Ten Of The Most Controversial Books!
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Some books that are considered sensitive with religious degradation or slurs, foul language, violence, racism, political and sexual descriptions with vividness and graphicness have always attracted controversies from the general public, religious or political organizations.
Here are some of the books that have fueled the flames of controversy ever since they have been published.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – Mark Twain (1884)
A controversial book for years, Twain’s novel shows a contrast between indulgent childhood dreams and blatant cruel realities, bringing out the themes of equality, justice and human rights. In this book, Huck fakes his own death to run away to the River. There, he meets a slave Jim, who escaped. Together, they seek liberation and their journey tests them at every turn. While Huck looks forward to returning to a freewheeling life, Jim looks for personal freedom he has never known. With the entry of Tom Sawyer, Huck faces a dilemma whether to return home or risk his life to grant Jim his freedom. Because the word “nigger” appears more than 200 times in the book and it was perceived as racial, it has initially caused much controversy, especially so in the 20th century. This book was also criticized for the coarse language. Earnest Hemingway commented that “It’s the best book we’ve had.”
Brave New World – Aldous Huxley (1932)
Published in 1932, Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World is his most popular novel; although, it may not have been his most important. It was frequently challenged with several banning attempts, and is still considered controversial. The reader is swept into Huxley’s vision of a future based on science and technology. The novel depicts drugs, sexuality and suicide, and reveals Huxley’s disdain for the culture of the United States. An attempt to get the book banned was made by a group of parents as they felt it centered on negativity.
Nineteen Eighty-Four – George Orwell (1949)
Witten in 1949 by George Orwell while he was dying of tuberculosis, the book brings to light the sad state and future of a society that is robbed of privacy, truth or free will. This re-examines our lives, lifestyles and how governments work. It offers a fresh perspective on many topics; totalitarianism, torture, mind control, the United States, the Soviet Union, privacy, technology, power, human emotions, organized religion, censorship, sex etc. It was a controversial book right from publication until today. Many people claimed that the work was unnatural and intense because it was written by a man choked with a subconscious death-wish. Many American reviewers also assumed that the book represented a repudiation of his democratic socialism.
The Catcher In The Rye – J.D. Salinger (1951)
This novel was topping the New York Times best-seller list almost immediately upon release in 1951. Salinger’s Catcher In The Rye is an account of three days in a 16-year-old boy’s life. It was originally meant for adults but eventually became a part of the curricula at high school and college. It was also translated into many languages. There were several controversies for several reasons, such as the portrayal of sexuality and teenage angst, the use of profanity, the anti-white sentiment and excessive violence. Holden Caulfield, the protagonist became an icon for defiance and rebellion. In fact, Mark David Chapman who shot John Lennon of the Beatles fame in 1980, gave the book as the reason for doing it.
Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov (1955)
Vladimir’s Lolita caused a storm of controversy when it was published in 1955 in France, and have shadowed the book ever since. This novel explores the mind of a pedophile named Humbert Humbert, who narrates his life and obsession for nymphets like the 12-year-old Dolores Haze. It was banned in France, United Kingdom, New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina. But in America, it was a huge success and said to be the first book ever since ‘Gone With The Wind” to have sold 100,000 copies in the first three weeks.
I Know Why The Caged Birds Sing – Maya Angelou (1970)
This is the first of the five autobiographical works by Maya Angelou and was published in 1970. The title of the book was taken from the poem “Sympathy” by Paul Lawrence Dunbar and describes perseverance even in the face of oppression. Maya Angelou, through this book, gives an account of her youth filled with trauma, tragedy, frustration, disappointment and eventually independence. She describes the racism she and her grandmother encountered in the town of Stamps and other places, in spite of her grandmother having more money than the whites. There are passages in the books that describe how she was raped when she was just eight years old by her mother’s boyfriend. Her grandmother’s influence was what helped her overcome the hardships in her life. The graphic nature of the book, depicting details of abuse and rape was considered controversial by many. However, the book was widely hailed and even taught in schools. This book was also nominated for the National Book Award.
The Anarchist Cookbook – William Powell – (1971)
This 1971 cult classic is a guerrilla how-to book that provides strategies useful for activists and violent activists. It covers several sections that describe organizing demonstrations, sabotage, affinity groups, stenciling and other topics like supporting survivors of domestic violence and mental health. This book angered government officials and anarchist groups felt it misrepresented anarchist ideals. Others criticized the book for the bomb-making recipes, which they said were dangerously inaccurate. Later, when Powell was older, he tried to censor his own book and said that this book was “a misguided product of my adolescent anger at the prospect of being drafted and sent to Vietnam to fight in a war that I did not believe in.”
