Have you ever wondered why a book is considered “dangerous”? It sounds like something from a movie, but even today, some of the world’s most celebrated stories are being pulled from library shelves and censored.
From political secrets to “scandalous” themes, these books were hidden from the public for reasons that will surprise you. To celebrate the freedom to read, I’ve curated a list of 15 iconic banned books.
In this post, I’m sharing the first 5 masterpieces that faced the ban. If you want the full deep-dive including 10 additional books and the exact, shocking reasons why they were censored, you can download my complete guide, “The Forbidden Shelf,” for free at the end of this post!
1. 1984
- Author: George Orwell
- Country: Originally banned in the Soviet Union, but also challenged in parts of the USA.
- Year Banned: 1950 (in the USSR).
- Why Banned: It was banned by Stalin in the Soviet Union because its themes of government surveillance and “Big Brother” were seen as a direct attack on his leadership and communism.
2. To Kill a Mockingbird
- Author: Harper Lee
- Country: United States (specifically in various school districts).
- Year Banned: Regularly challenged since its release, notably in 1977 (Minnesota) and 2017 (Mississippi).
- Why Banned: It is frequently banned due to the use of racial slurs, profanity, and its “uncomfortable” depiction of racism and adult themes that some parents felt were inappropriate for students.
3. The Catcher in the Rye
- Author: J.D. Salinger
- Country: United States and Australia.
- Year Banned: Between 1961 and 1982, it was the most censored book in US high schools.
- Why Banned: It was labeled “obscene” because of the main character’s constant use of profanity, talk of rebellion, and sexual references, which critics felt encouraged teenagers to be disrespectful.
4. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
- Author: Lewis Carroll
- Country: China (Hunan Province).
- Year Banned: 1931.
- Why Banned: This is a fascinating one! It was banned because the Governor of the province believed that animals should not use human language and that it was “disastrous” to put animals and humans on the same level.
5. The Grapes of Wrath
- Author: John Steinbeck
- Country: United States (specifically Kern County, California).
- Year Banned: 1939 (right after it was published).
- Why Banned: It was banned and even burned in public because it portrayed the local landowners as cruel and greedy. They called the book “filth” and “communist propaganda” because it defended the rights of poor migrant workers.
But wait… this is only the beginning.
“The five books above changed history, but they are just a small part of a much larger story. I’ve spent time researching 10 more controversial masterpieces that were hidden, burned, or banned for even more shocking reasons.
From a book banned because of ‘magic’ to modern-day memoirs that caused a national scandal, you’ll find them all in my exclusive guide: The Forbidden Shelf.“
Get the Full List of 10 more Banned Books Instantly!
I have put together a beautiful, 15-page PDF that includes:
- The 10 ‘Secret’ Titles I didn’t list in this post.
- Deep-dive histories of the controversies.
- A Checklist so you can track your progress as you read them.
Enter your email below to join my book community and download your free copy of ‘The Forbidden Shelf’ now!“
I would love to hear from you! Have you ever read a book that was once banned? Or is there a ‘controversial’ book you think everyone should read? Let me know in the comments below!
Happy Reading
