a novel, and sure the author's intended message is worthy of discussion even if just in counterpoint to our own. But I think it's important to remember that when we read a story we do create those people and places in our minds. We bring ourselves to the novel and we see new things.

What's important is if we find something, not if we find the something the author wanted us to?

Or maybe that's just my way of coping with the fact that, like you, I often find myself reading entirely against the text both in novels and television, and finding beautiful, interesting themes that, of course, disappear in the sequels because I'm the only one who thought they were there... ;)