Top 10 Classics That Were Banned

Even though these books were banned, one cannot ignore the fact that there are and were classics with amazing literary value.

1. Ulysses by James Joyce

This book revolves around Leopold Bloom’s journey through Dublin. The book is similar to Homer’s Odyssey as there are a number of familiar elements between the two books. Some are explicit while others are quite implicit. Because it has been banned through the years, high school students rarely get a chance to read it. Quite a shame, since it is among the best books ever written.

2. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

This book is well known for its protagonist, a young and innocent boy. Mark Twain describes the surroundings beautifully and criticizes the racial discrimination that is apparent through the book. It is laced with elements of freedom and escapism which becomes apparent when Huck and Jim are drifting along the Mississippi River.

3. Candide by Voltaire

Candide’s plot is based on a naïve protagonist who is forced to live by the rules of Leibnizian optimism. Elements of satire are clearly seen as the story unfolds as the character has to face a number of hardships through her life. It pokes fun at a number of romantic clichés as well as those related to adventure.

4. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Brave New World unfolds against a backdrop of a utopian world wherein the human being are not only carefree but also technologically advanced and without health problems. Wars are not being fought and nobody lives below the poverty line. However, the society which exists in the book is hedonistic and one which is deprived of religion, literature, science, family, art and culture. In addition to that, the characters all take a particular kind of drug which keeps them happy all the time.

5. Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell

This book revolves around Winston Smith whose life degrades due to the workings of the totalitarian society within which he lives. 1984 made the author very famous and is considered to be among the best books which discuss the elements of a dystopian society.

6. The Catcher in the Rye by J. D .Salinger

Holden Caulfield is the novel’s protagonist who has come to be associated with fear and alienation associated with adolescence. It is controversial because it uses profanity and portrays teenage angst and sexuality quite liberally.

7. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

The title of the book refers to a particular part in the story when a disabled character who is very strong physically tries to pet a mouse but ends up killing it. It is also a reference to the problems which plague the lives of the protagonists.

8. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Billy Pilgrim is taken in by German soldiers and is made to live within the confines of a prison which consists mostly of cellars. Billy stars visiting random sections of his life which includes the day he dies. He is then kidnapped by aliens known as Tralfamadorians who have the ability to live in those moments of their lives that they choose.

9. Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet B. Stowe

This book focuses on anti-slavery elements and affected the condition of the African American slaves in the United States.

10. Lord of the Flies by William Golding

This allegorical classic talks about how man can never be civil and that he will always find solace in savagery. It delves into the subject of human nature and common good.