Banned Books You Should Read

[@meaninglez100]

The fact that we still have banned books in the modern age is baffling to me

[@BMB57]

It doesn't shock me. We live in the age of censorship. In every medium.

[@smashOsmash]

some books deserve to be banned tho, what if theres a book that spreads misinformation? or glorifies nazis? or a book thats racist towards a minority group of people?

[@timmeyer9191]

It kind of depends on your definition of "banned". Google says the ban definition is to officially or legally prohibit. To me, that means a "banned" book is one that is not allowed to be owned, purchased, sold, distributed or discussed without arrest or fine. "Restricted" might be a more appropriate word. It is still legal if certain criteria are met (namely age requirements or parental consent). I will never support the outright removal from society of any book (which is what I consider a ban to be). However, I don't think minors should be given or granted unrestricted access to possibly objectional material without parental consent at the minimum.

[@skellumfh]

@@timmeyer9191 but these lists are restricted to books that conservative commentators got outraged by. I mean, if these lists are to protect minors, should joe abercrombie's work also be banned? I wouldn't want kids to read a scene where someone's hand is chopped of bit by bit. Also i super wouldn't want my kids to read "the bell curve" (a widely debunked race-and-iq book). So these lists do not protect minors but make things go away that fox gets mad at, which i don't think should be happening.

[@timmeyer9191]

@@skellumfh conservative attempts to restrict certain material definitely get more attention by MSN, but there are things that progressives might object to if minors are given unrestricted access to or are physically being given a copy of without parental consent at least. There are books with a pro KKK stance, periodicals with schematics to make a plastic gun using a 3D printer, and the Anarchist Cookbook which is a how to manual on making homemade LSD and explosives. Some think minors should have unrestricted access and these materials should be given to them regardless of parent objections. Others believe certain material should be removed completely from society no matter what the age of the reader because that information could cause real world harm as in the case of explosive recipes. Neither view is ideal. The best compromise is to keep the material legal, but put restrictions on them that would at least require parental consent before it ends up in the hands of minors. Once the person is a legal adult, they should be allowed access to get hold of these restricted materials.

[@anamericanseoul1391]

My creative writing professor had a great argument for why banned books should be read. We as a society tend to lean towards the familiar when consuming media, so it can be quite a social challenge to breach this. Having grown up in a religious community, this was even more true for me. It takes a lot of courage to read something most people wouldn’t, and it takes more courage to say that it’s worth it. For example, Catcher in the Rye is not very favored where I grew up and most people advised me to avoid it but I thought it was a great read. I have found that most of anything is worth reading or watching or seeing even once, because the unique perspective can give us a fresh impression of the world around us.

[@jackwriter1908]

😂 that's probably the best thing I read in the comment section. Just because how true it is. You should read what is banned because that is what people try to hide from you. Imagine a teacher in school saying _„So children you know how there are a bunch of books banned, for really stupid reasons? I want each of you making a presentation. With the question if they should be banned or not. You can chose whatever book you want, but I would advise you to research well, because research is always important. If that research is you reading said book, than that's for you.“_ I do wonder if that would work. (I am not too familiar with this whole banned books system, since I am from Germany and as far as I know we don't have that here.) But I guess it's about which books are allowed in school and which are not. So saying you can chose the book and need to research it, would be the perfect way around it. The parents who get angry that the teacher told them to read it just get the answer that their kids chose those books and don't need to read them and that he just advised to research the book.

[@dr.antonius8350]

I was expecting to find _His Dark Materials_ on this list. Actually, even the author, Philip Pullman, once said he was surprised by how little criticism he's got compared to Harry Potter. "Meanwhile, I've been flying under the radar, saying things that are far more subversive than anything poor old Harry has said. My books are about killing God"

[@MusicBlik]

That really bothered me about The Amber Spyglass when I read it back in high school. The revisionist scripture in the finale of The Golden Compass was like "meh, whatever", but TAS really lays it on thick.

[@flavoredwallpaper]

It's not surprising. His books were popular, but not Harry Potter popular. If they were as widely read and known as Harry Potter, you better believe he'd be getting way more criticism!

