Has Stephen King's Works Been Condemned Yet?

[xville]

For all the books that have been banned and prohibited, I've yet to hear of Stephen King's books being banned or protested against.


I guess I could rustle up some torches and pitchforks and march on the library.

I think we owe it to him.

[Moderator]

Quite a few have been challenged or banned from school libraries. You can find more info on the American Library Association site (http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/archive/challengedbannedDONOTUSE.cfm).

[Beatbox]

Rage has been taken out of print

[Moderator]

Rage has been taken out of print

It was Stephen's decision to not allow future printings--it wasn't banned.

[cunninghamair]

Quite a few have been challenged or banned from school libraries. You can find more info on the American Library Association site (http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/archive/challengedbannedDONOTUSE.cfm).


Thanks, Ms Mod. I saw Judy Blume on there more than SK!

[Prince of Darkness]

Hi,

Wasn't Carrie banned in some middle-schools?

I can't remember where I heard that.

Long days and pleasant nights

[smjohn]

Thanks, Ms Mod. I saw Judy Blume on there more than SK!

Judy Blume!!!? Wtf is wrong with her? Ramona The Pest???? These are books I got started reading on my own with...How can they ban that?:glare:

[Sms231]

It's very sad that groups of Americans feel they have the right to block access to authors just because they feel that the subject matter is inapropriate. It's fine if you feel that content is inapropriate for your kids, but if I feel that my (hypothetical and imaginary) kids can handle it, then I'm gonna let them read it anyway. In my opinion, the banning of books only increases the desire to read the books anyway. If parents don't want their kids reading something, then they shoud become more proactive in their children's lives rather than trying to legislate morality for everyone else.

[tillyn]

I don't believe any of his books i've read should be banned . I heard Catcher in the Rye, put the school boards in an up roar in the day, and that is one of my fav. books.

[orionash42]

Heard of rage?
My mum doesn't like it though but she doesn't like me reading/watching anything remotely violent. She's not a Stephen King fan anyway.

[Drawn to Ka-tet]

Condemned? oy ve!

Sure- Condemned to greatness IMHO. :smile2:


Long days and pleasant nights.

[Trailmix]

People who try to ban certain things, books, movies, etc. for everyone else, that just pisses me off royally. If you don't like it, fine. Don't try to screw around and piss everyone else off. Morons. >:|

[cunninghamair]

I followed Ms Mod's link and apparently we call it "challenged" in the US, instead of banned. That makes it all better--right? NOT.

And Judy Blume's were the few books my parents picked out for me--I picked out everything else on my own.

Some people can't handle the reality of unpleasantness in life. That is the beauty of a book--just close it if you don't want to read anymore!

[Moderator]

I could be wrong but I think there is a difference between challenged and banned. It was my understanding that a book can be challenged but once it goes through the review process, the challenge may not be upheld and the book would, therefore, not be banned

[cunninghamair]

You are correct, Ms Mod. With the Freedom of Speech Act in the US, are there really any banned books? Because that would make me run right out and buy them!

[O'Hara]

Yeesh, like Fahrenheit 451. I think in today's day an age, especially, it would be hard to "ban" books with all the sources we have today to access them. There would be too many regulations involved in keeping the book out of the United States to bother with any real sense of keeping the law or whathaveyou. It's too easy to buy things online from another country (got a package from Australia the other day, imagine that) or contact someone who could secure a copy and mail it or something. Like now y'all have me interested in Rage, and sure enough, no body here has it, but when I look online, Amazon.com has it (the UK site mostly, from what I saw). I don't know. I think its sacrilege to ban books. Everyone has a right to their own opinion and such. of course, there are always exceptions to every rule, but for a Sai King novel? No way.

[TheHardcase]

Rage has been taken out of print

As I recall, this was done at SK's specific request.

[delores 74]

JUDY BLUME?! She was one of my favorite authors when I was a kid, right up there with Beverly Cleary. I have never understood banning or "challenging" books...do we not have freedom to choose what we do and do not read? If someone thinks a book is offensive, they have the choice to not read it, they don't have to ruin it for the rest of us.

[delores 74]

I just checked the list, and John Steinbeck is on there as well as S.E Hinton! What was up with Steinbeck? Someone get offended that it took a turtle 20+ pages to cross the road in The Grapes of Wrath?

[LadyHitchhiker]

What I think is gross is we're going to ban Stephen King from some libraries but they still have "Go Ask Alice" by anonymous available for younglings? THAT particular book was on our bookmobile and as pre-k through 8th at the Catholic School we were permitted to read that book! *shakes head* Now THAT is not a book I would just want any kid to read without discussion. Most of the kids who read it in my class thought it was disturbing, and so hopefully it kept the kids away from drugs, but a few thought the book was sexy and thought it would be "neat" to live the lifestyle of poor Alice.

Also, there are plenty of books we read in school that are crap. Or short stories. How about "A Rose For Emily"? A story about a lady whose boyfriend dies and she keeps him in her house as her sex toy? We were forced to read this book in High School! Necrophilia being something we should be taught in school? We could be doing a lot better by reading Stephen King in High School. The dynamics of characters in his stories teaches us about others and ourselves. I for one, think the dark tower series should be taught in school, along with many of his other stories. :D

[Gillie]

What I think is gross is we're going to ban Stephen King from some libraries but they still have "Go Ask Alice" by anonymous available for younglings? THAT particular book was on our bookmobile and as pre-k through 8th at the Catholic School we were permitted to read that book! *shakes head* Now THAT is not a book I would just want any kid to read without discussion. Most of the kids who read it in my class thought it was disturbing, and so hopefully it kept the kids away from drugs, but a few thought the book was sexy and thought it would be "neat" to live the lifestyle of poor Alice. . :D


I remember reading that book, ummmmmmmmm about 35-40 years ago. I can't believe that it's still in print. Very depressing and very informative if I remember correctly.
Whew - I am so glad that that period is over.

