Banned Book Profile: The Lord of the Rings
Continuing my Banned Books Week series of books that, you might be surprised to learn, have been banned, challenged, or otherwise censured by groups or organizations since publication.
THE FACTS:
Title: The Lord of the Rings
Author: J. R. R. Tolkien
First Published: 1954/1955
Publisher: George Allen & Unwin
Where/When/Why Banned or Challenged (from the ALA website):
- Burned in Alamagordo, NM (2001) outside Christ Community Church along with other Tolkien novels as satanic.
They must feel very silly doing that when no one else objected to it anywhere else in the World. They’ll just assume it was too complicated to handle. ‘Is it set in a mythical yet recognisible world featuring other-worldy, almost fairy-tale, like characters on an epic quest to save their way of life? Yes? Burn it!!!!!’
I’m actually very surprised that this was banned at all. Especially considering Tolkien’s own religious background and influences (Catholic?), and the amount of influence LOTR has had on the Christian community’s use of it as a metaphor for the Christian life, etc…
Are you serious? The Lord of the Rings is a really good book! You are all to stupid to see it, but there are things in there that ARE Catholic. He was one so her did put hidden meanings and images that represents Catholicism. So it should not have been banned