Question of the Week
Favorite Banned Books
What's your favorite book that's been banned?
Here are some from DailyLit's library (check out the Banned Books category on DailyLit for more): Alice in Wonderland; The Arabian Nights; The Bible; Ulysses; Wuthering Heights; The Adventures of Tom Sawyer; Uncle Tom's Cabin; On the Origin of Species; The Scarlet Letter; Frankenstein; and Macbeth.
Replies (99)
Posted by
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The Arabian Nights
Sep 26, 2011 6:44 am
by mikewins -
Nothing was cooler in high school than to be walking around the halls with that dark red copy of Catcher in the Rye.
Sep 26, 2011 8:07 am
by stephenrhodes -
Lady Chatterleys Lover was my favourite banned book.
My favourite from the list would be The Decameron.Sep 26, 2011 8:38 am
by OneTrueFriend -
Alice in Wonderland
Sep 26, 2011 8:48 am
by cchownwai -
Alice in Wonderland
Sep 26, 2011 9:26 am
by katepitt -
The Bible. It's gotten more people killed than any of these others.
by changolote -
The Origin of Species addresses a subject that is as divisive and controversial today as when it was published. For that, it will be an eternally "banned" book.
Sep 26, 2011 10:05 am
by baguinaga -
Fahrenheit 451. Not on the Daily Lit list, but a classic nonetheless.
Sep 26, 2011 10:07 am
by jtrammell -
Favorite banned books don't need to come from books in DailyLit's library. Any book that's been banned qualifies.
by susandanziger (admin) -
To Kill a Mockingbird
Sep 26, 2011 11:00 am
by justsamtoo -
Alice In Wonderland
by marianwade -
Go Ask Alice (anonymous)
Sep 26, 2011 11:19 am
by dcaisse -
"A Wrinkle in Time" by Madeleine L'Engle
Sep 26, 2011 11:23 am
by EllingwoodE -
I fell in love with Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn as a youth. In this modern world of Political correctness I realize the problems many readers have with it, but it is still my favorite among the CURRENTLY often banned books.
Sep 26, 2011 11:48 am
by andrejules -
Frankenstein
by crazyBobcat -
On the Duty of Civil Obedience
by cmccullagh -
The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty
by Anne Rice before she discovered vampires.Sep 26, 2011 12:04 pm
by Golem100 -
To Kill a Mockingbird is my favorite book!
Sep 26, 2011 12:14 pm
by tin0002 -
The Origin of the Species (even the nuts)
Sep 26, 2011 12:15 pm
by lowade -
Slaughterhouse-Five or Farenheit 451
Sep 26, 2011 1:02 pm
by Niel -
The Bible, is still banned in Asia and the Middle East.
Sep 26, 2011 1:23 pm
by lagalletaviene -
The Bible. It's amazing what some people will do to smack down the truth.
Sep 26, 2011 1:27 pm
by giveGodtheglory -
So many good ones to choose from, but I think Frankenstein is my favorite.
by danielle87 -
Catcher in the Rye
by JenniferMeinhartMitc -
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, not on the list. On the list On the Origin of Species.
by brosius -
Tropic of Cancer
by audiac -
Origin of the Species. To this day, still controversial within some groups.
by cherrychnagan -
Of Mice and Man, Lord of the Flies, Handmaid's Tale, Harry Potter... oh I could go on!
Sep 26, 2011 3:13 pm
by renatastec -
Origin of the Species
Sep 26, 2011 3:59 pm
by ida2001 -
I don't really have a favorite among banned books, but I like Alice; How To Kill A Mockingbird; Harry Potter; Judy Blume's books; James and the Giant Peach; Tom Sawyer; The Color Purple; and so on and so forth... I really find the fear of "ugly" language, "racism" in books written before 1960's, sexuality and ideas challenging Christian "values" ridiculous. If your manners, vocabularity, faith and what ever is so fragile reading a book will shatter it, you don't need to read a book...
by Ketutar -
My favorite banned book is Grapes of Wrath.
Sep 26, 2011 4:32 pm
by eolson2 -
Origin of the Species
by claylady -
The Awakening
by ArkansasRain -
Slaughter-house Five!!!