[SKfan2006]

in middle school i had to read the Most Dangerous Game which features HUMAN HUNTING. afterwards we all had to write a continuation of it. let me tell you my sequel was anything but nice. around that time we also had to read EAP's Masque of the Red Death, and the Pit and the Pendulum. those are a bit macre to teach middle schoolers wouldn't you say? then in high school we had to read How to Kill a Mockingbird which i found distastful. i didn't want to read it because of it using the word and when i told my mom she was mad at me for saying it was kept making me read it. its like if you don't want me using certain words get rid of the problem not scorn the person. if i ever have kids i'm not letting them read that book.

[IfSoGirl]

in middle school i had to read the Most Dangerous Game which features HUMAN HUNTING. afterwards we all had to write a continuation of it. let me tell you my sequel was anything but nice. around that time we also had to read EAP's Masque of the Red Death, and the Pit and the Pendulum. those are a bit macre to teach middle schoolers wouldn't you say? then in high school we had to read How to Kill a Mockingbird which i found distastful. i didn't want to read it because of it using the word and when i told my mom she was mad at me for saying it was kept making me read it. its like if you don't want me using certain words get rid of the problem not scorn the person. if i ever have kids i'm not letting them read that book.

but why? that book teaches tolerance and acceptance and that you shouldnt judge people based on rumor. it teaches that we dont need to be afraid of someone who may be different. that we should fight for those who cant fight for themselves even if the mob mentality around us says we are wrong. the use of the "word" is used b/c it was the vernacular of the times there are plenty of books that use it, even uncle tom's cabin.

[SKfan2006]

but why? that book teaches tolerance and acceptance and that you shouldnt judge people based on rumor. it teaches that we dont need to be afraid of someone who may be different. that we should fight for those who cant fight for themselves even if the mob mentality around us says we are wrong. the use of the "word" is used b/c it was the vernacular of the times there are plenty of books that use it, even uncle tom's cabin.

i've read other books with the same message done better. for the word besides SK i've not seen a lot of old books use it. uncle tom is understandable since it was written around the civil war back in the 1800's where there was no other words for african american. besides other books i see that take place before the civil rights movement usually use black or african american. also i saw the movie the year before in class and it bored me to tears.

[gclark]

well considering i read my first sk book in the library, then that would really piss me off.. i tell you i'm secretly awaiting the day that my son comes home from school, with an SK library book in hand... I think i'll take a picture and frame it... "Proud parent of an SK reader! " Do they make that bumper sticker? lol

[IfSoGirl]

i've read other books with the same message done better. for the word besides SK i've not seen a lot of old books use it. uncle tom is understandable since it was written around the civil war back in the 1800's where there was no other words for african american. besides other books i see that take place before the civil rights movement usually use black or african american. also i saw the movie the year before in class and it bored me to tears.

to kill a mockingbird is an american classic that other authors have taken and used to base their works on. and this was written as i said during a time when this word was in the vernacular. and i have yet seen a book display these themes as well as mockingbird did esp to kids and young adults. and i have read plenty of books from the times where this word is used, all the way to the 1900s when the word was still in use up until the 50's at least. and the movie w/ gergory peck, one of his greatest most moving movies.

[O'Hara]

What I think is gross is we're going to ban Stephen King from some libraries but they still have "Go Ask Alice" by anonymous available for younglings? THAT particular book was on our bookmobile and as pre-k through 8th at the Catholic School we were permitted to read that book! *shakes head* Now THAT is not a book I would just want any kid to read without discussion. Most of the kids who read it in my class thought it was disturbing, and so hopefully it kept the kids away from drugs, but a few thought the book was sexy and thought it would be "neat" to live the lifestyle of poor Alice.



Oh man, I read that in 7th grade. I was one of the few it was assigned to. I finished whatever book the class was assigned (The Outsiders, I think) wayyyy early as per usual, and the teacher had some copies of that and handed it to me to read. I honestly think that the majoirty of the books they give us in school are worse than most of what I've read in Sai King's novels and short stories. People can be so ridiculously silly.

[CorbinKale]

NO books should be banned. Ever. For any reason.

Like Heinlein said, "Freedom begins when you tell Mrs. Grundy to go fly a kite."

[E.Freemantle]

God forbid. Book banning,leads to book burning,and then gassing and cremating people. That's how it goes on Earth anyway.E. Freemantle

[Lencho_of_the_Apes]

Where did I see that Mark Twain quote about banning books? I think it was on this site. "Censorship amounts to telling a man he can't eat steak because a baby doesn't have teeth to chew it with." (Not the exact words...)

We all float down here.

[Tinahorve]

We have been lucky so far at our school. They usually send out a note at the beginning of the year stating they will not ban any books from the kids' reading. Guess they are just wanting the parents to know in case a family has issues with certain things.

[JayzinSmith]

Where did I see that Mark Twain quote about banning books? I think it was on this site. "Censorship amounts to telling a man he can't eat steak because a baby doesn't have teeth to chew it with." (Not the exact words...)

We all float down here.
"Censorship is telling a man he can't have a steak just because a baby can't chew it." - Mark Twain

http://www.newspeakdictionary.com/ot-quotes.html