A Look at a Banned Book

Book banning happens periodically across the world. From writings that can upset political status quo, to those that contain disturbing amounts or levels of sex or violence, various works have at various times been considered for or subject to banning. More recently, we have seen cases of books being banned for hurting religious sentiment. Since book banning happens periodically, we have times when a society decides what we can or cannot read, and times when it appears to allow and encourage its members to read a lot and widely. As such, reading has only recently become a skill almost anybody can acquire.

What this means is that, until very recently, most people simply could not read - were not literate. And, it is only recently that more people can not only read but consider reading for pleasure and growth. Thus, it is very hard to have a public, at this point in time, who can make an informed decision about banning books. In such a scenario, we find a report about an Indian judge allegedly finding Tolstoy's War and Peace inflammatory reading. One positive fallout of this unfortunate news item is that people might actually read the book.

The only reason I can find fault with the book could be for length - a person once told me that they managed to finally read War and Peace during a long convalescence. However, it is hard, beyond the question of length, to consider that anything in Tolstoy's writings can incite the reader to violence.

The best way to settle the matter is to read War and Peace.

Or listen to it.

And you can even enjoy the epic as film:

Directed by Sergei Bondarchuk, the film, made in the sixties, has been screened again this year. Which makes it a must-watch but don't take my word for it - all the reviews rave about it:

Virtuosic camerawork rendered each scene of Bondarchuk’s War and Peace its own sort of spectacle

The director’s plan to hook the masses relied on shock and awe, bending even the most stubborn detractors into submission via the sheer magnificence of his vision. ... the crew mounted a series of astonishing set pieces, continually topping themselves.

vox.com

Or as TV series:

Now, though the TV show has attracted some minor criticism, it is made by the BBC and, thus, one can expect a certain standard and never be too disappointed. 

There are three things the BBC does very well. Nature/science documentaries (narration by Attenborough or GTFO), make baking seem interesting, and most pertinently costume drama.

cinapse.co

I hope that I have convinced you that War and Peace is not a book to be banned. I also hope that I might have convinced you that book banning is never a good idea. 

Just in case this is not enough, we shall look at a banned short story in the next post.