7 Books That Were Banned for Being Too “Controversial”

By Saurav Pandey l July 30, 2025

Throughout history, books have been banned, burned, or censored for challenging authority, offending moral sensibilities, or presenting radical ideas. Here are seven controversial books that faced bans—some for their political themes, others for their religious or sexual content.

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Animal Farm by George Orwell (1945)

A satirical allegory of Soviet communism, Animal Farm was banned in the USSR and other communist countries for its critique of totalitarianism. Even in the U.S., it faced challenges in schools for its perceived “pro-communist” or “anti-American” themes.

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Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell (1949)

Orwell’s dystopian masterpiece was banned in the Soviet Union for its anti-authoritarian message. It has also been challenged in the U.S. for its “pro-communist” and “sexually explicit” content, despite being a warning against totalitarianism.

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The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie (1988)

This novel sparked international outrage for its depiction of Islamic figures, leading to bans in multiple Muslim-majority countries. Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa calling for Rushdie’s assassination, forcing the author into hiding for years.

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Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (1865)

Surprisingly, this children’s classic was banned in China (1931) for allegedly attributing human traits to animals, which authorities claimed was “disrespectful to humans.” It was also challenged in the U.S. for its perceived drug references.

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Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler (1925)

Hitler’s manifesto, promoting Nazi ideology, has been banned in several countries, including Germany (until 2016), due to its hateful content. Some argue banning it prevents neo-Nazi propaganda, while others believe censorship gives it more power.

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Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James (2011)

This erotic romance novel was banned in several countries, including Malaysia and India, for its explicit sexual content. Many libraries and schools in the U.S. also removed it, deeming it “pornographic” and “unfit for young readers.”

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Ulysses by James Joyce (1922)

Banned in the U.S. and UK for obscenity due to its sexual references and stream-of-consciousness style, Ulysses was famously the subject of a 1933 court case that eventually overturned its ban, paving the way for greater literary freedom.

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