Banned Books Week

I haven't heard too much about this yet, but I understand that the event or recognition, etc., is held every year during the last week of September, so since that happens to be now, I thought it might be worth mentioning.

Here are a few links I found about "Banned Books Week" that might help explain it better, or tell a little more about it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banned_Books_Week

http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices ... ksweek.cfm

http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices ... ground.cfm

Yes'm, banned book week started on Sept. 27th.

Considering my profession, I urge everyone to read a banned book! Show your support of our libraries.

Mark Twain? Seriously? Why would anyone want to ban any of his books? Admittedly it's been a long time since I read any of them, but I don't recall anything bad enough in them to be banned.

[face=Times New Roman]Huckleberry Finn has been banned on several occasions by various institutions, mainly on account of the language, but also because the subject matter is not to everyone’s taste. The following article gives an overview from a historical perspective:
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/5086/49239

while more contemporary objections are presented here:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/149979_huck26.html

It is somewhat ironic that one of the major criticisms levelled at the book is racism: the very social phenomenon that Mark Twain so staunchly attacks therein.

[/face]

I was very surprised at many of the books I found on one of the lists of banned books. Namely, one of my very favorite books "Gone With the Wind". The Mark Twain books were surprising also as were many other popular titles found therein. It's been a good while ago, but I can remember back when I was going to school that many of these books were required reading back then. I don't know about today.

Granted, some subjects such as racism, magic, etc., which may be in the books may be considered controversial subjects but sometimes they are also part of the history of the country also. It's something that can't be ignored in that regard in some situations, I think.

Srijita wrote:

It is somewhat ironic that one of the major criticisms levelled at the book is racism: the very social phenomenon that Mark Twain so staunchly attacks therein.

Indeed. It seems to me that the people objecting to this book missed the point of it entirely. The book may "show" racism, but it never glorified it or supported it that I recall.

Banned books, bah humbug!

Some books are banned for no reason and other books that should be banned are not banned at all. Makes no sense. Double standard here as in almost everything else.