Summer reading: challenged, restricted or banned books

Spice up your summer reading with a book that has been challenged, restricted, or banned.  Please leave us a comment and let us know what you think about these titles.

All are available from La Trobe library:

Bless Me, Ultima: a novel, by Rudolfo A Anaya – banned from some high school English classes in America after there were complaints that the book was profane and anti-Catholic.

Borstal Boy, by Brendan Behan – this autobiographical novel was banned in Ireland in 1958. The Irish Censorship of Publications Board was not obligated to give a reason, but it is believed that it was banned for its criticism of Irish republicanism and the Catholic Church, as well as its depiction of adolescent sexuality. It was also banned in Australia and New Zealand shortly after.

Burger’s Daughter, by Nadine Gordimer – banned in South Africa in July 1979 for going against the government’s racial policies. The ban was reversed in October the same year.

Lajja = Shame, by Taslima Nasrin – banned in Bangladesh, and some states in India.

Year 501: the conquest continues, by Noam Chomsky – banned for distribution in the South Korean military in August 2008.

Spy catcher: the candid autobiography of a senior intelligence officer, by Peter Wright – banned in the UK from 1985-1988 for revealing secrets. Wright was a former MI5 officer and his book was banned before it was even published in 1987.