The Satanic Verses – Salman Rushdie (1989)
This book by Salman Rushdie sparked controversies galore because of the controversial topic it touched. The title, “The Satanic Verses” refers to an incident that is disputed between fact and fiction. Some called it a blasphemous treatment of the Islamic faith as Rushdie refers to the Prophet Muhammad as Mahound, which is the medieval name for the devil. In Pakistan, there were riots in 1989, where a few people were killed and many injured in India. In spite of Rushdie issuing an apology, the Iranian spiritual leader Ayatollah Khomeini condemned the author publicly, and went to the extent of putting a $1 million bounty for killing the author and if the assassin is Iranian, it would be $3 million. Even Venezuelan officials threatened 15 months of prison for anyone who read or even owned the book. Japan imposed a fine on anyone selling the English edition and a Japanese translator was said to be stabbed to death for getting involved with the book. Major U.S. booksellers removed this book from the shelves because they received death threats. Rushdie himself lived in hiding for almost a decade. Such was the animosity towards the book, the makes it all the more appealing.
The Harry Potter Series – J.K. Rowling (2001)
J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series is wildly popular and seen as adventurous and harmless children’s tales. However, this book series has caused controversies over the past few years, from many sections of people who look at them as stories that inspire children to become involved in witchcraft and the occult. These novels follow the life of a young wizard, whose wizard parents were killed by the evil Lord Voldermort. The young boy receives an invitation to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft on his eleventh birthday and each book represents an year of his life at the school. These books have their fair share of opponents. A section of parents and religious groups feel that these books can take children deep into the unwanted land of fantasy.
The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown (2003)
A recent book that was surrounded by controversies ever since it saw daylight is the “Da Vinci Code” by Dan Brown that gives a fictional account where characters are supposed to reveal the hidden truth concealed by the Catholic Church for centuries, including the divinity of Christ, his celibacy and with the possibility of a genetic heritage – Jesus’ descendants. Most of the complaints against the book are due to the speculation and misrepresentation of the history of Roman Catholic Church and the basic questioning of the tenets of Christianity. The book was also criticized for inaccurate description of history, geography, European art and architecture.
This is by no means a comprehensive list of all the controversial books as there are many more. But these are certainly some of the books that have been considered as most controversial.
Written by Hasan on November 28th, 2008
November 28th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
The most controversial books are always the best ones.
November 28th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
The most controversial book of all times according to me is “The Satanic Verses”. It created a lot of mess in the Islamic World.
November 28th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
Where is “The List of Books Everyone Should Read”?
November 28th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
There are too many to count, and in too many ways but Bible according to me is the most controversial book of all times especially with more than 50 versions.
November 28th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
Books that have fueled the flames of controversy ever since they have been published.
November 28th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
I would like to mention a couple of books that have been written by and for the Zionists.
The International Jew – By Henry Ford
The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion – By the Zionists themselves.
Has been serving as a book that is playing an important role in the Jewish game plan of a Greater Israel.
November 28th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
also try FANNY HILL (john cleland) and MY SECRET LIFE (anonymous)… the former was banned from publication for about 200 years…
November 29th, 2008 at 11:43 pm
Odd how values change, is it not? The only book on the list I cannot figure out is Harry Potter!
November 30th, 2008 at 6:52 pm
[...] The reason I am mentioning this, is this article I found on the web: Ten Of The Most Controversial Books! [...]
December 12th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
i saw a post about Tom hanks with a video on current tv and there were 10 books to read posted by an athiest person that looked really good 3 of which were by the same author and I cant find the post… needhelp
January 4th, 2009 at 11:38 am
May be they are “controversial” because they challenge the establishment. In every moment there are forces (social, religious, ethnics, personal, literary) that, in some way, break out whith the established order. Some are good, others bad, all of them are treated as potential threats.
January 26th, 2009 at 6:52 pm
I LOLed at the reasons why parents hate Harry Potter. It draws children into the unwanted world of fantasy? Aren’t all books supposed to do this? Isn’t this the whole point of fiction? Do they want to ban all fiction? Also, how Brave New World is negative. The world is negative. Get out of your fantasy world (/irony) and take a look around you.
