Although in the West we believe that the publishing offer is more democratic than anywhere else in the world, the truth is something different, with several states or countries in the world that have closed their borders to certain works, sometimes for reasons that are more than logical and in others, not so much.
Books that either at a certain point in history defied a certain conservatism, while others have been banned for being too sexual or even for reasons that we still don’t fully share (or understand).
The odd surprise sneaks into this list of 10 censored books around the world .
Alice in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll
In 1931, the Chinese province of Hunan censored Lewis Carroll’s book by presenting anthropomorphic animals that acted just like humans, which according to local authorities contributed to “disaster and confusion” among the little ones.
American Psycho, de Bret Easton Ellis
Published in 1990, the bloody novel starring millionaire Patrick Bateman was censored in Germany until 2000 due to its explicit violence and sexist tone. In the Australian state of Queensland, it continues to be censored for similar reasons.
Mein Kampf, de Adolf Hitler
70 years of censorship later, Mi Lucha, written by the Führer in 1925, became available in the public domain in Germany, selling up to 50,000 copies . A tricky publication emulated by other countries such as the United States or Spain, although the Netherlands continues to consider the publication of the Nazi manifesto as illegal.
The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie
The price of Rushdie’s head rose to $3 million recently almost two decades after the publication of The Satanic Verses, a novel that reduced the Muslim faith to a mere power arrangement in the ancient city of Jahilia, sparked persecution of the author. of Hindu origin by the Iranian authorities. The book obviously continues to be the subject of censorship in at least 14 Muslim countries.
Things fall apart, by Chinua Achebe
Published in 1958, Nigerian Achebe’s most famous novel covers life in the first African peoples evangelized by the Anglican Church in the early 20th century through the eyes of the warrior Okonkwo. Considered one of the best novels on the influence of the West on the African continent , countries such as Malaysia did not hesitate to censor it for treating colonialism in a negative way.
Ana Frank’s Diary
One of the most influential books of the 20th century , written by the innocent Jewish girl locked up awaiting the arrival of the Nazis, was censored in Lebanon in 2009 for benefiting support for Jews. In an Alabama school it was also omitted because it was “too depressing” for the students.
The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown
After its publication in 2003, Dan Brown’s best-seller became a source of scandal in places like the Vatican by turning many of the Catholic beliefs about the birth of Jesus or the nature of Mary Magdalene upside down. Opposition in certain quarters reached such a point that Christian circles in Lebanon censored him in September 2004.
50 shades of Grey, by ELJames
The erotic novel with which more than one woman tried to satisfy her sexual fantasies during the last five years was banned in Malaysia along with the other installments of the trilogy for her sexuality and promotion of “sadistic” practices.
Lolita, by Vladimir Nabokov
Writing the story of a mature man in love with a 12-year-old girl in 1955 was, perhaps, trying to get too far ahead of an era that did not forgive the publication of Nabokov’s work, which was censored in countries such as the United Kingdom, France, New Zealand or Argentina.
Ulises by James Joyce
Joyce’s novel, published in 1922, was banned in the UK until the 1930s due to its high sexual content. For its part, Australia censored it from 1929 to 1953, segmenting the reading audience to those over 18 years of age.
These 10 censored books around the world are due to religious, social, political reasons or, simply, to a time that perhaps was not sufficiently prepared to address certain arguments. In the case of others, conservatism continues to be the main reason for instant censorship, while some others (yes, China) are directly guilty of being too sensitive.
What other censored books do you know?