Sep 26, 2011 5:52 pm
by sdlr747 -
I have a lot of favorites such as books by Ray Bradbury, "Roots," "Harry Potter series," "To Kill A Mockingbird," "A Wrinkle in Time," and more.
by rebelmom -
I would say ALICE IN WONDERLAND
by sunshine5271 -
Frankenstein
by aricosh -
Frankenstein, On the Origin of Species, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
by jsg1130 -
Little Black Sambo
by mjune -
Perfidy
by seeworthy -
On the Origin of Species.
Sep 26, 2011 9:23 pm
by harolde -
The Bible, which is still banned in some countries.
by tel4him -
The Bible .. even when it is banned its powerful words penetrate to teh very heart and transform lives
by evansch -
The Bible, of course, I could not get along without that. But the Entire List of ALL banned books is full of my favorites: To Kill a Mockingbird and even certain plays of Shakespeare, books for children like A Wrinkle in Time and James and the Giant Peach; and what about the different dictionaries that included "bad words"?
by Carolmb -
The Arabian Nights
by anikulkarni -
To Kill a Mockingbird, what a classic
by kathleenireland -
Wow, what a list! Can't say I've read them all, but of the list I saw, my favorites would be the Harry Potter series and Alice in Wonderland. Grew up quoting Alice. I love fantasy. I think banning or burning books is evil! Allison McKowen
by stitcher1959 -
To kill a mockingbird & Alice in Wonderland
Sep 27, 2011 12:54 am
by Pippi -
Ulysses, James Joyce!
Sep 27, 2011 2:10 am
by D.OB. -
All American Boys - (why? I wrote it. It was banned in Missouri.) I also think Darwin's On the Origin of Species is outstanding!
by bluecheck -
On the Origin of Species
Sep 27, 2011 5:54 am
by goldoris -
The Bible...not only the truth...but good solid literature.
Sep 27, 2011 7:06 am
by fundybay -
To Kill A Mockingbird
by barefootish -
Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
by gniknus -
The Lorax
by ewaltz -
The Bible -- no other book has had such a powerful positive-- and negative-- impact on our world. It always amazes me how some people can use the Bible's teachings to justify their desire to kill, torture, rape, and destroy.
Sep 27, 2011 9:48 am
by kjeanne -
The Catcher in the Rye. It is so in touch with real life and so many teenagers can relate to it, yet ironically, there are still school districts that will not permit it in their libraries, let alone allow it to be taught in English class. It's a pity.
by caisse -
all of the above are my favourite companions; including Lady Chatterlys Lover and many others. many were compulsory readings from college days with emphasis on critical analysis and the socio-political situations that created these masterpieces.
by magellanadm -
Tropic of Capricorn, henri miller is the best
by mohdeid.poet -
Uncle toms cabin
Sep 27, 2011 11:17 am
by nirajbaua -
'Wuthering Heights' I read that book many times,I found it very romantic when I was a teenager.
I should read it again
by CeliaD -
On the Origin of the Species!
by grenadier -
"The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison and "A Light in the Attic" by Shel Silverstein
by paroof -
Candide, by Voltaire.
Sep 27, 2011 11:56 am
by Boudicca -
And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson: A children's picture book about two male penguins at the Central Park Zoo in NYC who form a close bond and are given the opportunity to care for an egg and rear a baby penguin. According to the ALA, it's been the most challenged book of 2006-2010. Seriously, it's the twenty-first century, folks. What are we trying to "protect" our children from by censoring this book --developing a sense of tolerance and understanding?
by artofambivalence -
most those already mentioned like SlaughterHouse Five, Animal Farm, 1984 and many of our best books have this Badge of Honor.
by TimFla -
I'd say Ulysses
by danielapoposa -
Origin of Species, which was like opening a treasure chest of knowledge..
by howtrue -
Am reading The Arabian nights now, through DailyLit. It's wonderful. My other favourites from your list are Importance of being Earnest, Frankenstein, Hamlet and The Canterbury Tales.
I agree with a previous poster about And Tango makes Three, very sweet and full of love. I can't wait to share it with my 8-month old son when he's older.
by KatyNoyes -
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson. One of my favorite books as a little girl (and still is, for that matter), I was shocked to learn that it was the number 8 most banned book of 1990-1999.