February 18th, 2009 at 6:08 pm
How is Mein Kampf not on this list?
February 18th, 2009 at 8:01 pm
The most controversial book ever is the Bible. So funny that some religious people hate the Harry Potter books because “it lures them into the occult”, yes, and the Bible didn’t do any harm at all… (except for the millions and millions that suffered because of religion).
Especially this “A section of parents and religious groups feel that these books can take children deep into the unwanted land of fantasy” is absolutely hilarious, haha, the Harry Potter books have more facts in them than the Bible, so what is that, superfantasy?
February 20th, 2009 at 5:57 pm
I LOVE controversial books. They’re the stuff that changes the world.
It amuses me that Harry Potter should be controversial, however. Just shows the lack of literacy of those who caused the stir; stories of witches and sorcerers in children’s stories have been around for centuries.
February 21st, 2009 at 9:55 am
good collection
February 24th, 2009 at 8:21 pm
Why isn´t the Bible in the list! The Bible is the most controversial, most read, most hated, most sold book ever in history. In the middle ages they tried to destroy ALL the Bibles, but did not succeed, for it´s a Holy book, written by common men, who were all inspired by the Holy Spirit of God. The Bible should be on TOP of the list for controversial books.
February 27th, 2009 at 11:37 pm
Maybe religious books were not added because he didn’t want to offend anyone. If it is it would weird me out a little. If the bible was added, you would have to put every major religious book on too. I have to say Satanic Verses is the most controversial though, when I read it, it wasn’t very obvious how Rushdie was criticizing everyone, but it’s subtle.
February 28th, 2009 at 11:10 pm
We are talking here about the MOST controversial books. And the bible is one of them. By the way, it is also the eldest book.
March 2nd, 2009 at 8:27 pm
It’s hilarious how Juliette thinks that the Bible is “the eldest book”, when in fact almost thousands of texts predate it. Plato’s Republic, Aristotle’s multiple works, and Strabo’s Geography are merely a few of them. Stop trying to sell your ridiculous zombie Jesus beliefs and get on with your life, instead of whining about how your precious holy book didn’t get placed on a list of infamous and banned books.
March 3rd, 2009 at 3:41 pm
Paul: Yes you said it yourself, it is a precious holy book. How many people hate this book, including YOU, that´s why it should be on TOP of the list of ALL books of books!!
And one day when you are begging for help to Jesus you can tell Him yourself that you think He is a rediculous zombie. And I am getting along very well with my life, and guess what, you know who is my Guide?? Yes, Jesus.
March 7th, 2009 at 12:17 am
@Paul: The Oldest Book in the World
The Bible was written over a time span of 1,500 years, from roughly 1450 BC (the time of Moses) to about 100 AD (following the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ), and is therefore the oldest real book in the world. It was written by over 40 different authors. The men who wrote the Bible came from every walk of life, shepherds, farmers, tent-makers, physicians, fishermen, priests, philosophers and kings. Despite these differences in occupation and the vast span of years it took to write, the Bible is an extremely cohesive and unified book. The Bible is often called ‘the Divine library’ because the authors of the Bible were inspired by God to write the messages and histories which they wrote.
Plato´s and Aristotle´s books are from 300 to 400 BC…..
March 7th, 2009 at 2:20 am
This is a great list- it’s true that the best books are controversial.
The Bible is a controversial book, too. I enjoy reading it, but it is not the oldest book in the world- not by a long shot. It is the same age as or younger than many ancient texts, including the I Ching (2800 BC), the Hammurabi Code (1760B.C), the Epic of Gilgamesh (circa 2150 B.C), the Precepts of Ptah-Hotep (2500), the Egyptian Book of the Dead (1600 BC), the Hindu Vedas (1500 BC) and others.
Also, in the middle ages they didn’t try to destroy all the Bibles. Some people didn’t think common people should own Bibles, so they banned commoners from having them, and said only priests and scholars could read it, believing that putting God’s word into the vernacular would desecrate it. The Bible was not written by common people because back in the ancient middle east, common people would not have known how to write.
There is a good book about the history of the Bible itself called Misquoting Jesus by Bart Ehrman. It is definitely worth a read, if you are interested in textual criticism and the history of books.
