There are books that receive admiration, others receive awards and recognition and then there are some which instigate people to a point that the author’s lives come in danger.
Several books throughout history have gained notoriety and fame due to their controversial themes, ideas, and their societal impact.
These books challenge prevailing beliefs, social norms or at times, political structures, sparking debates and discussions that endure for generations.
Here we list down seven such controversial books that have left a lasting mark on literature and society.
1. ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ by J.D. Salinger
The book by J.D. Slinger follows the story of Holden Caulfield, a disenchanted teenager who rebels against societal expectations and struggles with mental health issues. Controversial for its explicit language and themes of teenage alienation, it was banned and challenged in numerous schools for its perceived corrupting influence on youth. But today, Its insightful exploration of the adolescent psyche continues to render it a prevalent selection.
2. ‘Lolita’ by Vladimir Nabokov
‘Lolita’ is a novel narrated by Herbert Humbert, a highly intelligent but morally corrupt man who becomes infatuated with a young girl named Dolores Haze who he calls ‘Lolita’. The book explores themes of obsession, pedophilia, and an unreliable narrator. Its controversial subject matter has led to censorship and bans in several countries, while others emphasize its literary merits and exploration of complex psychological themes.
3. ‘Lady Chatterley’s Lover’ by D.H. Lawrence
D.H. Lawrence’s ‘Lady Chatterley’s Lover’ is infamous for its explicit sexual content and discussions of class struggle. It tells the story of an aristocratic woman’s affair with her stonemason, challenging the social norms of the time. The book faced obscenity trials in the UK and the US, with many seeing it as a challenge to traditional values and sexual taboos.
4. ‘The Satanic Verses’ by Salman Rushdie
‘The Satanic Verses’ is a novel by Salman Rushdie that faced extreme controversy due to its perceived blasphemous content against Islam. It prompted protests and calls for the author’s death due to its supposed irreverence toward religious figures. The fatwa issued against Rushdie by Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini led to international debates about freedom of speech and expression. The dissent is so prominent that in August 2022, in the USA, Rushdie was stabbed on stage at a live event.
5. ‘Mein Kampf’ by Adolf Hitler
The book is an autobiographical manifesto written by Adolf Hitler during his imprisonment after the failed Beer Hall Putsch. The book promotes Hitler’s extreme nationalist, anti-Semitic, and fascist ideologies, which became the foundation for Nazi ideology. Despite its hateful content, it remains an essential historical document for understanding the Holocaust and World War II.
6. ‘The Chocolate War’ by Robert Cormier
The book stirred up controversy due to its exploration of dark themes involving physical and mental abuse experienced by Jerry, a teenager attending an all-boys Catholic High School. The book delved into sensitive subjects like sexuality, bullying and profanity, sparking anger and concern among numerous parents throughout the United States. Despite the contentious reception, the narrative’s portrayal of Jerry’s bravery in defying societal norms continues to resonate strongly with audiences to this day.
7. ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’ by Harriet Beecher Stowe
The novel has had a significant role in shaping public opinion about slavery in the United States. While it is now celebrated for its role in the abolitionist movement, during its time, it was deeply controversial for its harsh depiction of slavery and the portrayal of African-American characters. Southerners viewed it as a distortion of the realities of slavery, fueling tensions that eventually led to the American Civil War. One of the several sentences that brought on disdain for the book was, “The negro is naturally more impressible to religious sentiment than the white.”
