I was curious, but had few expectations. Maybe I did expect certain books to discussed, but I had no idea whether or not the discussions would be interesting or tedious. As a life-time lover of books and reading, however, censorship and book banning have always been on the periphery of my life. And I know from the frequent discussions about banned books, that the topic is of interest to most of you.
Censored presents an eminently readable, well-documented, and well-researched examination of the role of censorship in literature.
The introduction asks, "What harm can words do? This reasoning can lead to the conclusion that speech should never be restricted because it cannot actually hurt anyone, and that those who believe they have been harmed by speech simply need to grow a thicker skin."
It then proceeds to acknowledge that speech can have "tangible effects, though these are rarely easy to predict or control. The same power that exposes a corrupt government can incite mob violence against a vulnerable person."
And furthermore, "Because speech is powerful, our freedom to speak must be defended from unjust restrictions. Because speech is powerful, however, that freedom cannot be absolute. Like action, speech will always raise ethical and legal questions." That pretty much sums things up: freedom of speech must be defended and that freedom cannot be absolute. Yelling fire in a theater doesn't qualify.
And, as we often discover, censoring a work can call more attention to it. The very act of banning or restricting access tends to make people curious and can backfire on the very concerns trying to suppress it.
The introduction makes clear that the subject of censorship is a complicated one, and that even the threat of censorship may cause an author to self-censor (a chilling effect that may not even be visible) and this may mean that some books are never written at all.
An interesting example is given in Frances Burney, whose plays were stifled by her father and her mentor, who didn't consider writing for the stage appropriate for a woman. Burney gets an entire chapter later.
Chapter 1 discusses the English Bibles. The first translations to English were attempts to make the Bible available to the common people, but doing so could and did lead to charges of heresy and burning at the stake. From Wycliff to Tyndale, this chapter is engrossing and the battle took many lives. Even when an English translation was accepted, "people of the 'lower sort' were forbidden to read the Bible altogether."
Each chapter discusses a particular book and the efforts made to suppress it, and each chapter contains fascinating and often alarming information about the how and why of the process.
Chapter 2 discusses Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure (Fanny Hill) by John Cleland. It begins by relating that--while state prohibitions against topics considered heretical, blasphemous, or seditious--are problems because they "directly challenge religious or secular authority." But what about writing about sex? Yep. Cleland's Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure first provoked the obscenity law in 1748 and continued to be a problem for more than 200 years. This chapter is intriguing not only for the challenges to Memoirs, but for the changes in how obscene material has been defined and how the law has been administered in regard to many other books.
Chapter after Chapter proved interesting and informative. I've read many, but not all of the books discussed, and reading about both the books I've read and the ones I'm only familiar with because of their having been banned at one time or another proved immensely educational.
Chapter 21 about Salmon Rushdie's Satanic Verses. Riveting. I thought I was familiar with that case, but learned I only glimpsed the fringes of the impact.
The Afterword begins with a quote from Hilary Mantel: "Oppressors don't just want to do their deed, they want to take a bow: they want their victims to sing their praises." She adds that the struggles continue, repeating themselves.
The Afterword also reiterates that thought and provides information concerning current efforts at censorship and restriction.
I can recommend Censored: A Literary History of Subversion & Control without reservation. Informative, illuminating, significant, and fascinating.
NetGalley/McGill-Queen's University Press
Nonfiction. 2017. Print length: 432 pages
How fascinating! I need to put this one on my list and wonder if it will released on audio. I seem to do better with audio for a lot of non-fiction. Thanks for sharing about it!
ReplyDeleteIt really was an engrossing read! I highlighted so much and learned a lot. :)
DeleteI bet this was a fascinating read. I remember when Rushdie's book was very much in the news. Every year when banned book week comes up I am always amazed that this is something we are still talking about but probably something that will never go away right? Great review!
ReplyDeleteI remember a lot about the Rushdie book as well, but reading it in a kind of step by step way about the escalation was pretty eye-opening. No, as Mantel says the struggles keep repeating, but the ALA does their best to keep the concept before the public with Banned Book Week.
DeleteInteresting and fascinating. A good fit for a book club selection as I can imagine all the issues being talked about and discussed. :)
ReplyDeleteYes! This is a book that has so many possibilities for discussion! I wanted to talk about half a dozen things in each chapter. It would be so much fun to be able to share thoughts and comments about not only the laws and consequences, but about each book discussed or mentioned!
DeleteThis sounds fascinating, Jenclair! I, like many, have rather strong opinions on the topic and think I would really like this book. I am adding it to my wish list. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteIt never failed to keep my interest. It fascinated me that a principal reason for censorship, again and again, was to keep the "lower classes" from ideas that might threaten powerful institutions--the church or state. I did agree with the publisher's decision to pull Hit Man, the 1983 guide to becoming a profession killer, which led directly to someone using the guide to commit murder. Most of the books, however, have been (and still are) censored for blasphemy, obscenity, or views that do not coincide with societal norms.
DeleteOh, this sounds good! I've seen the title but have been passing it by because I thought it was probably fluff, but clearly it isn't. Thanks for such a fantastic and detailed review. I will be looking for this one at the library for sure!
ReplyDeleteIt really a fascinating look at the reasons for subversion and control, at various cases, at the changes in the tests for obscenity. Extremely readable, not at all tedious. :)
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