"Whenever I notice that my name isn't on the list of banned and challenged authors, I feel faintly like I'm letting the side down. Although I suspect all I'd have to do to get on the list is to write a book about naked, bisexual, hard-swearing wizards who drink a lot while disparaging the Second Amendment, and I'd be home and dry."
--Neil Gaiman
Here's more information on banned books, for those who are interested.
It still amazes me that the Harry Potter series is banned for its theme of wizards and magic, yet The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lord of the Rings, and, for that matter, the entire fucking fantasy genre deal with the exact same subjects and are not included on the list. Really, people. Where is the logic here?
While I was surprised that I have read a lot of books on the list (Some, like Bridge to Terabithia, were required reading when I was in grade school.), I was dismayed to discover that the number of banned books that I have not read is quite extensive. Methinks I ought to remidy the situation.
It still amazes me that the Harry Potter series is banned for its theme of wizards and magic, yet The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lord of the Rings, and, for that matter, the entire fucking fantasy genre deal with the exact same subjects and are not included on the list.
The Chronicles of Narnia wouldn't get banned because, from what I've been told (they're totally unknown and not "classics" in France), it's a fantasy-rewriting of Biblic themes and with a strong underlying message to convert the readers. So since it's mostly fundamentalists religious organisms that ban books, of course they would not ban a book that actually helps them doing their proselytizing job.
Not sure about their stance on LOTR et al. But then, LOTR is set in another world, and Tolkien wasn't exactly a progressist, so I doubt there is so much to dispute in his books.
True, but a lot of people (including me when I was little) never noticed the Biblical connections. And JKR has refused to say anything about religious connections in the HP books, so for all we know, there might be some connection with Christianity in that series as well.
While people tend to be more easy-going with LotR, I'm not sure that this has much to do with it being set in another world. A lot of fantasy novels are in other worlds as well, and many of them get a lot of backlash from the religious right. The DragonLance series, which is based on an AD&D RPG game, comes to mind. I knew kids in school whose parents refused to let them read the books because they were convinced that they made people worship the devil.
Who knows... people don't seem to make much sense.
Oh, and I don't know if I've ever mentioned it, but I love that icon! ^_^
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piasharn
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Date: 2004-09-27 02:38 am (UTC)The Chronicles of Narnia wouldn't get banned because, from what I've been told (they're totally unknown and not "classics" in France), it's a fantasy-rewriting of Biblic themes and with a strong underlying message to convert the readers. So since it's mostly fundamentalists religious organisms that ban books, of course they would not ban a book that actually helps them doing their proselytizing job.
Not sure about their stance on LOTR et al. But then, LOTR is set in another world, and Tolkien wasn't exactly a progressist, so I doubt there is so much to dispute in his books.
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Date: 2004-09-28 01:15 pm (UTC)