Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, by Dai Sijie, 184 pages

This short work of fiction is great for book clubs and would work for a Banned Book Week discussion.  In 1970s China, the narrator and his friend are sent to the countryside to be "re-educated," and wiped clean of their bourgeois sensibilities.  But there they find a treasure trove of banned, Western fiction that changes their lives and that of the young seamstress they try to "civilize" using the books.  It's a short book, so there's not a whole lot more to say about it- but after reading it, there is a lot of substance for discussion with a book group. 

Black Like Me

Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin, 157 pages

John Howard Griffin, a white writer, entered the black community in 1961 to see if the deep South's reputation for extreme racism was accurate. Though he already lived in the South (Texas), his travels took him down through Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi. He spent a mere two months first as a black man, then alternating between black and his natural skin. He was given medical treatments that changed the pigmentation of his skin, in addition to a dye.
He was horrified by how he was treated, constantly being given what he called the "hate stare" and the complete lack of respect he was given, even on a basic human level.  The conditions most blacks were living in were barely fit for animals, much less humans.
This book was a short, depressing read, as is any material that exposes the disgusting side of human nature.

The Chocolate War

The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier, 191 pages

Jerry Renault is high school student whose mother just recently died, and whose father seems lost even in his own home. When his school starts its annual fundraiser selling chocolates Jerry is the only student to refuse to participate. Meanwhile Archie Costello the leader of the secret school society the Vigils finds himself being coerced by the ambitious acting headmaster into making the Vigils responsible for the success of the sale.

I read this book for banned book week because I thought the reasons for the ban were hilariously trivial compared to other banned books. Overall I thought the story was rather good, I enjoyed intensity of the emotions. My only problem with this book was the ending, which I don't want spoil. My problem as not how it ended but because I felt it ended abruptly and that there should have been a more to it.

Sandpiper

Sandpiper by Ellen Wittlinger, 227 pages

Sandpiper is about a girl by the same name who runs into some trouble with her overly promiscuous behavior. This behavior is also what led to this book being challenged in Alabama. Sandpiper had numerous themes that seem borderline, if not entirely inappropriate for younger kids.
Overall though the book seems to get the message across that engaging in this kind of behavior is not appropriate and will harm your life. I would say this book is not for the younger readers in the teen section but for those in the 15+ area.

Nana

Nana by Zola, Emile, 485 pages

I started reading Nana after I saw it in a list of banned books. The book had been banned in Yugoslavia and Ireland and the writings of Zola were banned in England and was listed on the Index Librorum Prohibitorum, which was the list of books prohibited by the Vatican until the list was abolished in 1966.

As I read it I could not understand why this book was banned. I know it came from an earlier time but asides from prostitution, lack or morals and some vulgarity there is not anything overly bad about it. After some looking it seems that the reason people objected to it was the heroine of the story being a prostitute and for exposing the desires of men in the era in a bad light.

This is actually the ninth part of a twenty volume set by Zola. I did not find that out till afterwards, but apparently reading them in order gives you the proper introduction of the characters versus the casual ones provided in Nana. The book can be read on its own though, if you are patient.

The book overall is only fair and despite all of the characters falling in love with Nana by the end I was hoping she would meet some horrible fate.


If the novel would come out now it would not even receive a passing glance. If I am to continue this reading of banned books I might have to focus on the newer ones, as most of these seem to be banned just for being progressive for their time.

Forever Amber

Forever Amber by Kathleen Winsor, 726 pages

I started reading this book to see why it was banned in New Zealand and Ireland, and was burned at ports and public libraries in England. The only reason I can see is that it was indecent for its time. While it might be true that it has, as one attorney general put it, "seventy references to sexual intercourse; thirty-nine illegitimate pregnancies; seven abortions; ten descriptions of women undressing, dressing or bathing in the presence of men; five references to incest; thirteen references ridiculing marriage; and forty-nine miscellaneous objectionable passages"(Banned Books, ALA) it certainly is no worse than stuff that is published now, like Game of Thrones.

I found Forever Amber to be a pretty typical romance novel with slight hints of political thriller. Basically Amber falls in love with Bruce and power and will do anything it takes to get both of the things she wants. I truly like how the novel ends and it may be one of the best endings I have ever read. Obviously the book is for mature audiences.