[@dr.antonius8350]

@@flavoredwallpaper Of course, the criticism of a book depends on his popularity. Still, it seems weird to me that Harry Potter was even criticized but then again, I don't live in the United States.

[@flavoredwallpaper]

@@dr.antonius8350 They're about "witches." Super religious people hear the word and immediately think SATAN. I don't think it was a substantial population of haters. The crazies just speak the loudest.

[@dr.antonius8350]

@@flavoredwallpaper I know, and the same happened about D&D. I understand the reasons, but I just think they are stupid 😄

[@darlenepeel3193]

I live in the TN county that caused the Maus uproar. I immediately bought it! Now I don’t have kids, but as high schoolers were shown the footage from when Auschwitz liberated and that was more raw than Maus. I just don’t understand why it was banned. “Those who forget history are bound to repeat it.“

[@Nefarious_Bread]

Maybe repeating history is the goal for some people...

[@nachofilament294]

Unless it was reversed, it was never banned, they just dropped it from the required reading list. It is still available in the school libraries.

[@HeavyTopspin]

The fact that you were able to immediately access it means it wasn't actually "banned".

[@bennyv4444]

As someone who also lives in that county, it was all super overblown. There is a HUGE difference between banning books and removing them from the curriculum.

[@nachofilament294]

@@HeavyTopspin Good point. The banned books lists libraries and bookstores like to put out are usually nonsense - just books the listmakers want people to read by fabricating a mystique around them. There really are books that really are banned and they are impossible to get a hold of, even in the US which doesn't "officially" ban books. Those books never show up on these banned books lists.

[@themythosarchives7520]

4:20 I’m going to steal a few words from The Disheveled Goblin. “If fascists are telling you not to read something READ THE SH!T OUT OF IT”

[@MrYuki2000]

Merph dropping that book in the beginning to express how good it was. 10/10 passion

[@emmarobinson8979]

When I was a kid my mom, I think with good intentions, tried to get The Giver banned from our school library because one scene depicting the father and an infant upset her so much. It wasn't until much later in life that I actually read it and realized immediately how much she had missed the point due to her very strong emotional reaction. I think it's so important for people to be able to talk about what discomforts them in books AND to trust that kids can handle tough topics, though they might need some help unpacking those topics just like adults do.

[@StoryManifestors]

Great list! It makes sense (in a “I hate this” way) that Kindred is banned in prisons, seeing as it’s such a powerful story about slavery and slavery is still legal in prisons. They probably don’t want books that openly criticize their system. Also thanks for reminding me about Maus! I really want to pick that up soon.

[@acrimsondaisy5513]

Im really happy to see you recommend books that are *currently* being banned or challenged, and not *just* classics that right now few people are gonna leave out their curriculum

[@nathancarter8239]

I think my favorite banned book is A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, which I read when I was probably too young for it but was still receptive to its themes. I'd never seen the stark reality of poverty laid out like that, and it was challenging in a lot of ways I wasn't expecting.

[@OldCavtrooper22]

Thank you for covering this topic. Banned books are the mark of an insecure and volatile society. While I would prefer books advocating abuse, intolerance, or oppressive forms of government did not exist, I would not have them banned. A bad example if used properly can be a good example of how not to do things.

[@timmeyer9191]

"Banned" might not be the correct term to use. "Restricted" might be more appropriate. Google defines "ban" as to officially or legally prohibit. To me, that means a "banned" book is one that cannot be owned, purchased, sold, distributed or discussed without arrest or fine, the total removal from society. A "restricted" title is one that is still legal in society, but certain criteria must be met before access to the material is granted (namely a legal age requirement or parental consent).

[@eupo5936]

Conservatives aren’t banning books. That’s a lie made up by the left. Conservatives are banning things like explicit pornography being available in school libraries. Which yes, happened. With multiple books. So no, conservatives aren’t banning books. It’s just something the left made up, as they always do. It’s the left that calls for books they don’t like to be banned and torn off platforms. They constantly do this. Many retailers took down Johnny the Walrus because leftists whined, and the dr Phil episode with Matt Walsh was taken off HBO max and another major streaming service I dont remember at the moment because leftists whined. It is, inarguably, self-evidently, leftists calling for book banning and conversation banning and opinion banning. Conservatives are the ones who want open discourse. We always have been. It’s sad and pathetic, but also kind of hilarious, when the left tries to point the finger at us for something, when they’re the ones actually doing said thing.

