Ten Of The Most Controversial Books

Some books attract a lot of controversy and even calls for banning the book from members of the public or those in religious or political organizations. Some qualities common in the most controversial books include religious degradation or slurs, foul language, violence, racism, extreme political views, and vivid or graphic sexual descriptions.

Here are some of the most controversial books that have fueled the flames of controversy ever since they were published.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – Mark Twain (1884)

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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 an escaped slave named Jim. 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 the personal freedom he has never known. With the entry of Tom Sawyer, Huck faces a dilemma of whether to return home or risk his life to help Jim achieve freedom.

Because the word “nigger” appears more than 200 times in the book and it was perceived as racial, it initially caused a lot of controversy, especially in the 20th century. This book was also criticized for its coarse language. Earnest Hemingway, however, called it “the best book we’ve had.”

Brave New World – Aldous Huxley (1932)

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Published in 1932, Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World is his most popular novel, although it might not have been his most important. It was frequently challenged with 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. A group of parents attempted to get the book banned because they felt there was an overemphasis on negativity.

Nineteen Eighty-Four – George Orwell (1949)

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Written 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 book forces us to re-examine our lives, lifestyles, and how our 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, and more.

It was a controversial book right from publication and remains so today. Many people claim that the work is 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)

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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 curriculum in many high schools and colleges. 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 the excessive violence. Holden Caulfield, the protagonist, became an icon for defiance and rebellion. In fact Mark David Chapman, who shot John Lennon in 1980, cited the book as his reason for doing it.

Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov (1955)

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Nabokov’s Lolita caused a storm of controversy when it was published in 1955 in France, and those controversies 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, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, South Africa, and Argentina. But in America, it was a huge success and is said to be the first book since Gone With The Wind to have sold 100,000 copies in the first three weeks.

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings – Maya Angelou (1970)

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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 it 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.

Angelou 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)

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This 1971 cult classic is a guerrilla how-to book that provides strategies useful for activists — including 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)

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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 over the book where a few people were killed, and many were 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, increasing that to $3 million if the assassin was Iranian. Even Venezuelan officials threatened 15 months of prison for anyone who owned or even read 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, and in a way it makes it all the more appealing.

The Harry Potter Series – J.K. Rowling (2001)

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J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series is wildly popular and seen generally as adventurous and harmless tales for children. However, this series has caused controversies over the past few years, from many different groups 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 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 a year of his life at the school. These books have their fair share of opponents (not to mention hoards of fans). Some 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)

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A recent book that surrounded by controversy since its publication is The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. The book gives a fictional account of characters revealing a hidden truth concealed by the Catholic Church for centuries, including the divinity of Christ, his celibacy, and the possibility of a genetic heritage. 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 some of the most controversial books ever published.

Join the discussion

88 comments
  • The most controversial book of all times according to me is “The Satanic Verses”. It created a lot of mess in the Islamic World.

    • I bought a copy of this book when it first came out. Frankly, it is one of the worst written books I’ve ever read. I threw it in the trashcan after reading the first 15 pages. Rushdie should thank the radical Muslims for giving his book a boost by putting a bounty on his head. I can’t believe any publisher paid him a cent to write the crap. It may be controversial in the Muslim world, but it is godawful boring and poorly written.

  • 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.

    • Oh of course, the Bible (the Tanakh and the Synoptic Gospels, etc) and the Koran should be listed too. Matter of fact I heard there is well over 1600 accommodates of the Bible.

  • 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.

  • also try FANNY HILL (john cleland) and MY SECRET LIFE (anonymous)… the former was banned from publication for about 200 years…

    • If you thought the Harry Potter series was an innocent children’s fantasy story, you’re wrong, an Iranian movie producer says: In reality, the Harry Potter books and movies are part of a “Zionist plot” to “spread their poison.” With its emphasis on witches, warlocks, and wonders, he says, the Harry Potter series “serves to spread the dark and evil essence of Zionism and its goals.”

  • 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

  • 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.

    • I can kind of agree with this only on three of the books listed. Of course 1984 was taken to be controversial but it was also taken the wrong way. Both The Anarchist Cookbook and The Catcher in the Rye are controversial because they challenge basic ideas of the time. At the time of the Vietnam war as it says here, he did not want to go to war. This might have just been a huge literary mistake to publish a whole lot of stuff that symbolizes hatred towards the government and the war in Vietnam. However, The Catcher in the Rye was awesome. With the graphic language, and senseless, uncensored portrayal of the world that was hidden beneath the facade of the 1950’s “perfect” culture, it gained traction with the class I was in. It was boring but it describes high school life and the people in high school a little bit deeper than just the stereotypical crap we usually get in ridiculous teen movies today.

  • 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.

    • Probably because it comes in second as the worst written book ever ONLY to Salmon Rushdie’s “Satanic Verses.”

  • 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?

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • @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…..

