Challenged Books

Banned Book Week

Image from alasu.libguides.com.

   It's incredibly surprising how many great books are on the 100 Most Challenged Books list. I'm currently unacquainted with the first two titles on this list, but there are many there that my high school class was encouraged to read. First, what are "banned" or "challenged" books and why are they treated so by some?

   I personally learned about Banned Book Week from Cabin Goddess' blog. I didn't know there was such a thing as a week to raise awareness about censorship concerning books until this week when I got the weekly email about Ms. Morton's blog and her new posts. When learning, I was inspired to create this special post to help raise awareness. 

   There is a lot of information regarding this topic out there: I encourage you to learn what a banned or challenged book is at this link. Also at that link, you can find the following quote from John Stuart Mill, as he wrote in On Liberty, and additional information. 

If all mankind minus one, were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind. Were an opinion a personal possession of no value except to the owner; if to be obstructed in the enjoyment of it were simply a private injury, it would make some difference whether the injury was inflicted only on a few persons or on many. But the peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is, that it is robbing the human race; posterity as well as the existing generation; those who dissent from the opinion, still more than those who hold it. If the opinion is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth: if wrong, they lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth, produced by its collision with error.

Image from hellogiggles.com.

For the Love of Books
    Now, do not take this the wrong way. I am NOT saying that children ages ten and under should be allowed to read erotica. There's no reason anything like erotica should be within the grasp of an 8-year-old child -- I'm sure everyone reading this agrees -- unless that child is a 40-year-old man trapped in a child's body, which is highly unlikely.
   What I AM saying with this post is: Phillip Pullman's books should not

A Few Timeless Tales

Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm 
A New English Version  
Edited and Annotated by Philip Pullman

My rating on a 100-point scale: 92

   Although I'm thoroughly interested in fairy tales, folk tales and all, this book got a little old for me about half-way through. The title is misleading because they are not only fairy tales - there are folk tales, fables, and even a creation myth or two. So I believe the title should be more simply Tales from the Brothers Grimm, since that more accurately describes what it contains.
   The tales are well-written for the most part, though there are a few technical errors (till instead of until or 'til, round instead of around, etc). What bothered me most about this collection though, are the notes that Pullman made after each tale. As someone who has studied these kinds of tales a little in college, I feel like Pullman was a little condescending in his notes. I felt like he was trying to belittle me into believing what he does about them. I didn't like that.
   I probably would have purchased this book for my collection, had the library not had it. Now I know that Pullman kind of ruins it for me, and know not to get this version. He may not ruin these timeless tales for everyone like he did for me, but it's not going on my bookshelf anymore. I think I'll stick with the originals, though these are pretty close.
   The high rating is because I enjoy these tales so much. I can't rate them less than that, despite what Pullman says about them.

This book is not suggested for ages ten and under due to gore and horror. The original tales were not pretty like Disney, for those of you who may not already be aware.