[@theonlyslagathor]

True story, my sister's 8th grade English teacher had them read Kindred in class. It doesn't make sense to me to ban some of these books for at least educational purposes ......... And I was forced to read To Kill a Mockingbird *twice* from NY public schools LOL so I guess we improved

[@merphynapier42]

I LOVE hearing that Kindred is used in classes. It's such a fantastic book

[@stephenmalovski313]

Huckleberry Finn was banned during the 90s all across the US for using a type of slur that people used in the 19th century US... I mean, nobody banned Quentin Tarantino films

[@Jackolantirn]

To find out why Kindred is banned from some prisons would involve investigating why books are banned from prisons in general. Many states have their Department of Corrections ban specific books from their prisons. The restrictions on the books are not always clear, and not always implemented consistently. Often, it is argued that the books should be banned when they promote violence, or contain some other content that may impact the safety of the facilities. Books that explain how to break out of prisons, or books that contain prison inmates attacking the guards, may be reasonable grounds for banning it from a prison. But then you'll also have books, like Dungeons & Dragons manuals, which are banned because it "encourages gang behavior." Or you'll have banned book lists that are suspiciously filled with books by black authors, with content that addresses black history and politics. Some states are much better than others when it comes to reviewing books for their content, but there are several states that are less than great. I haven't read Kindred, so someone else would have to chime in as to what kind of content it might include. But, as Kindred was written by a black author, about a modern black woman who literally time travels and gets first-hand experience with black history, I have my assumptions.

[@skellumfh]

D&D "encourages gang behaviour"? that's funny AF

[@xTwilightWolvesx]

@@skellumfh I mean, in my specific campaign we did end up down that route, but that was all homebrewed and not part of the manuals 😂

[@cianwade3482]

I read D&d is also banned because the battlemaps could potentially be coded maps to plot escape

[@CBSmith-js9yl]

My favorite piece of banned book history is that comic books (mostly EC horror) was so challenged that the US government had an entire congressional hearing about them. During that time, cities were outright banning all comics or selling them behind the counter next to the adult magazines.

[@Glokta4]

I'm lucky enough that my school had lessons on several of the books you listed. I hope more continue to seek out books because they've been banned or challenged.

[@silvin_ink]

I took a graphic novel class in collage, and we read Maus as part of the course work. Such a good book!

[@DMRufio]

Y’all gotta read The Hate U Give. A lot of Texas districts banned it because teachers have been using it as an alternative to TKAM.

[@colin1818]

"Banned" it or removed it from the required curriculum?

[@DMRufio]

@@colin1818 from libraries and classrooms

[@colin1818]

@@DMRufio - So not banned then. It's still available on the free market and easy for an individual to acquire. It's simply been deemed inappropriate as required curriculum and for certain ages (hence removed from the school libraries for students in certain age ranges). To claim the book is "banned" is an exaggeration.

[@DMRufio]

@@colin1818 okay dude

[@colin1818]

@@DMRufio - The term "banned books" is usually inappropriately applied. This would be one of those cases.

[@hikari62k]

As someone who grew up in a NYC school and dislike reading because of ADHD and other cognitive issues, To Kill A Mocking Bird was one of the very few books that I actually read. Most of the books we were required to read, I only read the Cliff Notes version so that I can pass the exams. It is ridiculous that they would ban these books and tell people what they should and should not read. As someone that still do not enjoy reading as an adult because I find most fiction boring, all of these banned books sound like really good stories and I think I'll start reading by reading everything on this list.

[@nachofilament294]

It's been a while since I've read Maus, but the nudity is probably the bit where the author writes about his mother's suicide - she is drawn as a human and is fully nude (and you see everything). I don't see a lot of people bring that up. Are there versions of Maus that don't include that?

[@AbbieKohtiao]

I'm not sure if this is banned but my favorite banned book is "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley. I think the topics are incredibly relevant today and I believe that Huxley actually wrote this book as a sort of prediction of what he thought the future might look like. I think you should give it a try.

[@japjeetmehton810]

One of my favourite books too!

