Cambridge Library Online Bookclub discussion

It was Banned Books Week the week before last, so I thought we could discuss the issue of banned books and censorship. What you'll notice about this extensive list of banned books is that government and public opinion has changed about them radically over time. Many have gone from being demonised to being heralded classics of literature.

The books were always great, it was just their content that was controversial or deemed subversive in that historical period for a range of political, religious and cultural reasons. With that in mind take a look at this list of banned books since 2000 .

Do you think banning books makes them more popular?

Do you think any of these books deserve their ban?

What do you think about schools banning certain books for children?

Have you read any banned books? What are your experiences with this?

Also, here's what Kurt Vonnegut, Charles Bukowski, Susan Sontag, Harper Lee, and other authors say about censorship http://www.brainpickings.org/2012/10/...

Has there been any evidence of the success of banning a book? I've never gone out of my way to read a banned book, but I guess in one sense, I would never know about a book or have the chance to read it if it were successfully banned.

Yes, certainly at different times in history and in various countries. Countries under strict dictatorships like Nazi Germany (book burnings), Germany under the Stazi, where all consumption of media was carefully monitored, as well as countless other countries, particularly China and unsurprisingly many states in the US ban books at certain times.

I suppose it's interesting to look at why books were banned in certain countries at certain times, particularly if you've read the book. I think banning books tends to draw more attention to them, and makes people want to read them more. What do you think?