March 7th, 2009 at 10:29 am
We are talking here about the MOST CONTROVERSIAL BOOKS. The Bible is the MOST controversial book ever written, no doubt about that. And for a REAL BOOK, not scripts or else, it IS the oldest book on earth. And all those common people DID write the bible, because they were INSPIRED by God´s Holy Spitit in those days. And in the middle ages the Inquisition sure did try to destroy all the bibles in Europe. The Christians in those days had to bury their bibles in the ground so they would not be found to be destroyed. The Inquisition would burn and torture everybody who owned a bible, or were found with a bible in their hands. Even today in some countries you are not allowed to read a bible, you will get killed. And that makes it the MOST controversial book ever written.
March 7th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
The Bible is simply not the oldest book on Earth. Books originated in Ancient China, so the oldest “real books” are Chinese texts. The books of the Bible were written on scrolls. The Bible was not bound in book form for a while. The actual writing-down of the Biblical text took place long after the words of the I Ching and the Code of Hammurabi were written.
The Bible we know is even younger. It is actually a series of books and over the years, priests and rabbis decided which books belonged in the canon.
The Inquisitors did not want to destroy all the Bibles- they didn’t want the Bible translated into the common language. They believed all Bibles should be in Latin. In fact, the Bible was often used for justification of the Inquisition. For example, they burned “witches” because the book of Exodus says “thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.”
These are the facts of history. The Bible is not the oldest book in the world, but that doesn’t make it less valuable. The Sermon on the Mount is no less beautiful because it is pre-dated by the Book of the Dead. The only reason a person would manipulate history to say the Bible is older than it is, would be to emphasize their own righteousness- not to advance spiritual awareness and not to glorify God.
March 7th, 2009 at 10:27 pm
Shara I am not going to argue with you about the Bible, the Inquisition etc. What you wrote down is your opinion, that is NOT the real history of the Inquisition. In the middle ages they tortured and burned and slaughtered CHRISTIANS for having a Bible in their possesion! Tip: check on google for more and true information about that. One thing that is a fact, and even you cannot change that, the Bible is the MOST controversial books ever. And that´s what I´m trying to say here.
It should be on TOP of this list, nr. 1.
March 21st, 2009 at 6:03 am
Controversial books are written with evidences to make them real.
April 3rd, 2009 at 7:48 pm
Ok. The bible doesw cause controversy. but most means, out of a lot, they arent pinning down.. i thought that was obvious o.o
ya.. im a bible humper… and people can dis what im saying but im just trying to find a book for my friend that is book hungry! SO lets stop fighting TT^TT
…. im 13 and everyone here is most likely an adult.. i feel soooo young >.<
April 6th, 2009 at 4:51 pm
wow Juliette is a world class dumba*s if you think the bible is the most controversial book and it was written as a bound book. It has some controversial content like a talking snake a big boat that carried all animals but then……….
April 9th, 2009 at 4:39 am
Juliette, I’m a fellow Christian, and you’re an idiot. I agree with the suggestion that the Bible is possibly the most controversial book ever, but this list clearly doesn’t include religious texts, and it’s simply the opinion of one person, or at best, a small committee. Your way of arguing on behalf of Christianity, however, is juvenile, inflammatory, uninformed, and embarassing.
When you make assertions like the ones you’ve made (such as denying Shara’s brief overview of the Inquisition) without any legitimate foundation, it makes all Christians look bad. People see that you spout out stupid crap and they think that one must be an uninquisitive, dogma-swallowing idiot to be a Christian. Granted, enough Christians are like that to make the whole of Christendom look bad, but that doesn’t excuse you joining in on that bandwagon. Your religion shouldn’t require you to blind yourself to observable and recognized facts, rather, you need to figure out how God and Jesus fit into the world as we know it.
I will probably never see this again, whether or not you answer me, I’ve just seen too much crap like this lately and I felt like I finally needed to weigh in for once.
April 21st, 2009 at 1:50 pm
@Eric and Greg: I really don´t care what you think or what you say. Go study history first before you write down dumb things. Hahahaha, The Bible IS and will ALWAYS be the most controversial book. Not even YOU can change that. Hahahahaha.
April 23rd, 2009 at 4:52 am
Any book from the Marquis de Sade could make this list ( The 120 days of Sodom, Justine, Juliette ). He would be number 1 in a French list.