[@sweetkarolines]

"Read the books they're banning. That's where the good stuff is!" ~Levar Burton

[@mrfrancyofficial]

More happy than not on a banned list?!?! I read this book based on your recommendation and then went on to read the other two solo Adam Silvera books and loved all of them. I'm surprised it made this list.

[@changelingreader14]

You're surprised a gay author's YA book(s) is(are) being banned/challenged? Sure people who do it might not say the actual reason for lots of books they are banning and challenging and instead say nudity, cursing, sexual content, adult content, etc. But considering that's being applied to books that don't even have any of that beyond mentions of queer people existing or experiences of oppression... well, I don't think I need to say more about that as it's digressing. Anyway, as I understand it, More Happy Than Not sort of allegorically covers the experience of a boy having frowned-upon feelings that faces conversion therapy (memory alteration to get 'straightened out') from the pressure of his friends, current partner, and so on alongside his grief. What else is in there, I don't know. However, just knowing that, I'm unsurprised it's been banned/challenged.

[@Yondi1000]

This is a great video idea! The amount of books being banned lately is frankly concerning

[@amorvincittomnia]

I just read a book called "Who was changed and who was dead" that was banned in Ireland at one point decades ago. My state didn't have it in their public library system, so I bought it off Amazon. It was a fantastic, delightful read! The reason they banned it was supposedly because it "wallowed it repulsiveness" but I didn't really think it was that bad. (Compared to Flannery O'Connor, nothing feels repulsive and bizarre haha)

[@Alexander-kc8oq]

"It was banned because it has curse words and a naked character" I had to laugh at this. I always think that my view on the boredrline institutional prudishenss in american society is exaggarated, but then I see soemtihng like this and it just confirms I was right all along. Do the pople in charge here think that kids will never hear curse words or see a naked body? They should come to Sweden. I could clean out the sauna in my house and we´d sit there in 75-80 C (170-175 F) and just chill completly naked.

[@Alexander-kc8oq]

@@dalriada7554 That we should.

[@stephenmymomtoldmenottoput1459]

Different countries have different cultures that evolve organically over time. People don't sit down and reason through or try to rationalize them, they just inherit it.

[@Alexander-kc8oq]

@@stephenmymomtoldmenottoput1459 Your right of course. But it´s still funny.

[@silviusaltus8456]

I mean it wasn't ACTUALLY banned because of the curse words and a nude character, it was banned because it's a frank and honest depiction of the result of nazism and the people who banned it don't want children to learn about the negative results of nazism. The excuse they used was curse words and nudity.

[@stephenmymomtoldmenottoput1459]

@@silviusaltus8456 You think that a random school board in Tennessee is sympathetic to Nazism? What're you basing this off of aside from a violation of Hanlon's Razor?

[@bcfortenberry]

The funny bit is that most of the folks attempting to ban books from libraries aren’t really big on fancy book learnin’. They’re just terrified of the world around them and intellectually incurious.

[@wakemeup39]

I consume quite a bit of books, and all types of them, but I'm all for bans if they make sense

[@moonstonepearl21]

@@wakemeup39 I see what you mean as it's tricky to navigate what to restrict when it comes to minors. If you're an adult, bans never or almost never make sense, but it's hard to determine what is age appropriate sometimes for kids. There are some books that have such over the top violent and pornographic material, that I can understand parents not wanting their kids to read it, especially if we are talking below high school level. However, it also dangerous for parents to go overboard and literally protect them from any more mature material because they are preventing them from expanding their minds. Where to draw these lines is difficult to determine.

[@spdepew]

The fact MAUS is banned just shows the things some people want us all to forget. Ridiculous. Same with Kindred. I haven't read the other books, but good god.

[@bryancraig6584]

literally any book can be challenged if they want something gone they will find a reason no book should be banned this bs annoys me

[@garoluis7366]

​@BasedOptics And what if instead of banning it you let people read it and think why it's bad.

[@steveconsultant4523]

There are a few others in that category: books on making explosives, some kinds of tortures, poisons, etc. There are legitimate reasons for such information to be around, but I don't think they need to be in the public shelves of my library.

[@idontmindbeingforgotten712]

True brother, I don't get why they wouldn't let kids read mein kampf.