    • Some of the most fundamental Old Testament legends (for example, The Garden of Eden, which was based on the Sumerian Dilmun) originate from far older Mesopotamian myths. In fact, Abraham came from the ancient nation of Sumer, which was far more ancient and sophisticated than biblical Palestine. Cuneiform texts were written by the priests and learned men of Ur (ancient Babylon) and the surrounding cities centuries before the Bible began to take form. Some Old Testament stories were copied from neighboring cultures. The Bible copied the Egyptian concept of the afterlife, and then tweaked it for its own purposes. The Yahweh of the Bible is a sky god archetype copied from neighboring tribes. So the Bible and it’s ideology is just a syncretic mish-mash of different beliefs, some of which predate Christianity and Judaism.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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 >.<

  • 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……….

  • 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.

  • @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.

  • 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 ?

  • Are you talking about the Spanish inquisition? As in the most Catholic people you could find at the time?

  • 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

  • “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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • @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.

  • @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.

  • @Juliette- You are the dumbest girl! Do you search around this site just to start fights with people? You need a new hobby. You did it on the serial killer one and you’re doing it again. Try watching tv, or running, or maybe reading the encyclopedia. That could help a lot. Maybe after you read it you wouldn’t be so G*D* ignorant! No one that comes to this site wants to hear what you have to say.

    Yep. I did it again

    *Pick up your jaw (again), as I am sure it has dropped (again)*

  • Yes, the Bible is quite controversial. All works of religion are. If this list did include religious materials, they would take up all ten spaces, and the list would be pointless.

    And, FYI, the Gutenberg Bible is the oldest published book, printed in 1456. Multiple copies of any texts predating the Gutenberg Bible do not exist.

  • … look at the replies, bible controversial you bet, over it’s subject, over it’s content, and over whether it’s controversial. and then over why it’s controversial, etc, so … let’s all agree it is and move on. Also it’s not the oldest book, as it is a collection of multiple stories, and incomplete doesn’t represent the whole, can’t argue with that i’d say.. or at least without talking yourself into a corner or showing lunacy. Certain chapters might be though, adaptations derivatives from older and older texts, until dating goes to a span of 100 years in which published, as much of the true origins are lost who is to say they did not come from further back, but did not get preserved alike prized scrolls e.g. the i ching, gilgameshes diary and other humorous scribblings. It’s all old, and untill new prove is found don’t argue over trivial things as which is older, and just read them.
    also harry potter sucks, it’s just a hype, and as that is used to represent a much larger collection namely fantasy fiction, it is not controversial aside from others in that genre as of itself, so doesnt’deserve a spot in top 10 most controversial, though.. reading back.. it’s not the top it’s just .. 10 random controversial books, therefor i’d say, “where is waldo” would have improved this list.
    That’s my 2 cents, though by ramblings on it might have become a dime.

  • To change the topic a little away from the Bibles controversy. To be honest, I’m wondering why people haven’t said: To Kill a Mockingbird. Wondering and happy about it. That’s right for all you people who are trying to ban this book out of high school reading lists. I suggest you read it before you try to ban it…you know why? Because it is an American CLASSIC. Which is why i wanted to voice my opinion about how ridiculous it is that people are trying to ban it for how CONTROVERSIAL it is….well guess what, that’s what makes it such a moving novel! And after you’ve read it, sure you can judge it, but seriously only people with no lives try to deprive the rest of the children from reading it. Your in charge in your house, but keep this in mind, they’ll still learn about these controversies one way or an other. So grow up and lets not create a Ray Bradbury world where we burn books!

  • Perhaps it is most remarkable that such a wide range of attitude/opinion can be openly published. There are parts of our world where varying levels of personal risk would be involved. I am over 90, have published critical work, spent two years in Mexico after doing a take-down of J.Edgar Hoover and his FBI.

  • the most controversial books are very good i don’t like this list though going to find a better more satisfying site. a book thats very good and my favorite book is hero and the crown

  • @ ALL THE PEOPLE TRYING TO REBUTTLE JULIETTE ,LIKE IT OR NOT SHE HAPPENS TO BE RIGHT THE BIBLE IS THE MOST PRINTED, MOST CONTROVERSIAL, MOST STOLLEN,MOST HATED AND MOST DESTROYED BOOK EVER IN HISTORY PERIOD . IT ISNT HOWEVER THE OLDEST I BELIVE ITS HOMER

  • julliette is plain stupid. bible being the most controversial? the oldest? banned in multiple countries?heh.have u heard about the Torah and Quran.at least u can find a bible in a hotel room’s drawer.but not Quran.how bout that.

  • Jay – while I don’t agree with all Juliette’s facts, some of them are true. Don’t write them all off because some are wrong or because of her attitude.

    The Bible is banned outright in some countries. For example, In Saudi Arabia owning a Bible can lead to arrest, deportation or death. In North Korea on July 24, 2009 a woman was executed for distributing the Bible. In many other countries it is restricted, or, while it is perfectly ‘legal’, to own one it is socially unacceptable and dangerous.

  • These comments are the reason no one can reasonably discuss religion….. Not that this is the forum for that.

