Wednesday, January 14, 2009

I'm doing a personal 2009 book challenge as well.. Banned Books

Banned Books Challenge (link to a page of banned books)

I think three books that have at some point been banned is enough for this year...
1) Canterbury Tales Chaucer (overlaps another challenge I think) banned by the Comstock Law of 1873

"In 1873 Comstock got his wish, when Congress passed An Act for the Suppression of Trade in, and Circulation of, Obscene Literature and Articles of Immoral Use. March 3, 1873, ch. 258, § 2, 17 Stat. 599. Known popularly as the Comstock Law, the statute's avowed purpose was "to prevent the mails from being used to corrupt the public morals." The Comstock Law made it a crime to sell or distribute materials that could be used for contraception or abortion, to send such materials or information about such materials in the federal mail system, or to import such materials from abroad. Immediately after the law was enacted, Comstock was appointed special agent of the U.S. Post Office and given the express power to enforce the statute. Comstock held this position for the next 42 years."

2) Call of the Wild Jack London banned in 1929 in Italy as being "too radical"

3) Leaves of Grass Walt Whitman, withdrawn for Boston when DA threatened to file charges (all these are on the list of banned books linked to above)

2 comments:

threecollie said...

Call of the Wild is beautiful, but so sad in its way.

Breezey375 said...

I guess I'll find out won't I? You don't happen to have a copy do you Mom?