[@TheRealMirCat]

@@garoluis7366 Adults yes. Middle school no.

[@bryancraig6584]

@@idontmindbeingforgotten712 they can learn from it if taken through it slowly and responsibly

[@raniersb]

Added them all, appreciate you putting a spotlight on books thats getting banned. Would love to hear you opinion on decisions to ban books in general.

[@derchristianausffo_uncut]

1:54 - They Way You dropped Your Book reminded me of my Chinchilla dropping its Chewing Stick. 🤣🤪

[@SysterYster]

What? They banned classics like Animal Farm and Lord of the Flies etc?? That's crazy.

[@JayGTheAwkwardBookworm]

I just bought a copy of Monday! Excited to pick it up after hearing you talk about it 👀

[@CapturedInWords]

Love this video idea! It's ridiculous that books are still being banned

[@rriggs6547]

Books will be banned as long as someone has something to lose by them being read. And none of the books she listed are actually banned. That requires a law to be passed. These are restricted by the district or institution.

[@lowellnorristhecatholiccou8322]

The maus book was banned from the teaching curriculum in Tennessee. You can still get the book to read. At least thats what I have heard. Sometimes we do t get the whole story .

[@Mermaidstuckonland18]

My 8th grade English class read To Kill A Mockingbird and I personally liked it.

[@girlwithoutpearlearring]

Ok, I know it's not topic related but the fact that Merphy still keeps saying "Dad gommit" is just adorable. Once twisted is forever twisted :'D

[@FrankensteinsMom]

“BANNED you say?” Immediately adds books to cart

[@ObsidianSouls]

They ban books, because of the ability to change people that books have. That is what they are worried about.

[@katherinegallagher9081]

It is interesting ( and sad) to hear that the more Contemporary Books on the list had a Teen Voice/ Narrative Point of View. Can't Young People have Thoughts, Feelings, Opinions that Deserve to be Heard

[@joshuahandlen9885]

A teen voice written by a middle aged man. Those poor teenagers.

[@SunS33kr]

Hey Merphy, I was wondering if you could review maybe the One Piece side stories, like ace’s story, and Enels space operations. There isn’t that many chapters in it so it’ll be a quick read, and it’s all canon as well. Not sure if you’ll ever find this comment tho, but been a fan of your videos since dressrosa review. Keep up the great videos!! Cheers!!😁👍👍

[@jcook2393]

Just got into reading heavily and your channel is a blessing. Thanks again Merphy!

[@tweetypieplansandreads]

The fact that most, actually all, of these books mentioned deal with social issues like race, class, sexuality, class etc. Tells you a lot about society and their motivations innit?

[@spencerkooyman13]

I read "Kindred" for school! Such a great read!

[@thefairylibrarian3282]

I wasn't a fan of Maus. I think there are a lot better books about this topic, but it shouldn't be banned. Books in general shouldn't be banned. btw, the "au" in "Maus" is pronounced like the "ou" in the word "out". I loved Kindred! It's great.

[@taoofcraft554]

Like “mouse”, correct?

[@davidstenton5181]

To paraphrase Terry Pratchett (I think), the best reason for reading a book is that someone, somewhere, would rather you didn't.

[@in-craig-ible6160]

Thank you for doing this video Murphy.

[@PinkPanda-z5b]

I think i should let you know, "The Posthumous Memoirs of Bras Cubas" is very common on Brazilian school's curriculum, I had to read it myself as a teenager, but unfortunately I dont remember anything about it anymore, since I was not as much into reading at the time as I am now.

[@BrebearMckae]

What bothers me about banned books is that there’s no hard and fast rules to go by- just whenever some Karen feels like it. 🙄

[@riaz5386]

You should try out "Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China" by Jung Chang. It's banned in China and it chronicles the rise of Mao and communism through the perspective of three generation of women (the grandmother who was a concubine, the mother who was a part of the communist party as it came into power and finally the author herself). It's a difficult read in some aspects because of the topics it covers but it's a very well written book.

[@keravnos2231]

When I was living in Malaysia around 2015. The 50 shades trilogy was banned 😂. Ban or no Ban, hell no I ain't reading that.