  • Add to this list Strange Fruit.It caused an uproar in my high school in 1977 East Texas.I’m sorry that I can’t remember the author right now.

  • I’m sad to see “supposed” Christians arguing with such hurtful attitudes. Yes, the Bible is controversial. If anyone disagrees with us, that’s ok. No big deal! The Bible also says, “avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels … because these are unprofitable and useless.” Doesn’t mean we shouldn’t voice our opinion, but voicing an opinion is different than forcing an opinion.

  • Religious texts in it of themselves controversial because they espouse a belief system that is not the same for everyone. Even religions that try and incorporate every religious belief (Unitarians come to mind) are controversial to some because most religions require that you reject other systems of belief. If you’re Christian, you have to believe Jesus is the Son of God, which is rejected by every other religion.
    I think the problem with the list itself is that there’s no listed criteria. A good starting point would be that only books of significant literary or artistic value should be included. Otherwise, I think you would have to include “Mein Kampf,” “The Turner Diaries,” “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion,” and other extremist books which are all controversial, widely published, and absolute drivel.

  • First things first, this was an ok list but was missing some of the most controversial and banned works of literature. However, this is not a cue to bible bash and bring up illogical arguements about how you are right and the world is wrong!

    I agree that the bible is controversial but so is any scripture, book etc which requires faith and religion. The bible is not the only book to cause millions of deaths and this is not a free for all slagging match. If you believe in God/Allah/whoever then so be it. All you are doing by thrusting your opinions on to other people is showing why there is such conflict between people.

    I have my beliefs but why would anyone on here care what they are? By moaning, you are simply giving a bad name to the religion. Beliefs are beliefs because thats exactly what they are…your own opinions and faith. Don’t be one of those annoying people who harrass you on the street during your lunch break. Believe what you want and don’t be naive enough to think that just because you believe it, so does everyone else. No more oppression, no more fighting and then maybe one day, humanity will finally be able to live together.

    Thanks…oh and by the way…I truly respect anyone who simply stated the facts and didn’t rise to the bait. Showed extreme maturity and intelligence. 🙂

  • What about the Babylonian Talmud? The ultimate white supremacist manual, it has brought two classes of humans – those with the spirit and those empty vessles, it has brought master and slave, death or tribute, it has brought about all that is anti-gentile, look at where its gotten the world. Did anyone blink an eye when Palestine was wiped of the face of the earth – no the workd collected money to arm the “freedom makers”, the worls elite cheered at the slaughter of palestinians – what would today be terrorism and funding for terrorists was gods people, doing gods work – how disgusting is that book?

  • Well, I was hoping to get more book suggestions from replies, not people arguing over religion. Opinions aren’t worth arguing over because everyone thinks that they’re opinion is right. This is a controversial book review, not a politics/religious rant. So, anywho… Surprised I didn’t see any Judy Blume books here, but I suppose they’re not quite as controversial as some of the others listed. Well, if anyone has any more suggestions, please post!

    Peace.

  • First of all, I would like to thank the author of the post for a good list. There are a couple on here that I haven’t read, but now my curiosity has peaked, so I will be adding them to my reading list. Secondly, I was under the impression that this forum was supposed to be about controversial books, not a religious roast. We get that the Bible is controversial. Obviously. Most people on here posted about that. However, isn’t it blantantly obvious that it IS controversial? Why waste the space to mention something that most people are already aware of? And perhaps this kind of banter is exactly what the author was attempting to avoid. I came to this site hoping for suggestions and maybe a little discussion about the titles that were mentioned. I didn’t come to this site expecting to be subjected to ridiculous arguments. So. I’ve spoken my opionion.

    Here are a couple of other titles to consider in regards to controversial books: I agree with Alexander, I would have thought that A Clockwork Orange would have made the list. Also maybe Fahrenheit 451. Personally, I find the thought of destroying books completely offensive. But that’s just me.

  • Rushdie has no sense of privacy!!!!he even refer Muhammad as the devil which is not, though. ifi were not mistaken, he is a free-mason perhaps. I think, he really deserve to be punished!!!!

  • Bible can’t be termed as the most controvesial book because of its more than fifty versions for, they are not versions but translations. But, Bible could be termed controversial because of ten cases of INCEST described in the first chapter GENESIS, which still are considered to be authentic, a jewish conspiracy against their own Holy Prophets.

  • Firstly, Brave New World depicts the future shock which is now the computerization that is factual so that it is recommended for public info. Second is the 1984 similar to the above.

  • Can I simply say what a aid to seek out someone who actually is aware of what theyre talking about on the internet. You positively know the right way to deliver a problem to mild and make it important. More folks need to learn this and understand this side of the story. I cant believe youre not more common because you undoubtedly have the gift.

  • the most controversial book is of course “the satanic verses”
    and the second one is “the da vinci code”

  • I like controversial books. Another book of this kind is “The Bridage” by Harold A. Convington: “White nationalist rebels found their own aryan state in the Northwestern USA.”