Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
There's a major difference, though, between condemnation of a book, and trying to ensure that nobody is allowed to read it. It's one thing to try to convince other people that your opinion of a book is valid: that's healthy debate. It's another thing entirely to pressurise a publisher not to publish a book that you personally find offensive: that's attempting to forcibly impose your moral standards on others.
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True enough. The former is just stating your opinion of the book while the latter would be an overt act of censorship. I may not like a particular book and express my right to my opinion on why book x is badly written or has wooden characters etc. and that is my right as a reader. But if I tried to get author x's books banned for whatever reason then I'm trying to foist my views of the world on others and am treading on their rights. That's not to say that some haven't tried with this or that book. There are many books that have been banned by this or that group over the years. I think it can be argued that while most books value is a matter of personal opinion that there are some that should not be written. The book I mentioned in my first post being a case in point. I don't know what became of the 'author' of that book. If he was ever brought to trial or anything but such a book has no redeeming qualities I don't think. I mean there are books on poisons, firearms etc. that people buy for reference purposes (such as if they are writing a novel) and they have some value as such aids but a book on how to molest kids has no such redeeming value attached to it and you don't (I think) need to have read it to know that for a fact. On the other hand I remember seeing a book posted at Amazon titled "Jesus shaves." I don't recall how it came up in book searches. Anyway I may be offended by it as it uses a key figure of Christianity in a way that I find abhorrent, but I realize that my view of said book is based largely on my moral code and Christian belief. Other not of my faith may not be so offended. So it's more a personal choice in that case. I can voice my opinion here and to Amazon about it but as long as said book doesn't break any laws (though some would argue it should) then it does come down to choice and not any other concerns.