So I finished Reading Catcher in the Rye and other banned books

Cafe Society
1

Well guys, having just graduated college, I’ve realized that I’ve got a lot of time on my hands. I decided to go the the beach the other day. I have also had the simultaneous desire to start reading some books. Well, I happened to have JD Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye and I have to admit that I really loved it. It was one of my favorite books ever. I really want to do this more often, though. I want to take the subway, and read a book on the way there and back, making good use of the hour and a half it takes to get there. So that’s the deal. But the other thing I’ve realized is that my favorite books of all time have usually been banned at one point. Here’s some of my favorite books.

Catcher in the Rye
Lolita
Tropic of Capricorn
The Sun Also Rises
1984
Animal Farm

So going by that, I decided to look at the most banned books. A few points of interest though. From the looks of this list, I noticed a few on there like Mark Twain books, that don’t really interest me at the moment. I’m sure they are great, but not for me, I don’t think. I was thinking of possibly going for the Slaughterhouse Five or maybe something different. My favorite type of book usually involves interesting characters in fairly normal settings. I suppose that’s why I liked Lolita, and Catcher in t he Rye, and Tropic of Capricorn the most.

Maybe you could suggest a few things?

2

Don’t know if its your cup of tea, but Joyce’s Ulysses was banned for a long time on obscenity grounds. It’ll take a few subway rides to get through it, mind, but no greater book was ever written on “interesting characters in fairly normal settings”

3

While Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn are probably his best known works (and I’m not sure what banned book list you have, but Huck generally makes some list), I liked The Innocents Abroad and Roughing It a lot more. Twain had a great sense of humor and and could spin a colorful yarn. Not nearly as deep as his morality tails, and may not be what you’re looking for judging by your other choices, but I know I was plesantly surprised.

4

I loved The Innocents Abroad. The Ascent of Gibraltar is freaking hilarious. I can’t imagine that it’s ever been banned, though.

5

I’m not sure if Slaughterhouse Five is the type of book that “involves interesting characters in fairly normal settings.” Unless you consider being a POW during WWII and “unstuck in time” as fairly normal.

Along the lines of Slaughterhouse Five, you may want to read Catch 22 by Joseph Heller. It’s popped up on more than a few banned book lists.

6

How could they tell?