[@beaugibson2951]

Two hundred years together by aleksandr solzhenitsyn is an actually banned book that you'll be very hard pressed to find in English and if you do find it chapters are often taken out

[@jesshughes776]

I read a 400 and something page book with small font and no skipping in 24 hrs.

[@jordanelizabethborchert]

I did a banned books video on my channel all about classics, glad you did this video, we need to read these books!

[@shelliingle571]

I had read they had banned couple of Dr. Suess' Books,but I am surprised that there's still a gallery that attributed to him in New Orleans.

[@skellumfh]

Seuss wasn't banned afaik, just the publisher decided to no longer reprint some of his older works because they contained things even he himself later deemed racist.

[@badfaith4u]

Such wonderful recommendations of banned books.

[@CBedits285]

I haven't read Monday's not Coming by it sounds very similar to A Good Girls Guide to Murder (book 2) which I enjoyed.

[@James_Wisniewski]

No criticisms. I just wanted to point out that Maus is pronounced like "mouse," not "moss."

[@noonespecial3844]

My favourite banned book is actually 'the hate u give'. Yeah, the racists banned it for a hot sec

[@davelewis8270]

Lord of the flies? We read that in school (in the UK about 25 years ago)

[@shamaunjiwanmall1987]

“I lent it to my mom and I’ve never gotten it back!” 😄👏🏻🤗 This is sweet!🤗

[@-Scrapper-]

To kill a mockingbird was the best book I was forced to read

[@AwkwardTruths]

“That was but a prelude; where they burn books, they will ultimately burn people also”. -- Heinrich Heine.

[@MizzInterpreted]

I've read all the books mentioned except Maus and the Posthumous Memoirs . Now on my TBR.

[@ryansummers4661]

wanted to comment on lord of the flies, watched most, to kill a mockingbird, animal farm, i already knew 1984 but looked it up anyway, catcher in the rye(great lesson for making split second mistake and how to deal with the consequences which was literally nothing on the main character was what banned for pissdown megalomaniacs and for the libs lennon)slaughterhouse five, where the sidewalk ends. literally banning mother goose poems that if you made the last cut of being born in the 70s was traditions passed down from 1800s, literally nearly every american and english read those poems for over 150 years. its like im sitting here wondering if rudyard kipling if is next? lor of the flies cant be read but the human centipede can be rented? gag gag 2 reasons. dylin marley garcia, on the way out but the bible and the crusades and the spanish inquisition forced in my door, no not happening

[@j.c.ca.o.l7035]

Thanks for the recommendations!!!

[@qb4428]

Are these books actually illegal or just not allowed in classrooms for children? Those aren't the same thing exactly.

[@jillianwalter2850]

When they talk about banned books they always mean banned by schools. At least in the U.S.

[@ViridianCrisis7]

Not illegal, challenged or banned. Most of the time in relation to schools’ libraries and/or curriculums. Making a book “illegal” for sale would be extremely difficult.

[@user-pv1qk4so6s]

None of these books are illegal, just banned in some school districts or other institutions(was not expecting prisons). The banned book challenges tend to cover books that have faced challenges from institutions for a variety of reasons. For me, it's interesting to see which books were the targets of book burnings by political groups.

[@YourBlackLocal]

Nobody has claimed they were illegal & they were never being read in classrooms to begin with.

[@bennyv4444]

It means that schools won’t assign them as reading or have them available in the school library. It has no legal consequences, and if someone wanted to read Maus for example they could get it at the local bookstore or from the internet with no problems. A “banned” book in America just means that it is out of the curriculum- You can even read the “banned” books in school, depending on the state you live in, as long as you own the books personally.

[@chelleybee1016]

I just checked this book( kindred) out from my local library

[@roneliadelgrange8315]

Book banning is basically old school geoblocking.

[@KMort]

Not really banned but also yes, Dan Brown😂 I find it so funny how irked the church was by his book(s) and I love seeing it.

[@JennFaeAge]

Yes both to Maus and to the "Wtaf" reaction when I heard it'd been banned

[@LawrenceDomkowski]

Your Best Podcast Ever !!!