Incarcerated many times for a total of 25 years, he also barely escaped the guillotine during the French revolution (incredibly because of an administrative error…).
His writings were officially censored in France until 1960.
Demonic, insane, pervert, litterary genius, freedom radical, fascinating and repelling … HARRY POTTER controversial ? … really are you serious ?
May 9th, 2009 at 2:10 pm
Are you talking about the Spanish inquisition? As in the most Catholic people you could find at the time?
May 14th, 2009 at 8:30 pm
And the controversy ensues… yup! Most controversial book indeed! Is even the subject of a controversy RIGHT here. Wow! Even “Christians” calling each other idiots! Honestly I expected to see the Bible as number one in the Google search results for most controversial books! Although, semantically, and by modern definition of book, the Bible is not the oldest written and bound, it is perhaps one of the earliest written records of human history and interaction, with accounts even predating the flood (book of Job for instance). On careful observation though it is really the subject of this book that is really the cause of most controversy, rather than the book itself. The God of the Bible has been the subject of the most heated debates and criticism since before any of us was born. According to the book itself, even before this world was created! We humans have resisted the idea of a being supreme and superior to ourselves since our great grandmother Eve bit the fruit, but this spirit of rebellion did not originate with us, but has existed because one angel decided that this “zombie Jesus”, as some would call Him, should not rule over him. He, now an accuser, has been playing the human family for over a millennium, all the while accusing God of everything that we cause on ourselves or he causes on us. Our atheist friends are only tools in Satan’s hands to accuse God, calling him all sorts of names (Child abuser, mass murderer, sadistic, loves genocide, war monger, the list goes on), while WE ALL entertain the SAME spirit of hatred under false pretense. Some of us call ourselves Christians, and say we love God, but the truth of the matter is humanity really generally and naturally hates God and doesn’t really want to have anything to do with Him. We are too full of ourselves, think too much of our achievements, and the saddest part is… none of us can stop ourselves from perishing. All these “controversial books” (which are not controversial at all) are testament to the disgusting and retrograde nature of humanity
May 15th, 2009 at 12:58 am
“All these “controversial books” (which are not controversial at all) are testament to the disgusting and retrograde nature of humanity”
What exactly do you think “controversial” means? It doesn’t mean holy or superior.
It means that people challenge these books and debate about them- these books are controversial. The Bible is also controversial but this list is almost entirely (except one) a list of fiction. Do you think the Bible fits in with fiction? Or is this merely an exercise in self-righteousness for you?
These books are not a testament to the disgusting nature of humanity- these books are meaningful, powerful. Most of them represent the best parts of humanity- the part that embraces freedom and overcoming difficulties.
May 26th, 2009 at 9:49 am
I think the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy should be included because it really happened.
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:52 am
Juliette & Paul: you both sound like very ignorant people. Educate yourselves.
June 25th, 2009 at 2:54 pm
meh!
A real controversial books marks clearly and after and before.
While i agree with the first 5 book but the rest is meh.
Bible is controversial per se, and several other books are also controversial, for example the Hittler’s books is way more controversial than a lousy and temporal harry potter.
June 26th, 2009 at 5:07 pm
Mein Kampf isn’t as controversial as Harry Potter because not that many people have actually heard of it (compared to Harry Potter). Go up to a random person on the street and ask them if they know the name of hitlers book, they wouldn’t know what you were talking about. Go up to a person and ask them about Harry Potter and they’ll start talking about Dumbledore being gay and whatnot.
June 27th, 2009 at 10:46 pm
@
Doll in sugar coma: for people like you we must be ignorant, I think you´re dumb.
June 28th, 2009 at 12:14 am
Being ignorant shouldn’t be used as an insult, so if you meet someone ignorant, they should he pitied. So I pity you Julliette, after all people learn of the Inquisition in Canada in grade 7.
June 28th, 2009 at 6:02 am
@Juliette – Thanks for your continuous contribution.
I just wanted to tell you that your comment was moderated. Make sure not to use such language again or I will have your comments removed.
June 30th, 2009 at 8:18 pm
@Gurtej: I couldn´t care less if you pitied me. Think, say and write whatever you all want to me, I don´t care at all. I expressed my meanings and wrote what I wanted to say about serial killers and that´s it. Im done here now, I won´t open this site no more, so all of you don´t bother to write anything to me. I think this whole thing is childish. Bye bye, lots of luck with your comments at each other.