Back in the 20th century, before we had the internet to argue with, people freaked out over paper and ink. Stories were silenced, authors were blacklisted, and entire ideas were boxed up and buried; all because they made someone somewhere a little too uncomfortable.
These weren’t just books… they were threats. To authority. To tradition. To polite society. And yet, the more they were banned, the more people needed to read them. Because deep down, we’ve always known: the books they try to erase are the ones that matter most. The boldest. The wildest. The most dangerous.
So adjust your reading glasses and get ready to revisit the reads that rattled cages, raised eyebrows, and rewrote the rules, even when the world wasn’t ready.
The censors couldn’t handle them. But you? You’re about to devour every last word. Click on, rebellion reads better with age.
1
Ulysses by James Joyce (1922)
Banned in the U.S. for obscenity due to its stream-of-consciousness depiction of s*xuality.
2
The Diary of Anne Frank (Unabridged) by Anne Frank (1947)
Challenged for "s*xually explicit" passages in some editions and political sensitivity.
3
Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak (1957)
Banned in the USSR for its criticism of the Russian Revolution and Soviet regime.
4
Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs (1959)
Banned for its hallucinatory depiction of drug use, homosexuality, and obscene language.
5
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut (1969)
Banned for profanity, s*xual content, and perceived anti-American views.
6
The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall (1928)
Banned for its open depiction of lesbianism, considered obscene at the time.
7
Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence (1928)
Banned for explicit descriptions of s*x and class-crossing relationships.
8
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (1953)
Ironically challenged for its portrayal of censorship and controversial language.
9
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess (1962)
Banned or challenged for extreme violence, s*xual assault scenes, and moral ambiguity.
10
The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie (1988)
Banned in multiple Islamic countries for alleged blasphemy against Islam; led to a fatwa.
11
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (1951)
Banned for profanity, underage drinking, and "immoral" behavior; accused of corrupting youth.
12
Animal Farm by George Orwell (1945)
Banned in the USSR and some other countries for its anti-communist satire.
13
The Color Purple by Alice Walker (1982)
Banned for its depictions of inc*st, r*pe, and lesbian relationships.
14
L0lita by Vladimir Nabokov (1955)
Banned in several countries for its depiction of p*dophilia and s*xually explicit content.
15
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (1962)
Banned in the USSR after initial release for exposing the brutality of Stalinist labor camps.
16
Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller (1934)
Banned in the U.S. for nearly 30 years due to explicit s*xual content and vulgar language.
17
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (1939)
Banned for its portrayal of poverty, criticism of capitalism, and perceived communist sympathies.
18
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (1960)
Banned for racial themes, use of racial slurs, and perceived offensive language.
19
1984 by George Orwell (1949)
Banned in parts of the U.S. and USSR for being anti-authoritarian and critical of totalitarian regimes.
20
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (1932)
Challenged for themes of s*xual promiscuity, drug use, and criticism of religion and family values.