[@ridingwilding760]

Limiting select books in school/children sections of library for age appropriateness in extreme cases can see as ok. Think Porn magazine age restrictions, but I wouldn’t advocate banning porn magazines (though I highly dislike the industry) any more then any other book. Just make access in public libraries of age sensitive subjects reasonably limited. Otherwise parents pay attention. I will also point out that using public pressure to get stores to remove books that some think (bad, hateful, misinformation etc) from their shelves is no different then banning books.

[@DinoCon]

More people really need to read "Mein Kampf". I recommend the Ford translation.

[@Thegirlnamedsomthing]

This book is not banned, but has been critiqued and is hard to come by. Accomplices to the crime: The Arkansas prison scandal by Tom Murton. Written by the man who tried to reform the Arkansas prisons during his time as prison manager in 1960s. Very brutal, but very important piece of history.

[@kelleyjogirl]

Interesting. I read Maus in Minority Lit class in university. I thought it was pretty compelling.

[@KierTheScrivener]

I just read Kindred so good!! Dear Martin os one of my favourites

[@brettbosley779]

Don't make the mistake of assuming that the arguments for banning are made in good faith.

[@Paul_van_Doleweerd]

The last book *banned* by the US Goverment was Fanny Hill, in 1963.

[@joseonwalking8666]

None of these books are banned though. Maybe certain nations or maybe from public schools where the school board decided to not keep it in school library, but not exactly banned in most western nations.

[@haydenweaver1953]

Maus was part of my High School curriculum

[@vegangurly]

I think the depiction of nakedness being referred to in Maus may have actually come from a short section with a different comic that is illustrated with humans. It shows his mother naked in a tub. Which, with the context in the story, is especially messed up. Because why are we focusing on the fact that she is naked and taking away from the greater issue there…

[@ViridianCrisis7]

The page that was focused on when I saw the coverage of its ban was of one of the male mice walking naked and you could see his genitals.

[@vegangurly]

@@ViridianCrisis7 ohhh yes I remember that too now as well thank you!

[@rafaela00002]

I wasn't expecting Brás Cubas here 😂 I need to know the reason they came up for that

[@nobodybutzach]

Sounds like I still need to read Kindred….

[@sesshowmarumonoke]

Never realised people read the Postumous Memories of Brás Cubas outside Brasil LOL

[@r.charlie]

Thank you for this video, very important stuff

[@evanhelman7471]

I thought maus was pronounced mouse?

[@thebookbunch]

I don't think books should ever be banned because that goes against freedom of speech but I do believe books should have ratings like movie, e.g. G PG M M15 R etc. People should have warning of what the content contains so they can decide if it's appropriate for their kids, teens and even themselves and so they know what triggers might be involved

[@litlbucky]

Adding Monday to TBR

[@rachelsanders3537]

It is important to remember that often the reasons stated for why a book is banned are not the REAL reasons the books are banned....

[@genevievekennedy8117]

the fact that sex and vulgar language is used to justify blatantly political bannings 🙄

[@MysteryBounty]

Hope you are all doing well, have a great day everyone!

[@Ulmo90]

I don't really understand how books are getting banned or challenged in the US (I guess the books in the video are banned there). Who choses which books are getting banned and can a ban be lifted? I don't think we have any banned books in Finland

[@pepsi-4275]

Well, it's not like stuff is banned nationwide. It's certain schools and libraries that they are being banned from. (Which would be school boards or people voting that a library should stop receiving funding if they don't stop having certain books.)

[@rylansato]

I don’t think books should be banned and I think some people think when a book is taken off a curriculum then it must be banned. There are books that shouldn’t be on any curriculum for various reasons such as being historical fanfiction such as 1619 project books. I’ve never heard Maus being banned aside from being taken off some curriculum.

[@jaginaiaelectrizs6341]

Not entirely related, but ... Death Note is[ or has been] banned in a number of other countries.

[@jamesmacleod9382]

"Everybody's got to have somebody to look down on"- Kris Kristofferson, from "Jesus Was A Capricorn".

[@vesch5083]

It'd be great if you made this an annual video

[@susannahlewis8464]

So what I'm learning is that books are usually banned for really dumb reasons.

[@nuanceblacksywin4868]

No Lolita? I felt sure that book was gonna be there. It's so misunderstood..

[@refused-_-8491]

Do you have any recommendations for books that have sword fighting in it?