Books That Were Silenced

“The Prince was placed on the first Index Librorum Prohibitorum ever issued by the Catholic Church. It was condemned f…”

“Specific passages and editions of Don Quixote were reviewed by the Inquisition. The 1640 Index of the Spanish Inquisi…”

“The poem required licensing before publication under the Licensing Act of 1662. The licenser initially objected to pa…”

“Motte altered the manuscript before publication without Swift's consent, removing or softening passages he deemed too…”

“Condemned as contrary to religion and morals; the Geneva authorities were offended by the novel's mockery of Calvinis…”

“Seditious libel against the King and the British government; the book advocated republicanism and attacked hereditary…”

“The Anti-Socialist Laws (Sozialistengesetze) banned socialist organizations, meetings, and publications, of which the…”

“The 1881 edition was deemed obscene under Massachusetts law; Stevens threatened Whitman's publisher, James R. Osgood,…”

“The novel was prosecuted for outrage aux bonnes mœurs (offense against public morality) and offense against religion.…”

“Placed on the Index Librorum Prohibitorum for its perceived endorsement of revolutionary politics, its sympathy for c…”

“Deemed "trash and suitable only for the slums" — the library committee cited its coarse language, its depiction of a …”

“Depicted a married woman who abandons her husband and children in pursuit of self-discovery and sexual independence; …”

“Paradoxically banned by the Communist government because Sinclair's unsparing critique of capitalism was deemed poten…”

“The Rainbow (1915) was seized and banned; while Sons and Lovers escaped direct prosecution, Lawrence was subjected to…”

“Richards's printer refused to set certain stories, particularly 'Two Gallants' and 'Counterparts,' claiming they were…”