It is no secret to us that some books cover topics that can be quite out there. Here are a list of books that were banned in the UK – some of which are still banned today.
Despised and Rejected by Rose Laure Allatini
Published in 1918 under the pen name of A. T Fitzroy, Despised and Rejected discussed the relationship between a man known to have set views on homosexuality and a young woman who happens to be a lesbian. It was banned in the same year of its release as it criticised Britain’s involvement in World War I whilst also making a point to mention homosexuality. However, 57 years after its release and outlaw, the book was unbanned in 1975.
Ulysses by James Joyce
James Joyce published Ulysses in 1922, where he wrote about topics that were deemed obscene which led to its ban in the same year. The book had explicit references to the human body and mentions of the importance of its destruction. In 1935, Ulysess was unbanned and therefore allowed the sales and stocking of it in libraries.
Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D. H. Lawrence
Lady Chatterley’s Lover was published in 1928 and tells the story of Connie Reid and her affair with the gamekeeper after her husband is paralysed from the waist down when after he is sent to war. It was banned the year after its release when its publishers (Penguin) were taken to trial under the Obscene Publications Act. However, it was unbanned in 1960 when Penguin won the trial and gained the rights to publish the book all over England,
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov Vladimir Nabokov released his novel, Lolita in 1955 which tells the story of a 12-year-old girl who is kidnapped and assaulted by her stepfather. It was banned in the same year due to its key themes of paedophilia between the 37-year-old narrator and his stepdaughter. It was unbanned in 1959.
Lord Horror by David Britton Lord Horror was published in 1990 and is set in a fantasy where New York is fused with the death camps at Auschwitz. It was the last book to be banned under the Obscene Publications Act after the author tried to pass off the graphic content within as satire. The ban was lifted after Britton won an appeal though it still remains out of print to this day.
Have you read or heard of any of these? Let us know.
- Ash Green
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