Society & Culture
Banned Books

Banned Books

Books they don't want you to read—so you really should

By The Blinkist Curators

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What's it about?

Society & Culture
Book banning is not new—the first recorded book ban in the US took place in Massachusetts in 1637. Whether you're looking at the 1933 Nazi book burnings, fictional book bans like in Phillip K. Dick's classic The Man in the High Castle, or to the heated discussion between parents and school board members today, these banned books have stood the test of time in spite of the controversies surrounding them. The act of book banning undermines the intellect of potential readers and most times, it backfires as these books gain more popularity as a result of the ban. In these collection, you'll explore the most popular fiction titles that have been banned and challenged.

Banned Books

Books they don't want you to read—so you really should

Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984)
Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984)
George Orwell
A Dystopian Classic on the Dangers of Totalitarianism
22 min4.8
The Catcher in the Rye
The Catcher in the Rye
J.D. Salinger
A Coming-Of-Age Classic on Belonging and Teenage Alienation
18 min4.2
Lord of the Flies
Lord of the Flies
William Golding
A Dystopian Classic on the Dark Side of Human Nature and Survival
19 min4.6
To Kill a Mockingbird
To Kill a Mockingbird
Harper Lee
A Pulitzer Prize-Winning Classic on Racial Prejudice & Injustice
26 min4.7
The Kite Runner
The Kite Runner
Khaled Hosseini
An Emotional Story of Betrayal and Redemption in 1970s Afghanistan
19 min4.6
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Mark Twain
Freedom, Civilization, and Prejudice in the Pre-Civil War South
20 min4.7
I Know why the Caged Bird Sings
I Know why the Caged Bird Sings
Maya Angelou
An Autobiography of Overcoming Racism and Trauma With Literature
23 min4.8
Of Mice and Men
Of Mice and Men
John Steinbeck
The Dangers of the American Dream During the Great Depression
15 min4.5
The Bluest Eye
The Bluest Eye
Toni Morrison
The Reality of Racism and Oppression of Women in 1940’s America
21 min3.8
The Hunger Games
The Hunger Games
Suzanne Collins
A Post-Apocalyptic Dystopia Where Violence Is a Tool to Control
23 min4.6
The Hate U Give
The Hate U Give
Angie Thomas
A Brutally Honest Exploration of Racial Injustice, Police Violence, and the Power of Activism
24 min4.1
All Boys Aren't Blue
All Boys Aren't Blue
George M. Johnson
A Memoir-Manifesto
17 min2.8
Beloved
Beloved
Toni Morrison
A Heart-Wrenching, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Masterpiece
18 min4.1

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