Sep 27, 2011 3:24 pm
by katievee -
The Bible. Definitely the most powerful piece of banned literature -- or literature at all -- in the history of the world. Nothing comes close to it in being able to transform the hearts of men and women by the living Word of God. Ban it all you want. Its not going anywhere.
by gennaevelyn -
The Bible & To Kill A Mockingbird
Sep 27, 2011 4:42 pm
by Ouija -
"Discovery: The Search for Arabian Oil": Wallace Stegner was commissioned in 1955 by ARAMCO to write the history of American oil exploration in the Middle East, which he did. The company, upon reading the draft manuscript, took exception to what they considered to be "negative aspects" in the book. The book was put into ARAMCO files and was finally published fifty-two years later, without ommission, in 2007 by Selwa Press.
by dsylvester -
Hands down: Ulysses.
by Homericgeek -
To Kill A Mockingbird and Lady Chatterlys Lover
by bugmenot -
The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin. Science and biology that affects our lives every day would not be understood without this work. Think about that when you get your flu vaccine. A new vaccine is needed every year because the virus evolves rapidly.
by larsont -
The Bible. It tells the truth, warts and all.
by grammy -
Lewis Carrol's "Alice in Wonderland" without a doubt has to be my favorite banned book. Most people who read Alice in Wonderland have no idea it is far more than just a children's story. Lewis Carrol was a mathematician and logician as well as a cosmologist. Alice starts with Zeno's Paradox, the concept of infinite divisibility when she chases the hare carrying a pocket watch. Every second is infinitely divisible, and so she falls into a wonderland of infinite possibilities. It is much more than a mere children's story... and filled with symbolism.
by DarkRubyMoon -
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
by blackpipe -
To Kill a Mockingbird and Bible
by Gbrarian -
Definitely "To Kill A Mockingbird"!
by Taijijas -
Alice in Wonderland
Sep 27, 2011 10:41 pm
by jengirl17 -
to kill a mockingbird and the bible
Sep 27, 2011 10:58 pm
by recemo -
The Bible - every time I read it through, I discover something I missed previously. Truly life-changing
by rongould -
The Bible - I wonder on what pretex the Book was banned!
by Devassy -
of the ones I've seen here, my fave is To Kill a Mockingbird. I think 'banning' any book is the last tactic of the fearful.
Sep 28, 2011 8:24 am
by tomchicago01 -
The Bible-where and by whom was it banned?
by Mom1 -
@Mom1: I can't verify, but according to this source, it was banned in the Soviet Union from 1926-1956 and then also in Singapore in 1996 and Saudi Arabia as well -- see: http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/banned-books.html
by susandanziger (admin) -
Bible
by LeahBH -
Uncie Tom,s Cabin
by b.ghaffarzadegan -
great gatsby, dont know what they were complaining about
by AndrewColeman -
So many of the greats but . . . Origin of Species
by tcagley -
The Anarchist's Cookbook, is banned most places, but is often found in LIberal art's libraries at private colleges and universities. Many state universities tried banning it as well, at least in the 1960's, but outcry forced them to provide it under some restriction (you had to provide ID to access it, and then the university kept a list of all potential "trouble-makers" who had sought it out.
by deanbob -
Alice in Wonderland, and I wonder why they didn't ban "Through the Looking Glass", or maybe it was and I don't know it.
by lebjohnson -
@lebjohnson: according to one source, "In 1931 Through the Looking Glass was banned by the Chinese governor of Hunan Province. The reasoning behind the banning was that “Animals should not use human language and that is was disastrous to put animals and humans on the same level.” See: http://dangerousbooks.wordpress.com/2008/04/30/through-the-looking-glass/
by susandanziger (admin) -
I am a big fan of Wallace Stegner, so thanks dsylvester for putting one of his books on here that I was unaware of-I'm going to check it out.
by dreamdust -
Frankenstein, Macbeth, adventures of tom sawyer and wuthering heights. i guess i read only banned books...
by anisha_astrologer -
Alice in Wonderland
Oct 10, 2011 1:38 pm
by Galardiel -
Bible
by leviathan