Classic Literature Banned For Being Controversial

PART I

Some of the world's most popular books have been challenged for reasons ranging from violence to psychic overtones. Here's a look at 10 classic books that have stirred up controversy.


The Call Of The Wild

The Call of the Wild, Jack London's 1903 Klondike Gold Rush-set adventure, was banned in Yugoslavia and Italy for being "too radical" and was burned by the Nazis because of the author's well-known socialist leanings.

The Grapes Of Wrath

Though The Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck's 1939 novel about a family of tenant farmers who are forced to leave their Oklahoma home for California because of economic hardships – earned the author both the National Book Award and a Pulitzer Prize, it also drew ire across America because some believed it promoted Communist values.


The Lorax

Whereas some readers look at the titular character and see a fuzzy little guy who "speaks for the trees," others saw the 1971 children's book as a dangerous piece of political commentary, with even the author reportedly referring to it as "propaganda."


All Quiet On The Western Front

In 1929, Erich Maria Remarque wrote this novel, which gives an accounting of the extreme mental and physical stress the German soldiers faced during their time in the war. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the book's realism didn't sit well with Nazi leaders, who feared the book would deter their propaganda efforts.

Animal Farm

The original publication of this book, George Orwell's 1945 allegorical novella, was delayed in the UK because of its anti-Stalin themes. It was confiscated in Germany by Allied troops, banned in Yugoslavia in 1946, banned in Kenya in 1991, and banned in the UAE in 2002.

To be continued…

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