Top 5 Wednesday: Banned Books I've read

In honor of the Banned Books Week (September 27 - October 3, 2015), the topic of today's Top Five is focused on banned books. I have definitely read more than five of those during my lifetime, so narrowing down the list to just five books was pretty hard. I do want to point out that I am not including Harry Potter in this list but I am, however, aware of the fact that The Harry Potter series has been challenged numerous times by various individuals and organizations because of its focus on witchcraft and wizardry.

Top 5 Wednesday was created by GingerReads Lainey and the link to the Goodreads group can be found here.

1. The Holy Bible

This might be the most read book in the world, however, it has also been banned by various governments, regimes and communities. Growing up in the Soviet Union, you could not go to a bookstore and purchase a Bible. Religion of any kind was considered to be "poison for the masses" and the Bible was not read by the population. The Bible is still banned in such countries as North Korea and Saudi Arabia. In many other places it is in very limited circulation and cannot be easily procured or brought into the country. I am yet to read the entire Bible from cover to cover. However, I have read most of it in pieces, and if you are looking for an easy to understand version, I highly recommend J.B. Phillips' The New Testament in Modern English and the New International Version.

2. Animal Farm by George Orwell

Orwell wrote this book during World War II, when criticizing the Soviet Russia (Britain's main ally in the war) was not considered a wise move. He therefore had a lot of trouble getting the book published. He did succeed in publishing it in the West. However, this book would not see the light of day in the Soviet republics for many years. The novel is basically a satire on Stalin's regime. Both Stalin and Trotsky are very recognizable. Orwell's portrayal of the regime is amazingly accurate even though he never actually visited Russia. Animal Farm is still banned in some Muslim countries because of its focus on pigs.

3. "We" by Yevgeniy Zamyatin

I first read this novel in high school, and was completely blown away by it. Written in 1921, it is one of the first books depicting a dystopian society. Zamyatin describes the life in the One State, where everyone lives for the collective good and individual freedom is unheard of. The book warns about the dangers of a totalitarian system and communism. It was banned in the Soviet Union and other countries engaged in "building communism." It is also interesting to note that Orwell (mentioned above) got his inspiration for Animal Farm from Zamyatin's We. I definitely think this book should be read more widely. It is amazing.

4. The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov

Many of Bulgakov's works were officially banned and unavailable in Stalin's Russia. The author openly criticized the regime and focused on the individual freedom/happiness rather than the collective good. Out of all his works, The Master and Margarita is by far my favorite. It is focused on the eternal questions of good and evil, but also portrays Stalin's Moscow as a surreal place filled with grotesques, vampires, and witches. I am not sure if the book is still banned anywhere but it is a fascinating read.

5. Persepolis by Marjane Satrape

This is a graphic novel depicting life in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. I have a full review of this book on by blog here. When I first read it I had no idea it was on the list of banned books. It was definitely considered controversial in the Middle East. However, in 2013-2015,  it was challenged by some schools in the US and even pulled from some classrooms because of graphic violence and language. You can read the full case study on the ban here.